Parker Wallis
The winds of winter are just around the corner, but Georgia has a host of beaches, shores, and islands with cool coastal temperatures all season long and plenty of fulfilling activities for everyone.
Pet parents can bring their dogs to East Beach on St. Simons Island, for instance, so the whole family can enjoy the sunset and lush wildlife, like migrating animals. The island also hosts the Taste of the Golden Isles on November 16th, a wine and food-tasting event, as well as the Festival of Lights from November 23rd to December 15th, located in Downtown Brunswick.
North Beach on Tybee Island features Georgia’s tallest, oldest lighthouse, the perfect attraction for nautical fans and sightseers alike. Additionally, the North Beach area has a teeming shopping district and other landmarks, such as the island’s Marine Science Center and the Tybee Beach Pier. The island is less crowded in the winter months, and there is still so much to see and do during the season.
Want a more secluded spot on Tybee Island? Then Back River Beach should be your next destination. As a quiet place with gorgeous sunset vistas and the occasional pod of dolphins, Back River Beach is the perfect place to bring your significant other for a relaxing romantic getaway.
For another low-key destination, try Nanny Goat Beach on Sapelo Island. The island has a population of seventy people and is only accessible via ferry, the ideal place for guests to appreciate the natural island beauty that Georgia has to offer.
Where can you find billowing sand dunes, lush greenery, and a long beach perfect for strolling and biking? The answer is Glory Beach on Jekyll Island. Featured in the 1989 film Glory, the beach has a lengthy wooden boardwalk that winds to the shore and tends to be less populated, especially during the winter, making it amazing for those who want to take in the solitude of the crashing waves and cool sea breeze.
While on Jekyll Island, treat yourself with a visit to Driftwood Beach. Considered one of the country’s most romantic shores, this place is lush with curling driftwood, as the name implies, perfect for kids to explore and play as well as for adults to share an intimate moment together.
If exotic wildlife is your game, look no further than St. Catherine’s Island in Midway County. This 14,000-acre stretch of land 42 miles south of Savannah is privately owned by several wildlife conservation projects and is home to a plethora of preserved animal species re-building their colonies, such as lemurs, ospreys, sea turtles, and more. While the island’s beach is the only place technically open to the public, guests can schedule an appointment or two with outreach programs on the island and get the opportunity to get up close with the wildlife. Since it’s less crowded in the winter months, that means more time and chances to mingle with the protected fauna of the island.
For most states, winter means empty beaches as guests are driven away by frigid ocean breezes and a lack of activities. For Georgia, however, the opposite could not be more true, evident by the fun, beautiful island destinations across the state that remain desirable locales during the winter months.
