St. Andrews Beach

Located on Jekyll Island, St. Andrews Beach – also known as St. Andrews Beach Park – is a curve-shaped beach with white sands and driftwood in the state of Georgia.  This beach is located near a coastal area named Jekyll Point, near the southernmost tip of the island.  St. Andrew Beach Jekyll Island is a part of a park named Jekyll Island State Park.  The Jekyll River also passes through this beach – after passing this beach, this river flows into the Atlantic Ocean.  Lonely Planet listed this beach as one of the seven best beaches in Georgia.  In addition, Southern Living magazine also listed this beach in its article “11 Best Georgia Beaches For A One-Of-A-Kind Getaway.”

While St. Andrew’s Beach Georgia does not have lifeguards, it has many other amenities including barbecue areas, a walking path, restrooms, a picnic area, a boardwalk, a pavilion, and an observation area.  

Dogs on leash are allowed here. 

St. Andrews State Park Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing,  fishing, hiking, picnicking, swimming, paddle boarding, surf-skiing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, boating, parasailing, wakeboarding, kayaking, canoeing, and wildlife watching.  

The water here usually has manageable waves, making it ideal for less-experienced swimmers.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, or canoe here, we recommend being careful because the water is known to have unpredictable rip currents – the water can also occasionally have large amounts of microbes and trash.

If you like birdwatching, you can see many kinds of resident and migratory birds here including American oystercatchers, peregrine falcon, piping plovers, and black skimmer.  The beach is also used as a seasonal nesting site by Wilson’s plover, usually during spring and summer.

This beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quiet beach experience because it sees fewer visitors as compared to other nearby beaches.  There is a two-story wildlife watching and observation tower near the beach – this tower offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the nearby marshes and oak forests, along with views of a bridge named Sidney Lanier Bridge. 

You can also explore another popular nearby beach named Driftwood Beach – this beach is also located on Jekyll Island and known to have unique-shaped driftwood, making it a popular place to take great photos.

This beach has a wheelchair-friendly entrance for visitors with disabilities, along with reserved parking spaces for disabled visitors.  In addition, complimentary beach wheelchairs are also available for disabled visitors between 9 am and 5 pm – you can contact the local beach wheelchair concessions at (912) 635-2368 by phone for more information regarding beach wheelchair loaner facilities.

Getting to St. Andrews Beach is easy – from Georgia State Highway 520, you need to turn towards South Riverview Drive.  From South Riverview Drive, you need to turn right towards Beachview Drive.  Beachview Drive will eventually lead you to the paid parking lot for St. Andrews Beach.  It is important to note that while the parking lot near St. Andrews Beach usually charges a fee of $8, you can park here for free during the off-season.

The beach is a short walk away from the parking lot.

During the era of Segregation, St. Andrews Beach was the first and perhaps the only beach in Georgia where African Americans were officially allowed to visit – many local African-American tourists visited St. Andrews Beach during this time.  There is a marker near the beach that offers information on the beach’s history.

There are many attractions near Driftwood Beach.  Horton House is a historical site that has remnants of a mid-18th century house – this house was initially built by a soldier named Major William Horton and it is one of the oldest surviving tabby concrete structures in Georgia.  Georgia Sea Turtle Center is an educational and wildlife rehabilitation facility that focuses on healing and rehabilitating sick, injured, and stranded sea turtles.  The center has interesting exhibits that offer information on the lives of sea turtles and other native animals.  Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum has interesting exhibits that offer a unique insight into the vivid history of Jekyll Island.  The Wanderer Memory Trail is a trail dedicated to the survivors of the slave ship Wanderer which was involved in the illegal slave trade.  This trail has interpretive displays on the victims of slavery and it tells the story of an enslaved boy named Umwalla.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Emerald Princess Casino is a casino that offers many fun games including card games, crabs, roulette, and slot machines.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Driftwood Beach.  The Wharf is a waterfront restaurant that is primarily known for serving delicious Southern-style cuisine and it also offers live music performances.  Eighty Ocean Kitchen and Bar offers amazing Southern-inspired dishes including seafood, pizzas, soups, flatbreads and salads.  Zachry’s Riverhouse offers amazing salads, sandwiches, seafood, burgers, desserts, and chicken wings.  Tortuga Jacks Restaurant is a waterfront restaurant with a casual island-inspired decor – this restaurant known for offering amazing Mexican dishes including tacos, fajitas, and enchiladas.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Doc’s Snack Shop serves delicious wraps, burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs.

If you are looking for a hotel near St. Andrews Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star Sea Island Resort is 34 minutes away by car and it offers many amenities including a fitness center, a spa, gardens, tennis courts, a yacht club, multiple pools, a salon, a shopping store, and multiple restaurants.  The 4-Star The Westin Jekyll Island offers many amenities including a pool, a fitness center, a sundeck, a cafe, a rooftop lounge offering light snacks, a cafe, and a restaurant.  The 3.5-Star Jekyll Island Club Resort is another great nearby St. Andrews Beach retreat which offers many amenities including a putting green, croquet court, a gym, three restaurants, a pool, a spa, a salon, a fee including  pool towels, beach amenities, a fitness room, and local area shuttle service.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Villas by the Sea Resort and Conference Center that offers many amenities including a lounge, a bistro, a pool with a hot tub, a fitness center, a boardwalk, basketball courts, and bike rental facilities.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Hampton Inn & Suites Jekyll Island offers many amenities including a lounge bar, complimentary breakfast, weekday breakfast bags to go, a kids’ pool, a gym, hot tub, and an adults’ pool.