Soak up the sun on this Florida barrier island with a quaint historic district and a luxury oceanfront resort that’s a destination in itself.
by Cathy Martin
There’s a quiet controversy among residents of Fernandina Beach and St. Augustine, some 70 miles apart on the northeast Florida coast. While St. Augustine, founded in 1565, is widely acknowledged as the oldest continuously occupied U.S. city, some residents of Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island, believe their town is the oldest.
French explorer Jean Ribault landed in the area inhabited by the Timucua people in 1562, calling the 13-mile barrier island “Isle de Mai” — but because of fires that destroyed historic records, Fernandina doesn’t have the documents to back up their claim.
Those records, and much of the island’s history, may be gone, but what remains is a quaint downtown historic district with boutiques, restaurants and streets lined with charming Victorian-era homes (and ample, free parking).
Through the years, Fernandina has been a seaport, a shrimping capital, and a haven for pirates and Gilded Age millionaires. Today, Amelia Island is a year-round vacation destination supported by a tightknit local community.
“We live in Mayberry,” says Ernest Gonzales, a former golf pro who’s now a local real-estate agent and the taproom manager at Mocama Beer Company, a coffee shop by day, brewery and music venue by night. “Everybody looks after each other. We all have each other’s backs here.”
HISTORY
Amelia Island’s nickname as the Isle of Eight Flags offers a clue into its storied history.
Since Ribault’s arrival in 1562, the island has been controlled by France, Spain, England, Mexican rebels, Confederate sympathizers and others. In the 1700s, Georgia founder James Oglethorpe named it Amelia Island in honor of King George II’s daughter.
Once home to indigo and cotton plantations, after the Civil War the island gained a reputation as a sophisticated resort town. Tourism suffered after the Great Depression until Charles Fraser, the developer behind Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island, purchased a large swath of land on the southern part of the island in 1970. Amelia Island Plantation (now the Omni Amelia Island Resort) debuted a few years later, setting in motion a new era of tourism.
EXPLORE
Downtown Fernandina Beach
The Fernandina Beach historic district encompasses 50 walkable blocks, and more than 250 historic buildings remain intact. It’s easy to while away an afternoon popping in and out of local boutiques, grabbing a bite to eat at a local restaurant, then catching the sunset along the Fernandina Harbor Marina.
Avid readers — or anyone who appreciates a good old-fashioned retail experience, will get lost inside The Book Loft, a two-story indie bookseller with jigsaw puzzles, new and used titles — including a section highlighting local history — and even a resident ghost. Next door, J.J. Cooper is an upscale menswear shop with a staff that makes you feel at home and luxe labels including Barbour, Filson, Peter Millar and Brackish.
Blue Door Artists is an artists’ collective where you can shop for coastal-inspired paintings along with photography, fiber art and jewelry — look for the painted staircase on Centre Street and head to the second floor to peruse the galleries. The Salty Local is a home-décor and clothing boutique that’s filled to the brim with pretty mugs, glassware and other housewares plus flowy floral dresses and contemporary styles from Cleobella, Pistiola and others.
For a deeper dive into the island’s dizzying backstory, the Amelia Island Museum of History, housed in the former Nassau County jail, offers regular guided tours. Fort Clinch State Park, a Civil War-era fort, sits on 1,500 acres with hiking and biking trails and daily tours.
At the southern end of Amelia Island, the A.L. Lewis Museum honors American Beach, frequented by Blacks from across the Southeast during the Jim Crow era. Cab Calloway, James Brown and Zora Neale Hurston all spent time here, where Evans Rendezvous, an oceanfront restaurant and bar, attracted star musicians like Duke Ellington, Ray Charles and Louis Armstrong. The museum is also a tribute to MaVynee Betsch, a local icon known as The Beach Lady, an opera singer-turned-nature preservationist who hosted Black cultural heritage tours until her death in 2005.
The beach at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island. Photo courtesy the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island.
STAY
I stayed at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, a sprawling beachfront resort where all 446 rooms boast private balconies and ocean views. Marble bathrooms, Frette luxury linens and evening turndown service are standard amenities here. There’s tennis, golf and a newly renovated spa, with its own private pool for relaxing and signature treatments like the Awakening Bamboo Massage — an invigorating 90-minute experience combining traditional massage techniques with warm bamboo rollers.
A leisurely afternoon by the pool under rustling palms — followed by lunch of shrimp tacos and a local beer at Coquina, the resort’s oceanfront bar and restaurant — is what vacations are made of. Besides Coquina, other on-site restaurants include Coast (approachable modern-American fare at breakfast, lunch and dinner), and the Tidewater Grill (pizzas, burgers and other pub-style favorites). Sushi is the main attraction at the always buzzing lobby bar, along with signature cocktails like the refreshing Cucumber Saketini and a superb Luxardo Margarita.
The bar at Salt at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island. Photographs courtesy Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island.
The showpiece dining venue, though, is Salt, a AAA Five-Diamond restaurant where chef Okan Kizilbayir’s delicate presentations are as deliciously complex as they are photogenic. In January, the restaurant unveiled a fresh new look, subbing dark wood paneling for a lighter, airier vibe and introducing a new lounge with shareable plates and a relaxed dress code.
Kizilbayir, a Turkey native, joined the Ritz-Carlton in 2021 after more than a decade working alongside superstar chef Eric Ripert. His skills are evident in dishes like a signature octopus appetizer with Castelvetrano olives, piquillo peppers and chorizo oil. In Kizilbayir’s take on the popular seafood dish, the chef slices the tentacles and bakes the dish in a terrine until tender.
Mains at Salt reflect what’s in season, from seared snapper to baked halibut, with steaks and other non-seafood options for landlubbers. For dessert, the made-to-order baklava with pistachio-and-goat cheese cremeux and crème fraiche ice cream is another standout showcasing Kizilbayir’s singular approach to a classic dish. Can’t decide what to order? Choose the chef’s five-course tasting menu and let the pros pick for you.
EAT + DRINK
While Fernandina can’t officially lay claim as the oldest U.S. city, it does boast the oldest active bar in Florida. The Palace Saloon opened in the early 1900s in a former haberdashery. According to local legend, the first ever rum and Coke was served there. Today, it’s a prime people-watching spot known for a potent Pirate’s Punch.
Other places to whet your whistle include Mocama, the brewery and coffee shop located in a former Ford dealership, and The Green Turtle, a no-frills bar and local hangout with an outdoor courtyard and live music.
For a casual lunch or early dinner, Timoti’s Seafood Shak emphasizes fresh, wild-caught seafood, from poke bowls and lobster rolls to shrimp baskets and rice boxes. For familiar Mexican fare in a bustling atmosphere, the family-owned Mezcal Spirit of Oaxaca is a go-to for carnitas, enchiladas, fajitas and more.
Wicked Bao owner Nathalie Wu greets guests nightly at her casual eatery serving bao buns, pot stickers, noodle bowls and sake sangria. Some call it fusion, but Wu, who hails from Taiwan and also lived in Singapore, simply calls it Asian street food. Either way, this casual-and-cozy spot embraces locals and visitors alike and almost feels like dining in Wu’s home kitchen.
Kind of like Mayberry. SP
GETTING THERE: Amelia Island is a 5.5-hour drive from Charlotte, or a 45-minute drive from Jacksonville International Airport.
Images: Photographs courtesy Amelia Island
