The Golden Isles Jekyll Island is part of a chain of islands that hug the Georgia coastline. In fact, there are other places to explore among the "Golden Isles" such as Sapelo and Cumberland Islands that can take you back to an even earlier time. |
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| Sapelo
Island, located two islands north of Jekyll Island (about an
hour by car), is surrounded by 16,000 acres of pristine salt marsh and
wide spans of thick maritime forests that is considered one of the last
outposts of the Gullah culture. The Gullah are the descendants of slaves
who worked the island’s plantations over two centuries ago and cling
to a unique way of life that has all but disappeared. |
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Cumberland
Island is located one island south of Jekyll Island (45 minutes
by car to the town of St. Mary’s). This pristine 36,000-acre barrier
island has been designated a National Seashore and wildlife refuge. This
magical place is replete with wild horses grazing the beach, miles of
untouched dunes, saltwater marshes and a haunting gilded era mansion going
to ruin, all managed and protected by the National Park Service. The public
is welcome to visit Cumberland any time of year for both day trips and
overnight camping. |
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St. Simons and Sea Island are located 20 minutes north of Jekyll Island. These two adjacent islands provide the Golden Isles area with unabashed, modern resort living, complete with excellent restaurants and a swinging nightlife. The Okefenokee
Swamp is located about 50 miles west of Jekyll Island and covers
700 square miles of southern Georgia and northern Florida. Towering cypress
and pine amid tangles of vegetation abound with hundreds of species of
birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. |
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| Savannah,
located 90 minutes north of Jekyll is an antebellum extravaganza, featuring
more than 300 years of history. Savannah’s urban charms are immediately
apparent by its layout of 23 unique squares, which are really miniature
parks that provide the historic district with a sense of beauty and space
amid azaleas and weeping live oak trees.
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