This Gilded Age Resort Island Is Now a Peaceful Paradise

This is the latest installment of It's Still a Big World, our series on underrated destinations.

I came to Jekyll Island, a verdant barrier island at the center of Georgia’s “Gold Coast,” unsure of what to expect. Having grown up in the South before moving to New York in my 20s, I knew I would eat well (and I did). I also knew I’d enjoy the South’s fabled hospitality, the effortless conviviality displayed by people despite the region’s uneasy history. I pictured iced tea and cool breezes pushing through the shade of ancient oaks hung thickly with Spanish moss. What I didn’t expect from Jekyll was the intensity of its people’s affection for the island itself and for the preservation of its historical and natural wonders.

Situated roughly halfway between Savannah and Jacksonville, Jekyll Island is separated from the mainland by a vast wetland prairie. “Terrapin Crossing” signs line the six-mile causeway to Jekyll, warning drivers to slow down as they approach the toll booth (it costs $8 per day or $75 per year for a parking pass). Proceeds go toward the conservation and preservation efforts of the Jekyll Island Authority, a governor-appointed organization tasked with keeping the island’s heritage intact.

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