It is mid-morning, and I am rocking gently on my private porch overlooking Seventh Street and its smattering of colorful, gingerbread-trimmed Victorian homes, some with palm trees bowing in the front yard, others with roses climbing trellises. The street is quiet, as steam rises from the pavement and the gentle haze of morning begins to lift in the island town of Fernandina Beach.

Situated on Amelia Island, northeast of Jacksonville, this little town belies the typical image of a getaway to the Sunshine State. Instead of brunching with Mickey Mouse or fighting for a spot to pitch an umbrella on a crowded beach, I’ve spent the past half hour lazily breakfasting on maple sausage, cheese omelettes, banana-nut bread, and fresh fruit—after an indulgent night’s sleep in the Ash Street Inn’s Victorian Room, a sunny suite that has yellow walls and fluffy bedclothes under velvet-curtained windows. I am almost reluctant to leave this haven, but I know Amelia Island is full of many more treasures, so I prepare for a day of exploring its white Appalachian-quartz beaches, tangled hammocks, and the 50-block historic district of Fernandina Beach.
 
It’s the perfect beginning to a long and lazy vacation on one of Florida’s often overlooked island escapes, where beaches are strewn with sand and seashells instead of people, dining out means dining intimate, and taking a stroll through town means passing unique antique shops and jewelry stores. Come along for an off-season, island-hopping tour of Florida’s best spots where you can get away from everything—especially the typical beach vacation.

Amelia Island

Situated at the northeast corner of Florida, Amelia Island is separated from the mainland by the Amelia River. To the north is Cumberland Island, Ga.; to the east, 13 miles of pristine alabaster beaches and thousands of miles of deep blue sea. This 24-square-mile island is the only spot in the United States to have been under eight flags, including those of France, Spain, Great Britain, and Mexico.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, downtown Fernandina Beach represents the social and cultural center of Amelia Island. Dozens of historic homes and buildings line the palm-tree-shaded streets, and many of them now hold antique shops, craft and clothing stores, and trendy dining spots. The historic district includes Victorian-era homes, churches, and ornate government structures, such as a small brick depot at the corner of Centre and Front streets that today houses the island’s Chamber of Commerce—the perfect spot to begin a walking tour—and the 1912 Nassau County Courthouse, now home to the local post office. There’s also St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, with its Spanish-influenced brick-red gabled roof and tawny gothic pillars and statuary.

Those who want a real flavor of the island’s long history should visit the Amelia Island Museum of History on Third Street. Located in the former Nassau County Jail, the museum offers a unique perspective on the island’s past, as actors portraying the colorful characters of Amelia’s history lead museum and walking tours.

History lovers and beachgoers alike will appreciate a trip to Fort Clinch State Park. The park has more than 4,000 feet of Atlantic Ocean frontage and 8,400 feet of shoreline along Cumberland Sound. Original construction of Fort Clinch began in 1847, and it was occupied by Confederate troops at the beginning of the Civil War in 1861. Today, costumed interpreters reenact the federal reoccupation of the fort, which began in 1862 after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered the Southern troops holding the fort to withdraw.

I spend an hour exploring the fort’s cool, dark passageways that lead from gun port to gun port and climbing spiraling stone staircases to the ramparts, which present long aqua-blue ocean views. Another good way to explore the park is by bicycle, riding under the shaded coastal hammock that leads to the fort and catching glimpses of the bountiful wildlife—tall, graceful white egrets; blue herons; and island alligators.

Visitors also can explore Amelia Island from the water with an Amelia River Cruise. With departures scheduled throughout the day and at sunset, the Ryan-K offers passengers the opportunity to see dolphins frolicking in Cumberland Sound or bulky manatees congregating around the island in summer. The boat takes guests within viewing distance of the wild horses on Cumberland Island, and visitors almost certainly will see the yawning, deep-billed pelicans that gather around the pier at the downtown waterfront.

Amelia Island isn’t just a haven for wildlife and quiet seekers, however. It’s also a golfer’s paradise, with more than 117 holes of golf. One of the most celebrated courses is at Amelia Island Plantation, a 1,350-acre resort that hosts half the island’s holes. Close by is the Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach, the only PGA Tournament course on the island. It’s known for challenging holes that demand play over lakes, including one hole that requires a drive over 150 yards of water.

