The Real. Fun. begins with our wide array of beach and water activities along our scenic coastline, stretching all the way to the picturesque Shell Island. Hit the sandy shore year-round and experience true Gulf Coast livin’ as you sunbathe or build sandcastles along the resort-lined coast. There are nearly 100 access points in Panama City Beach, plus secluded spots within state parks like St. Andrews and Camp Helen.
Try kayaking, paddleboarding, jet skiing, or diving, and while you’re at it, you may come across local wildlife, like bottlenose dolphins. Explore the waterways on a charter boat and explore the untouched beauty of Shell Island, known for its white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters.
Another way to enjoy the waterways is on a fishing trip. Whether you go out on a deep-sea fishing charter or find a spot on one of our state-of-the-art piers, there’s always something biting, like snapper and Spanish mackerel, year-round.
Seaside Beach
Main Beach
Amelia Island State Park
Fort Clinch State Park
Peters Point
North Beach
Burney park
Take to the saddle and experience the beach like never before
Amelia Island is the only Florida state park that offers horseback riding on its beaches.
Riding the beach at Amelia Island has been a favourite pastime of visitors for years.
Guests get to experience trotting and cantering on the waters edge.
Private rides, sunrise rides, sunset rides, day rides and even proposal rides are all available - contact us for more details
Here come the turtles !
As the gentle giants of the sea return to our shores for their annual nesting season (May – October), let’s delve into the fascinating world of these magnificent creatures and learn how we can play a role in their conservation efforts.
Join us as we explore everything you need to know about the nesting, hatching, safety, and protection of these endangered marine marvels – because it’s sea turtle time on Amelia Island!
Lighting near the shore can cause hatchlings to become disoriented and wander inland, where they often die of dehydration or predations. Hatchlings have an innate instinct that leads them in the brightest directions, which normally is the moonlight reflecting off the ocean. Excess lighting from the nearshore buildings and streets draw hatchlings toward land, where they may be eaten, run over, or drown in swimming pools. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, coastal communities enacted lighting ordinances to restrict artificial beachfront lighting to combat the negative effects on sea turtles and hatchlings.
Attend a nest excavation conducted by Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch, dedicated to preserving and protecting the endangered sea turtles that are a valuable part of the natural heritage of Amelia Island. Three days after a nest has emerged and hatchlings have crawled to the sea, permitted volunteers from AISTW “excavate” the nest. This is simply an inventory of all the remaining nest contents: unhatched eggs, shards (empty egg shells), dead hatchlings, and yes, sometimes even live hatchlings. If live hatchlings are found, they will release them for you to see. Everything else is returned to the nest to be left as it was. Excavations begin in early-mid July and continue until all the nests have hatched and emerged. While there is no guarantee that you will see a hatchling, you will come away with new information and an appreciation for this natural wonder.
