Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Fenandina Beach, FL
Year Listed: 2002
Family relaxing on the dock in Fernandina Beach, Florida.
Credit: Judy Jacobson
If you measure history per square mile and add points for spectacular pristine beauty, it's hard to beat Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island on Florida's northeast coast. Wide beaches on the east frame the Atlantic Ocean, where shrimp boats prowl among the whitecaps, whales calve in the fall and sea turtles nest in the summer. The Amelia River and a long sweep of salt marshes, looking like waterlogged western prairies, act as a moat against the mainland to the west. Forested dunes anchor the middle, offering a haven to bird life. Eight national flags have flown over Amelia Island, the southernmost of the so-called "Golden Isles" that trail down the South Carolina and Georgia coasts.
The region's rich past is showcased at the Amelia Island Museum of History, which displays an array of artifacts from the ongoing digs at the 1683 Dorian Mission, including rosaries, mirrors and olive jars from the era of Spanish settlement. The Museum also offers tours of nearby historic districts and archeological sites. Fernandina Beach is practically an outdoor museum itself, boasting a spectacular mix of late-Victorian residential and commercial architecture that reflects the prosperity of the late 1880s. The town's heyday was shortlived: When the coastal railroad line bypassed the island in the early 1900s, tourism moved south and shipping declined. This economic downturn had an unexpected benefit: Old buildings were repaired rather than replaced, and the island's architectural heritage was preserved.
The heart of downtown is Centre Street, a charming eight-block corridor where cafes and restaurants provide a spectrum of cuisine and shops offer an array of art, antiques and apparel. Pedestrian-friendly side streets lead to the Intracoastal Waterway and the marina. Fernandina Beach claims to be the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry, and shrimp boats still sail from the docks most days - along with charter boats headed out for a day of sightseeing or fishing. Kids shouldn't miss the Pippi Longstocking House, which was used for exterior shots in the popular children's film. Historic Fort Clinch, built before the Civil War, is a perfect spot to catch a glimpse of a nuclear submarine nosing through the sound, relax on the beach or fish from the shore or pier. Additional opportunities to enjoy Florida's natural beauty await visitors at Amelia Island State Park, the Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve, and the Rollins Bird and Plant Sanctuary. Nearby historic sites include Kingsley Plantation, dating from the early 19th century and displaying the ruins of two dozen slave cabins, and the Fort Caroline National Memorial, a reconstruction of a triangular fort built in 1564 by French Huguenot colonists.