The island also is known for the wide assortment of restaurants in downtown Fernandina Beach, where you can dine on just about any cuisine under the sun—from seafood and pasta at the New Orleans-style Joe’s 2nd Street Bistro, where tables are scattered about an enclosed garden courtyard, to crab cakes and hamburgers at The Golden Grouper, where local, Jimmy-Buffet style live music plays after dark.

The best way to end a day on Amelia is with a stroll along Fernandina Beach’s oceanfront. When night falls, the sunbathers and swimmers disperse. All that remains are the glistening, moonlit sand and miles of whitecaps rolling in to fill the beach at high tide. I sink my toes into the sun-warmed sand and watch the yacht and sailboat lights sparkle on the horizon. There are no high-rise hotels or glaring oceanfront lights to spoil the view here on Amelia—just endless surf and moonlight.

Santa Rosa Island

I remember my first visit to Santa Rosa Island (better known as Pensacola Beach), about seven years ago. I was captivated by its snow-white dunes and wavy sea oats. This narrow barrier island that is sandwiched between the Gulf of Mexico and Santa Rosa Sound has held my imagination for many years and many visits since that first one.

The town of Pensacola Beach is cradled between two sections of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, 52 miles of protected coastline stretching from Mississippi to northwest Florida. It’s the largest stretch of protected beach in the state, and the two tracts on Santa Rosa offer miles and miles of sugary beaches; rolling windswept dunes; scrubby, low-growing vegetation; and endless opportunities for solitude on the sand.

The national seashore on Santa Rosa also boasts a well-preserved 19th-century fort. Completed in 1834, Fort Pickens was built by slave labor and constructed with more than 21 million bricks. Federal troops occupied the fort throughout the Civil War, facing Confederate soldiers at Fort Barrancas on the mainland. In 1887, Fort Pickens held the infamous Apache leader Geronimo. Today its dark passageways and gun ports provide hours of delightful exploration to tourists.

Across the water on the mainland, military enthusiasts will enjoy a side trip to the Pensacola Naval Air Station, home to the Blue Angels. Visitors can watch the group’s aerial acrobatics during weekly practice sessions March through November. Pensacola also is home to the National Museum of Naval Aviation, one of the largest aviation museums in the world. More than 140 vintage aircraft are on display here, chronicling everything from early biplanes to space modules.

I enjoy the serenity of the island life and spend an afternoon exploring the seashore by bicycle. A 40-mile-loop tour of the area on a newly established bike path and paved shoulder winds along Santa Rosa Sound, through the town of Pensacola Beach, and across the sound’s toll bridge to the beach town of Gulf Breeze. The national seashore also offers miles of hiking and biking trails and 16 miles of uninterrupted protected coastline on the eastern end of Santa Rosa, perfect for long sunset strolls and seashell gathering.

Those who want to catch a glimpse of the marine life here can take a chartered boat into the Gulf to see dolphins at play. Although I’m not into fishing, I feel compelled to pay a dollar to walk the 1,471-foot Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier, the longest on the Gulf of Mexico. Stretching out over the deep green waters of the gulf, the pier offers panoramic views of Santa Rosa’s southern shoreline. Hardy fisherman and divers can charter a boat in Pensacola Beach to explore the gulf’s deep waters, including underwater exploration of the newly reefed USS Oriskany.

Those seeking a little more action can pay a visit to Casino Beach under Pensacola Beach’s well-known beach ball water tower. The main city beach, Casino typically is more populated, and the Gulfside Pavilion here often hosts free concerts.

If you’re looking for accommodations, Pensacola Beach offers a variety of gulf-front hotels, including The Dunes, where all guest rooms have private balconies overlooking the beach. Visitors can splurge and rent an expansive penthouse suite with walls of windows looking out on the sea. The Dunes also offers a gulf-view restaurant and lounge, as well as golf packages for those who want to spend a weekend on the green. Visitors who want more than just a taste of island living can rent a house or condo on the beach, while those who want to get back to nature can camp among the dunes on the national seashore, where the soft rattle of sea grasses and the distant roar of the ocean lulls one to sleep.

