Uncover 10 Magical Experiences in St. Simons

By The Backseat View

St. Simons is a magical, dreamy place a little off the travel radar. The town was built around ancient oaks dripping with moss, which gives the island an air of mystery and power. St. Simons remains uncrowded with a wide beach, culinary masterpiece meals, and miles of bike trails weaving through storybook cottages.

As you wander the paths, the honeysuckles, magnolias, and gardenias give the island a heavenly smell. It’s the perfect family vacation, romantic weekend, or girl’s trip to recharge and reconnect.

Time runs differently here in this small, quiet, coastal town.

St. Simons revolves around quality time with those you love on the golf courses, beach, or bike trails. You can spend the day exploring the island’s history from the 1700s. Days spent at St. Simons end with memorable food with your favorite people.

Let’s head to Georgia’s coast and unlock the St. Simons Island Travel Guide!

1. Tree Spirits

• The Tree Spirits are the stars of this island.
• As guardians of the island, the faces of spirits are carefully carved into the oaks.
• The Welcome Center in Pier Village provides a map of eleven tree spirit locations, but there are way more.
• The scavenger hunt around the island searching trees was a blast. We laughed, got lost and learned our way around the island.
• I found eight more spirits in the Village Oaks neighborhood close to Pier Village.

2. East Beach

• The MAIN beach is East Beach at Coast Guard Station on 4201 1^st St.
• There are bathhouses and a huge parking lot, but since most people on the island drive to this beach, the lot is full by 11 am on weekends.
• Gould’s Inlet has beach access at the end of Bruce Drive, on the same road as the main beach, but parking is limited.
• The beach is dog-friendly, but high summer crowd months limit dogs to sunrise and sunset walks.
• A hard-packed sand beach is perfect for walking and biking.
• The water is brown due to the rivers and swamps.
• The beach parking lot is home to a small WWII museum, which costs $12/person.
• The volunteers are friendly, so refresh your history with a tour.

3. Lighthouse Museum

• The Lighthouse Museum is a block from Pier Village.
• Climb the 129 steps for spectacular panoramic views of the coast.
• The light keeper’s Victorian home, built in 1872, is now a museum that houses the history of St. Simons Island.
• This is one of the five lighthouses on Georgia’s coast.
• Tickets are $12.

4. Biking

• The island has 20 miles of oak-shaded, paved bike trails.
• The bike trail is next to the main road, so be careful with preschool riders.
• Biking is the best way to explore the island.
• During low tide, take a ride on East Beach.
• Ocean Motion has $20 bicycle rentals, kayaks, and paddle boards. It is located in the Village on Ocean Blvd, and people were walking up and renting bikes.
• Zoom Bike Rental is $25 a day and delivers to your house.

5. Avenue of the Oaks

• The Sea Island Golf Club has the ICONIC AVENUE OF THE OAKS.
• Avenue of the Oaks is 1.6 miles from Pier Village, a short bike ride up Kings Way, and a left at the roundabout.
• Drive to the gate, then take the Iconic picture.

• The golf course guard knows you can’t afford to play golf here. Everyone comes for the trees.
• The Sea Island golf courses are the best in the country, so it’s a dream to glance around.

6. Pier Village

• Pier Village is the cutest oceanfront town in St. Simons, with trendy boutiques, the best restaurants, a fishing pier, the lighthouse, Neptune Park, and the welcome center.
• Neptune Park is the BEST pirate-themed playground. After dinner, shop and head to the playground. The kids play and swim with an ocean view.
• The public pools and water play areas are nice and spacious.

• There are plenty of picnic tables under the 100-year-old trees.
• The library has the best rocking chairs overlooking the ocean.
• There’s limited parking, so bike or walk.
• The best places love dogs, so St. Simons is extremely dog-friendly. Half the people walking around the village have their dogs.
• Three Trolley Tour options depart from the fishing pier for around $20.

7. The Georgia Sea Grill

• The best ambiance and food on the island, The Georgia Sea Grill.
• Requires reservations.
• I dream about the pecan butter for rolls and the steak that melts in your mouth.
• Without reservations, line up 15 minutes before they open.
• Best place for a fancy date night in the Village area.
• Delaney’s Bistro is the other fine-dining restaurant.

8. Restaurants

• These restaurants are on Mallory Street, the main street in the Village.

• Iguanas is family-friendly, dog-friendly, and affordable. We loved this place because it serves fabulous Georgia shrimp and a complimentary ice cream bar.

• The Half Shell always has a long line down the street.
• Palmer’s Village Café is a tradition for breakfast. It’s like eating biscuits in Memaw’s kitchen.
• Gnat’s Landing was built around the oak tree, and the cafe lights give it a magical laid-back experience of American classic dishes.
• Barbara Jean’s is a classic dinner.
• After dinner, everyone heads to the Moo Cow for the best sea salted sea turtle ice-cream ever made.
• The Porch is next door to Moo Cows for fried chicken.

9. Fort Frederica

• Fort Frederica National Monument is located at the other end of the island, 7 miles from Pier Village.
• It’s a free history lesson from a 1736 British Fort with the most amazing trees and a gorgeous water view.

• We spent about 45 minutes, and it should not be missed.
• The Christ Church of Frederica, built in 1884, is next door.

• We timed our visit to this part of the island with dinner.
• Frederica House is nearby for dinner only with blue crab stew and blackened shrimp. Being built of white cedar logs, it provides a unique dining atmosphere.

