Spend a Day at the Beach on Tybee Island, Georgia

Alyssa has been writing about exciting travel topics for Trips to Discover since 2013. After living the big city life in Chicago, Washington, DC, and Atlanta, Alyssa sold the bulk of her possessions and became a digital nomad, living full-time in her camper and working from wherever she could find an outlet and an internet connection for her laptop. Read full bio

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Last updated on May 24, 2023

Although many people flock to the beaches of Florida in the Southeast for sunshine and ocean waves, there’s an incredible beach waiting for you right here in Georgia! The beach at Tybee Island is just a half-hour drive from downtown Savannah and makes for a fun getaway for the whole family.

There are actually several beaches on the island, including South Beach, Mid Beach, North Beach, Savannah River Beach, and Back River Beach. And each one offers a little something different for visitors. South Beach is typically the busiest one, it’s popular with surfers, and it has convenient restrooms and parking lots.

Meanwhile, the local favorite Mid Beach is great if you don’t like crowds, and North Beach is ideal for shelling and seeing dolphins. The two river beaches are less accessible, but popular with families and offer lovely scenic views.

While the beaches here are often crowded during the summer, you can often find very peaceful times in the early mornings, evenings, and off-season. Besides sunbathing and swimming, you can also spend your time on the island kayaking, biking, and exploring the historic forts.

Another fun place to visit on Tybee Island is the Cockspur Lighthouse. Since the lighthouse is part of an ecological restoration area, it is closed to visitors. But you can still view it from afar and take all the dramatic landscape photos you like. From land, the best viewpoint is from the end of the Lighthouse Trail, which is a 1.5-mile out-and-back route. As long as you keep some distance, you can also kayak up to the lighthouse for closer views.

First-time visitors to Tybee Island should know that parking fee regulations are enforced from 8am to 8pm every day of the year. There are South Beach parking lots between 14th and 18th Streets and also a North Beach parking lot by Fort Screven. Many streets adjacent to beach access points have public parking available as well with meters and pay stations.

But once you park, you’ll also find lots of shops, restaurants, bars, and ice cream shops in walking distance of the beaches. And at the end of the day, nothing beats a peaceful sunset stroll along the sand with someone you love!