Sanibel and Captiva Islands

One thing I always have loved about beaches is walking along the sand to gather seashells, combing the crystalline shore for an unusual specimen, and washing it off in the saltwater until it glistens in sunlight. That’s one of many reasons I am enthralled by the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva islands. This area of Florida has some 400 varieties of seashells with intriguing names such as brown speckled junonia (one of the rarest), exotic tulip, and paper fig. It is one of the few places on earth where boat captains can make a living through shelling charters.

Those who want to study up on shells before hitting the beach can visit the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum on Sanibel Island, the only shell museum in North America, which has thousands of local shells on display in addition to specimens from around the world. Visitors can collect as many shells from the shores as they want, though the gathering of “live” shells is banned.

Residents’ interest in preserving their shell treasures is only one among many examples of this region’s commitment to its natural environment; these two little islands off the coast of Fort Myers make the proud claim that no hotel here stands taller than a palm tree, and that’s pretty much true.

More than half of Sanibel is covered by refuge lands. The largest is the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses more than 6,000 stunning acres of long-armed mangroves and hosts wild creatures such as alligators, manatees, and the odd-looking pink roseate spoonbill. The refuge, with more than 200 different native and migratory birds, is a birdwatcher’s paradise.

The best way to view the refuge’s wildlife is by kayak or canoe. Tarpon Bay Explorers is one of several outfitters on the island that will help visitors paddle Sanibel’s secluded waterways alone or on a guided trip. A freshwater river on the island offers hidden inlets for wildlife viewing and good old peace and quiet. Nature lovers also should be sure to explore the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s 247-acre nature center, which has a 4-mile hiking trail along the Sanibel River.

Sanibel and Captiva remain so pristine in part because they still were part of the “frontier” until the end of the 19th century. Calusa Indians lived on these and surrounding islands before Europeans arrived in the 1500s, but European-Americans began settling here only a century ago.

Inventor Clarence Chadwick started a key lime plantation on Captiva in 1925; the plantation grounds today host the South Seas Resort. With 21/2 miles of white beach at South Seas, the resort allows guests to languish in the sun in relative seclusion or take an afternoon nap in a cottage among the cabbage palms.

But it’s hard to be still on Captiva. There’s so much to do, like taking a ride aboard the Lady Chadwick, operated by Captiva Cruises. The boat runs out of the South Seas Resort Yacht Harbour and into Pine Island Sound, offering the chance to see majestic cormorants, deep-billed pelicans, and maybe even dolphins. Sport fishers will fall in love with these islands. From river to deep-sea fishing, the islands of Sanibel and Captiva provide plenty of opportunities to catch everything from trout to tarpon.

But as sunset approaches, there’s no better place to be than on the beach. One of the more lovely spots is Sanibel Island’s southern tip, where white sands stretch out under the century-old Sanibel Lighthouse. After the sun has dipped below the gulf, it’s on to dinner on Periwinkle Way, home to many restaurants and shops.

The Mermaid Kitchen is one of Sanibel’s funkier finds; mermaids are an overwhelming theme, decorating everything from the napkins to the ceiling. Garden seating and over-the-top desserts make this a perfect place to end the day. Diners on Captiva can enjoy jazz and sumptuous seafood entrees, such as smoked salmon with cream cheese, at the Keylime Bistro, open with music and food till midnight every day.

After dinner, when night falls over Captiva and Sanibel and the white-topped waves of the emerald gulf drift onto the shore, it’s time to enjoy a lazy moment in a hammock strung between palm trees on the grounds of Casa Ybel, Sanibel’s oldest resort, which once played host to Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. Today it is an exclusive all-suite hotel, where every room has a gulf view, and every day has a serenely beautiful ending.

Though Florida was battered by a series of hurricanes in August and September, many attractions and accommodations are open for business. Check with each island’s development council or visitors bureau (for contact information, see “For More Information” boxes) to verify the status of a specific establishment.