What to do on Jekyll Island Part 2

This post is sponsored by The Jekyll Island Authority. All opinions are 100% my own.

A couple weeks ago I gave a little recap of our Jekyll Island trip giving some ideas on things to do in Jekyll Island. Since summer in the south has arrived and friends will be traveling south for family vacations I wanted to share a few more things that make Jekyll Island such a great place to visit. These have to do specifically with the great outdoors!

Jekyll Island is just a few hours’ drive from many major southeastern cities. Families can experience unique ecosystems usually found in trips around the world in one weekend trip. If you are an outdoor kind of person – you’ll love this. Yes, good ol’ fashion nature is alive and thriving on Jekyll, guys and it is so amazing to dip your toes in the ocean in the morning and then hike in the forest in the afternoon. Jekyll Island boasts three distinct ecosystems: the coastline, the maritime forest, and marshlands. Each of these offer their own array of wildlife and vegetation.

First, let’s talk about that gorgeous coastline. Jekyll Island has five distinct beaches which we spent most of our time on exploring.

I mentioned Driftwood Beach briefly in my previous Jekyll Island post but it is pretty majestic. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

Another thing we loved about the beaches of Jekyll is that there are seashells galore. They can be found all along the beaches of Jekyll Island. We even saw a few that were still inhabited by crabs or snails. My very favorite though, was the sand dollar we found on our last day (note – this sand dollar is not alive, live ones are brown and may have cilia on the edges). I had found multiple broken ones and all but given up when Matt brought this one over to me. Beautiful!

When we visited St. Andrews Beach I was surprised by the trees. I later came to know that Jekyll Island has maritime forests on the island. Maritime forests are estuaries along the shoreline of the barrier island. They resemble woodlands and are kind of a surprise to see when you are walking along the beach. The forests have a unique ecosystem all their own. They are home to thousands of species of birds as well as other animals.

We visited the 4-H Tidelands Nature Center and learned so much about the area. I asked one of gals there where to see wildlife and she said, “everywhere.” That turned out to be true. There are many trails that offer opportunities to see the island locals in their habitat.

Marshlands are something we’ve grown accustom to seeing as we drive up and down the coast of south Georgia and north Florida. One thing we have yet to do is a boat ride through the marshes. On Jekyll you can take a boat ride through the marshes or even rent kayaks and adventure around yourself.

 Basically, whether you want a vacation of leisure or one of adventure, Jekyll Island is your place because it offers it all.

Are your bags packed yet? #takemewithyou