By now you have read about one of our favorite beaches, Driftwood Beach, on Jekyll Island. Or maybe you haven’t. And that’s okay, we don’t always have time to read the millions of blogs posted to incite FOMO. But if you do plan to visit Jekyll Island anytime soon, definitely go back and read about Driftwood Beach.
This post is a follow up about all of the cool things you can get into while visiting Jekyll Island, in particular the island’s enchanting Christmas vibe, trolley tours, lights & activities. Most of us living in the northern parts of Florida know about Jekyll Island, but it still tends to be a great kept secret among the rest of the country. And that’s okay. We kind of like it that way. But Jekyll Island is your perfect, relaxing, sleepy, low energy adventure destination. If you’re looking for tons of thrills and a nightlife, this is not your spot. Move on, because it’s not here. If you’re expecting to dine at 8pm or be out past 11pm, you will be very disappointed.
However, if riding bikes, walking along quiet beaches, playing mini golf, listening to some live music, driving around in your golf cart, eating some delicious seafood or enjoying a fire pit and a glass of wine, this is your place.
A typical holiday visit for us involves arriving early and bringing our beach cruisers and golf cart to the island. We start out in the town’s adorable downtown town square with a coffee and breakfast. We then like to hop on our bikes during the day and ride until our legs can’t ride any more, taking in the gorgeous coastlines and stopping to play mini golf, let the kids hang at the playground and eat a picnic lunch, or grab lunch outside at Tortuga Jack’s and listen to live music. We always make time for Driftwood Beach because, wow…just wow. It’s awesome. You’ll see. Sometimes we even sneak a little nap on one of the giant loungers along the bike path of the Holiday Inn Resort. Zzzzzzzz.
Once it starts to get dark we hop on the golf cart to see the lights around the island, or join one of the trolley tours and sing Christmas music with strangers. We like to end our evenings back in the town square where the fire pit is usually roaring and we enjoy some wine and hot chocolate before grabbing dinner at one of the scrumptious restaurants.
And since this post is less about adventure and more about some sublime, relaxing vacation and holiday vibes, instead of a top 10 list of gear to bring, here is a top 10 list of Jekyll Island activities during the holiday season.
Enjoy & you’re welcome…
Our 10 top activities in Jekyll Island around the holidays:
- Holly Jolly Lights Tour (trolley ride).
- Holly Jolly Light Parade (this year’s is December 10th!)
- Bike riding (always our favorite) around the many paths and light displays along the island.
- Golf cart riding around the island.
- Going to the Jekyll Market for some delicious and unique Christmas goodies.
- Enjoying lunch, a cocktail and some live music at Tortuga Jacks.
- Taking the kids to play some mini golf at Jekyll Island Mini Golf.
- Visiting the island’s sea turtle rehabilitation center.
- Staying at the gorgeous and serene Jekyll Island Club Resort.
- Visiting the many quaint shops around the island, with one of our absolute favorites being The Salt Table for some truly unique and delicious spices.
We also figured we should mention our favorite summer & warm weather activities because it can offer a completely different and equally amazing experience:
- Visiting one of the island’s 7 different beaches and/or gathering at one of the many waterfront pavilions.
- Go on some sweet water slides at Summer Waves water park.
- Still bike riding, or golf carting, really riding anything around the island.
- Staying a night at a waterfront hotel or Airbnb, our favorites are the Westin or Holiday Inn Resort.
- Playing mini golf and then grabbing some ice cream at the Island Sweet Shop (Yum!).
- Taking the kids to the playground right next to the mini golf course and packing a snack or lunch to enjoy at one of their shaded picnic tables.
- Riding your bike around the historic district and grabbing some BBQ chicken at Doc’s Snack Shop under the shade of the beautiful canopy of trees.
- Enjoy some fresh oysters for dinner on the deck at The Wharf Restaurant, while listening to live music and taking in the beautiful waterfront marsh landscape.
- Take a trolley or a segway tour around the island and take in some of the historic sites and structures along the way.
- Take a boat ride or charter to Little Racoon Key for a few hours, or stay overnight in one of their enchanting Glamping tent sites for a little private getaway.
We hope you enjoy your adventure on this quaint and magical island! And since this is a holiday post, we also have to mention St Augustine as one of our absolute favorite spots to enjoy Christmas lights and merriment. If you can get away to St Augustine for at least one day & night, you won’t regret it. Especially during the holidays. The lights and the vibe are, well, sublime.
You can bring your own golf cart, rent one, or take a trolley ride around the historical city. The lights are breathtaking and the streets are packed with visitors and spectators. The shops are packed with perfect holiday treasures and gifts and the restaurants are delicious, cozy and inviting. This city is a great place to hang any time of the year, but something about it around the holidays makes it truly a Christmas oasis.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and wishing you all of the positive things, good energy, sublime vibes and new adventures with your friends & family! Go do all the things adventurers.
Until our next ride…