10. Sal’s Neighborhood Pizzeria

• Sal’s Neighborhood Pizzeria’s slogan is “Love at 1^st Slice”, and it’s completely right.
• I adore this hometown pizzeria in the middle of the island.
• When you enter their restaurant, you feel welcomed by the locals. In this small restaurant, everyone knows everyone.
• Next door is an upscale consignment store named Mixed Nuts and Delaney’s for fine dining.

Middle of the Island

• Middle-of-the-island restaurants:
• Halyards is seafood with an extensive wine list, so make reservations.
• Southern Soul Barbeque is award-winning, having been on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive Inn’s & Dives.” It’s a converted gas station with everything from pork to brisket smoked for 12 hours.
• Chain hotels are found in the middle of the island.
• Several golf courses are in the middle of the island, such as Sea Palms.

Let’s Plan:

• Are you ready to visit St. Simons? I am ready to go back!
• St. Simons is consistantly ranked one of the U.S. Best Coastal Small Towns by USA Today.
• The private airport reminds you the island is a getaway for the rich and famous.
• Brunswick (BQK), Jacksonville, FL, and Savannah, GA, are the nearest commercial airports.
• St. Simons is a five-hour drive from Atlanta, GA.
• Georgia’s barrier islands are known as The Golden Isles, with St. Simons being the largest.
• The itinerary is literally nothing. Explore, ride bikes, walk on the beach, and rest.
• If you plan to fish, book a fishing charter, such as Southeastern Angling, in advance.
• The best time to visit is April, May, August, September, and October. Summer gets hot and more crowded.

• Jekyll Island is only a 20-30 minute drive for a day trip with better beaches.
• You can’t visit St. Simons and miss the famous Driftwood Beach and mansions on Jekyll Island.
• Explore The Top 10 attractions on Jekyll Island.

Lodging

• Deciding where to stay in St. Simons requires effort because the best rentals are not on VRBO.
• The chain hotels have the worst locations, seven miles from the beach.
• Remember the beach and village do not have enough parking.
• You need to be able to bike or walk to the beach.
• I’ll say it again….the best of St. Simons is seven miles from chain hotels.

The beach front options:

East Beach

• The East Beach area requires a big bank account.
• The ONLY resort on the beach is The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort.
• It’s fabulous and enormous, and depending on the season, it starts at $250- $500 a night.
• With a championship golf course, overflowing Southern charm, modern luxury and beach side, this is THE PLACE TO STAY.
• ECHO is the only oceanfront restaurant on the island.
• This is the best part of the island for sunrise on your balcony.

• Y’all know I’m not a fan of huge resorts, so here are other options.
• My favorites are the adorable Coast Cottages and Villas, which have beach access and remind me of Seaside, FL.
• Cottages are rented through different rental agencies, such as hodnettcooper.com, LilmarVacations.com, stsimonsrentals.net, and VRBO #1465549, with an average of $500/night. Check these rental agencies for all island rentals.

• The Beach Club at St. Simons and St. Simons Grand are fabulous, extensive condo options on the beach rented through agencies.
• CovenantSSI.com, Real Escapes properties, and georgiabeachrentals.com rent houses in the 2-mile stretch between the beach and the village.
• BeachBungalowSSI.com rents a tiny house on the ocean for $300/night, which is rare on this island.
• The Grey Owl Inn is a Bed and breakfast with five suites and a pond under towering oaks. It is located in a residential neighborhood, a bike ride from the public East Beach.

Pier Village

• Pier Village has the best restaurants, shops, pier, and parks.
• This is waterfront but beach erosion results in beach only when the tide is out.
• This is NOT the beach section of town, so it’s the most affordable.
• We rode our bikes the two miles down the road to East Beach.

• My bank account decided on the Pier Village location, 400 Ocean Suites, rented by Lighthouse Vacations and dog-friendly. We had a nice condo for $150/night.
• Walking to dinner, shopping, and sunsets on the pier made a fantastic vacation.

• The Queens Court is a 1940s motel in the middle of the Village that’s affordable at an average of $250/night. It’s been renovated, stays booked, and has a tree spirit.

• Other options within walking distance of everything in Pier Village:
• The Village Inn and Pub, built in the 1930s and adorable, is draped beneath Spanish moss. It feels timeless and classic.

• Saint Simons Inn by the Lighthouse is near the water.
• The larger Ocean Inn and Suites and Ocean Lodge have views of the ocean.

Sea Island

• Sea Island is a gated community in St. Simons for the ultra-wealthy.
• If you are traveling with a golfer and want to give them the trip of a lifetime, Sea Island has been rated the Best Golf Resort in the country.
• Sea Island has four locations to stay to gain access to the Sea Island Golf Club.
• The Cloister and Sea Island Cottages are iconic and run $1,000/night because they are located on Sea Island, behind the gates.
• The Lodge and The Inn at Sea Island are in the middle of St. Simons and average $350/night.
• Golfing, the five-star Spa, and dining reservations at The Cloister are the main reasons people stay at the Lodge or The Inn, as they are far from the beach or Pier Village.
• More golf pros choose to train and play at Sea Island than any other golf destination in the US.
• Sea Island’s course, Seaside, is always ranked in the top 100 courses in the US.

Last Thoughts

Come, stroll the streets dripping in moss and soak in the magic and romance of St. Simons. Wandering by the lighthouse, the unique village shops, and relaxing by the ocean will leave you dreaming of St. Simons long after your vacation. Thank you for reading my St. Simons Island Travel Guide.