Picture this: Your favorite road trip playlist is on, and you’re about to stop + stock up on your favorite gas station snacks. Oh — and you’re on your way to Amelia Island, FL for a spring getaway weekend.

To help you plan, we’ve rounded up a local’s guide to Amelia Island. Enjoy, GVL.

Location

Located just off the northeastern coast of Florida (and a ~5.5-hour drive from GVL), Amelia Island recently made Travel + Leisure magazine’s “World’s Best Awards” list for the third year in a row.

Golfers can pick from oceanfront and oak-lined fairways to links in the Intracoastal marsh preserves | Photo courtesy of AmeliaIsland.com

Activities

Home to 99 holes of world-class golf, Amelia Island is a golfer's dream.

And there’s tons to see + do, including:

Exploring Fort Clinch State Park
Renting a boat, kayak, or SUP (read: stand-up paddleboard) + take in the backwaters of Amelia Island
Taking an aerial tour of the island via trike-flying tours
Going for a beachfront horseback ride
Exploring the charming, historic district of Fernandina Beach

Guided kayak + stand-up paddleboard tours give visitors the chance to see birds, fish, and other wild animals that call Amelia Island home | Photo courtesy of AmeliaIsland.com

Explore accommodations and dining recs below to help you dine, play + stay like a local.

There are over 20 different places to stay on Amelia Island, including family-friendly and pet-friendly options | Photo of Addison on Amelia courtesy of AmeliaIsland.com

Stays

Whether you’re looking for the luxury of an oceanfront stay, the charm of a historic B&B, the familiar comforts of your favorite hotel chain, or your own private vacation rental to call “home”, Amelia Island has something to suit the style + budget of every traveler.

Pick from historic local treasures like The Amelia Schoolhouse, offering 17 guest rooms, a pool, a courtyard with a putting green + an upscale bar named "The Principal's Office”, or spring for world-class luxury at:

Omni Amelia Island Resort
The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island; or
Hampton Inn & Suites Amelia Island-Historic Harbor Front

Feast your eyes (and your belly) on a blackened shrimp basket, poke bowl, or fish tacos from Timoti's Seafood Shak | Photo courtesy of AmeliaIsland.com

Dining

Visitors to Amelia Island have an ocean of dining experiences to choose from. With more than 90 restaurants, you won’t have to choose between fresh seafood or authentic Italian and Spanish cuisine.

And you can soak in the seaside sun with a sip at Mocama Beer Company, First Love Brewing, Amelia Island Brewing Co., or Marlin & Barrel Distillery.*

Amelia Island is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Intracoastal Waterway, Nassau Sound, and the Cumberland Sound | Photo courtesy of AmeliaIsland.com