Jekyll Island, GA

[aVASTGrl]

I'd love to get some opinions on Jekyll Island. My family (4 adults) just booked into the new Westin resort for a week next month for a quick beach getaway. None of us have ever been to Jekyll before, so what do you recommend in terms of restaurants/activities? Nearby places that aren't too far away? We're definitely excited about the Sea Turtle Center and I'm planning on doing one of their beach walks to hopefully see some nests!

 

[si-am]

We love Jekyll! Were there over July 4, actually. The island is, in general, "under refurbishment." Last week, lots of the planned shops and restaurants were not yet open. As it is, there's not a lot of touristy stuff to do. If you want a truly relaxing do-nothing sort of time, it's the perfect place. If you get bored, you can drive over to St. Simons Island for more action.

There aren't a ton of restaurants on Jekyll. Our real favorites from our last trip were the Driftwood Bistro and the Rah Bar. Driftwood for interesting and delicious "home cooking" (including fresh seafood) and the Rah Bar for steamed seafood served on a pier that tastes fresh off the boat!

Renting bikes seems to be a popular thing to do-- there are nice trails on the island. I haven't done this, but my husband did years ago and really enjoyed exploring.

The Westin looks really nice. Have fun!

 

[aVASTGrl]

Sounds perfect for us! When we go to the beach, we really like to relax. We're not fans of busy, boardwalk type beaches, so I think we'll really like Jekyll Thanks for the dining suggestions!

 

[Lisaloo]

We are at the Westin now. We decided to stop midway to WDW. The resort is beautiful and very relaxing. The beach is a mucky mess compared to most other beaches. You can't really get into the water without going ankle deep through mush. The grounds are beautiful and they are setting up for a wedding between the beach and the hotel. We just walked over to the beach village for icees and frozen yogurt and we will probably leave the resort for dinner. We are so happy we decided to try it out!

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

Love it there. It was where we used to stop on our drives to WDW from up North when I was growing up. It's beautiful there and I'm happy to see that it's "under renovation" I haven't been there in about 8 years so I can't really suggest what to do. As a kid I always loved going out on the beach early in the morning with my dad and looking for sand dollars.

 

[Riff Off Gal]

I live about 45 minutes South of Jekyll Island and we have been there a few times for weekend trips to the beach. The island is beautiful and if your into Camping they even have a campground. The beach is OK, nothing great but as a teen I have at least enjoyed it.

 

[aVASTGrl]

We are at the Westin now. We decided to stop midway to WDW. The resort is beautiful and very relaxing. The beach is a mucky mess compared to most other beaches. You can't really get into the water without going ankle deep through mush. The grounds are beautiful and they are setting up for a wedding between the beach and the hotel. We just walked over to the beach village for icees and frozen yogurt and we will probably leave the resort for dinner. We are so happy we decided to try it out!

I've read that about the beach, not sure how the family is going to feel about that :x But really glad to hear about the Westin! My sister is planning a lot of turtle-related activities though, so along with the resort pool, I think we'll really like the island. Are you planning on doing afternoon tea at the Jekyll Island Club by any chance? I would love to get a review of that!

 

[Lisaloo]

I've read that about the beach, not sure how the family is going to feel about that :x But really glad to hear about the Westin! My sister is planning a lot of turtle-related activities though, so along with the resort pool, I think we'll really like the island. Are you planning on doing afternoon tea at the Jekyll Island Club by any chance? I would love to get a review of that!

We aren't doing the tea, but it sounds lovely. We are spending today at the Turtle Center and taking DD12 to Driftwood Beach because she is a photography nut and can't wait to take some shots there. We spent a lot of time at the pool yesterday. It was crowded and a little loud, but everyone was friendly especially the staff. We were able to find chairs and an umbrella. When we walked on the beach around 7:30 last night we were able to put our feet in the water. Big difference between high and low tide.

 

[Lisaloo]

One more Westin tip. We have a grand deluxe oceanview room (444) and the sunrise is completely obstructed by the building. If that is important to your crowd, be sure to book the premium oceanfront rooms.

 

[aVASTGrl]

Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate it. Have a wonderful rest of your trip!