When you think of Georgia, the first thing you may think of is a nice, juicy peach. But this southern state isn’t only a dream destination for their delicious fruit and dazzling cities, but also for their incredible beaches!
While most people may consider going to one of the Carolinas or Florida for their beach vacation, Georgia beaches are among some of the most gorgeous and unique in the United States.
Georgia is home to beautiful shorelines scattered with driftwood, waters surging with marine life, and fun activities for just about anyone.
Whether you’re looking for a fun family outing or an incredible photo opportunity, Georgia is the place to be for the most beautiful oceanside experience.
Check out this list of the best beaches Georgia has to offer!
The Best Beaches In Georgia
Tybee Island Beach
This beach is the perfect place for both the city-slicker and ocean-lover alike! Tybee Island beach has all the amenities of a tourist attraction but without all the usual commotion and is by far one of Georgia’s best beaches.
This beach, with its soft sand with no shortage of seashells, is one of the cleanest and well maintained in all of Georgia. With the city right at your back, there are plenty of restaurants and bars to check out to grab a bite to eat or sip a delicious drink.
Although this beach can be busy at times, there is an opportunity for anyone to find solitude. Tybee offers pavilions, swings to relax on, and a pier to explore.
From dolphin watching to fishing, Tybee Island beach is a perfect family beach that isn’t too far from the city.
Jekyll Island
A popular tourist attraction and part of Georgia’s Golden Isles is the gorgeous Jekyll Island. This island offers 10 miles of expansive beaches and includes something for everyone to enjoy.
If bathing in the warm Georgia sun and riding the waves isn’t necessarily your thing, you can hit the green at one of the island’s four golf courses. You can either choose to lodge in a hotel or settle down in nature at one of the island’s campgrounds instead.
Jekyll Island is home to incredible marine life and you can even take a boat tour to see dolphins up close! If you’re a history buff, you can learn more about this island at Mosaic Museum or on a historic sights golf cart tour. Jekyll Island also has an incredible water park where you can splash around with the kids.
Overall, Jekyll Island Beach is a wonderful place to visit and has all the features of a classic beach destination.
Driftwood Beach
Situated on Jekyll Island, Driftwood Beach is by far one of the most picturesque beaches in all of Georgia. This beach is the perfect spot to take in breathtaking scenes of waves lapping onto the driftwood covered seashore.
The beach is actually covered with driftwood amongst other unique trees and foliage. Driftwood Beach isn’t necessarily the ideal place to sunbathe or run around with the family, but it is the perfect spot to take photos and have a getaway with a partner. In fact, this beach has been voted as one of the most romantic beaches in America!
This beach is truly a spot that you just cannot miss when visiting Georgia. So grab your camera, wake up early for the sunrise, and capture some breathtaking scenes at Driftwood Beach.
Cumberland Island National Seashore
This beach is a nature lover’s dream and is one of the best beaches in Georgia. Cumberland Island National Seashore is only able to be reached by boat, which limits its passengers each day.
The largest of Georgia’s Golden Isles, this 17-mile long shoreline is full of some of the most beautiful landscapes and fauna. From large historic mansions to sweeping sand dunes, the views on this unique island are beyond words.
Wildlife roam throughout this island, most famously the wild horses and armadillos. This island is not the typical tourist attraction full of restaurants, but it is preferable for the outdoorsy type and camping-lovers. This beach is the perfect place to just set up camp and relax.
One of the best ways you can enjoy Cumberland Island is by laying out on a nice, relaxing hammock. The Mock ONE portable folding hammock is perfect to bring along on your trip. It’s lightweight and perfect to set up wherever you roam on the beach. Cumberland Island is an experience you cannot pass up!
Saint Simons Island
Out of all of the Georgia Beaches, Saint Simons Island is the most eclectic. There is something for absolutely everyone at this popular beach that is full of part-time residents and vacationers.
Riddled with southern charm, Saint Simon’ Island features a plethora of fun ventures. If outdoor activities are your thing, you can spend time biking, golfing, hiking, or simply walking. Like driftwood beach, Saint Simon’s is the perfect romantic spot to whisk away your special someone.
Marine life fills the Atlantic at Saint Simons and visitors can go whale watching, see dolphins, and if you’re lucky, spot some manatees too! History fanatics can visit St. Simons Island Lighthouse or Museum or one the islands many parks.
Sapelo Island
Sapelo Island is one of the hidden gems of all of the best beaches in Georgia. Accessible only by a small plane or ferry, this private island is one of the state’s best-kept secrets.
Only 70 residents occupy the island permanently and the island is actually illegal to visit without a permit. Don’t let that prevent you from visiting this small wonder - you can visit if you join an organized tour, which is well worth it!
Scattered with beautiful mansions and elegant restaurants, this beach is perfect for the vacationer who loves the beauty of the sea with the allure of good southern seafood.
This tight knit community is a beautiful gem among the otherwise traditional recreational beaches. Immersing yourself in the culture of Sapelo is one of the greatest decisions you can make on your trip.
Sea Island
The sea meets luxury at Georgia’s Sea Island. This privately owned island in the Golden Isles houses just a few hundred permanent residents and one of the most famous resorts in America.
The resort is truly the highlight of this beach experience and it feels like you stepped straight into the Caribbean when you arrive. There is someone to help with you just about everything from driving you to your room to setting up your beach chair (If you bring a Mock ONE Hammock, you won't need any help!). This place is the ultimate relaxation destination.
If you decide to stray from the resort and visit the beach, you can ride horses right on the sand dunes, go fishing, and even take trolley tours. But if you’re looking for some quiet relaxation instead, the Sea Island Resort has an impeccable spa. There is something timeless and beautiful about this little getaway island. It is certainly one of the best beaches in Georgia.
St. Andrews Beach Park
Situated on Jekyll Island, this small beachfront park is the ideal spot for viewing natural wildlife and for a fun family picnic on the shore. This area is a sort of hidden gem of Georgia beaches that offers an immersion into the culture of Georgia and some of its tragic history.
There is an educational experience at St. Andrew’s Beach that tells the story of The Wanderer, one of American’s last known slave ships. This experience peeks into the area’s history and is extremely informative and awakening.
On the beach, there is a two-story wildlife observation deck where you can see the vastness of the ocean and even view some dolphins. This beach is the very definition of serene as not many people frequent it at once. Although swimming is not recommended here, there are plenty of sights to take in to keep you occupied.
Nanny Goat Beach
Another hidden gem packed away on Sapelo Island is the alluring, white-sand Nanny Goat Beach. This remote and mostly undeveloped beach is another go-to if you’re looking to relax and not be bombarded with the hustle and bustle of busier beaches in Georgia.
This beach is thought to be the first place in the United States that was advanced by the Europeans. The historical significance is this spot definitely adds to the beach’s allure for visitors. Like St. Andrews, there are some self-guided tours you can partake in as well as opportunities to bird watch or simply enjoy the sweeping seagrass on the shore.
A beautiful place for solitude, you can enjoy walking on the beaches 1-mile long trail and enjoying the cool breeze of the ocean.
South Beach
A part of the Tybee Island beaches, South Beach is one of the most frequented beaches in Georgia and an ideal swimmer’s paradise. Just a half-hour drive from Savannah, Georgia, this beach is the perfect spot if you’re visiting the city.
With a beautiful boardwalk and miles of beach, South Beach has the family feeling many people seek out in a vacation spot. There is an almost Cape Cod feel to this beach. Because it is so busy, it is best to try to get to the beach early to be able to snag a spot. Regardless, South Beach is a Georgia classic and one of their best beaches.
Glory Beach
You may recognize this famous beach if you have seen the film Glory, which was filmed on portions of Glory Beach’s boardwalk. This long boardwalk is how you access the beach and was actually constructed by the Glory producers! This beach is just a few minutes away from Jekyll Island’s gigantic soccer complex.
You can view various wildlife species from the boardwalk as well as the forested areas of the beach. This small beach is pristine and packs a lot of history of Jekyll Island in it as well. It is no wonder that film producers scouted out this wonderful beach for their movie!
Gould’s Inlet
Another spot for your inner nature-lover is the gorgeous Gould’s Inlet. This beach, located on Saint Simons Island, primarily serves as a bird-watching destination. When you visit, you will see flocks upon flocks of different species of seagulls gathering where the sands meet the waves.
Gould’s Inlet has a rich ecosystem beyond just birds and includes a ton of different types of fish. In fact, you can often see local fishermen seeking a good day’s catch off the pier. This popular Georgia beach destination is also the perfect place to jump on the paddleboard and hit the gentle waves.
The indented landmark of the inlet is a true sight to see on this picturesque beach. A wonderful beach to visit for its sandbars and wildlife, the Inlet is another of one of Georgia’s unique seashores.
Robin Lake Beach, Callaway Gardens
If the open ocean isn’t necessarily your favorite thing, Robin Lake Beach is a great alternative for the adventurer at heart. One of the nation’s largest man-made lakes, Robin Lake is just a little over an hour from the state’s capital of Atlanta and is a popular tourist destination. This place isn’t your typical trip to the shoreline but offers a variety of exuberant activities that will keep you smiling all day long.
Robin Lake Beach is the epitome of a fun time. You can spend your time swimming, jet skiing, or simply sunbathing. The lake also offers mini-golf, a giant chess set, and a gigantic water obstacle course. There are plenty amenities, such as snacks, chairs, and even WifI, available for visitors to enjoy during their stay.
At this unique lakeside, you can enjoy an activity-filled day in the sun with everything you could possibly need to enjoy yourself.
Saint Mary’s Beach
Saint Mary’s Beach is a place for seafood conesissuers and history-lovers alike. A much more inhabited beach, St. Mary’s features a ton of different historical sites as well as fun shops and great food.
If you want to spend some time learning in Georgia, you can stop by the St. Mary’s Submarine Museum. Afterward, you can check out one of the many restaurants in the area and fill up with some decadent seafood. Shrimp, crab, and various fish and prepared with a classic southern flavor that any food-lover would enjoy.
When you’re done eating, you can go for a bike ride, a train excursion, or just spend some time shopping! Saint Mary’s is the perfect combination of fun in the sun and a day out on the town.
Georgia is a gorgeous place full of southern charm and alluring beaches that are literally straight out of the movies and are truly the ideal vacation destinations.
Whether you are seeking a romantic getaway, looking to be immersed in nature, or simply want to enjoy time with the family, Georgia has the perfect beach for you!
Like These Beaches? Check Out Even More Of The Best Beaches.
Be the first to comment