Welcome to Tybee Island, Savannah’s beach town! This picturesque scene is not a fluke capture where I managed to avoid the many tourists, nope this basically sums up Tybee Island as it was when I arrived. Sure, there were a few families enjoying the beach but I don’t know that I’ve found a more quiet and relaxing place to get some sun and sea (yet…)!
Tybee Island was everything I hoped for from an American beach town, it was just like in the movies… wait… it was in the movies! That’s right, Tybee Island has been the feature of a number of movies including The Last Song (with Miley Cyrus) and Dirty Grandpa (with Zac Efron).
Getting There
Navigating Tybee Island was a little mazy at times with plenty of surprise stop signs at crossroads which snuck up on you, so make sure you drive carefully and keep a keen eye out! You drive through lush greenery between beach homes which means at times the signs are hidden until the last minute.
Once you are at the beach, parking is near on impossible with local roads displaying menacing signs regarding parking etiquette, i.e. don’t park here if you don’t go here.
Eventually, I found the best place to park was the Lighthouse. For a small fee, you can visit this cute as lighthouse and get free parking until you return from the beach – win win for me!
The Lighthouse
When you get to Tybee Island, you can’t miss this gorgeous lighthouse standing 145 feet tall silhouetted against the blue sky. This black lighthouse, with a white stripe across the middle, dates back to 1736, and adjacent to the lighthouse are three Light Keeper’s Cottages with historic exhibits inside.
Adult tickets are $10 and if you are under 5 years old or you happen to be a Coast Guard, it’s free!
The beach is immediately opposite, but don’t be in a rush to get there because you can actually make the 178 step trip up to the very top of the lighthouse. If the number of steps hasn’t drawn you in, perhaps you will be enticed by the rickety steel platform at the top of the lighthouse that runs around the outside and seems to be attached by a few well placed steel holdings. *Shrug* Yeah, so there’s a 2cm gap between the platform and the wall enabling you to see the whole way down the side of the lighthouse. But that just gives you a more measured view of exactly how high up you are!
Okay, okay you got me! I was flipping terrified at the top of this lighthouse! I never knew I had a fear of heights until the moment I stepped onto that platform and froze. Physically froze! It took a great amount of mind-over-matter to get my legs to move and eventually they did, but I can’t say it was easy. The view, however, was so worth it!
Beach or..?
Talk beach to me! This is up there as one of my all time favourite beaches. And I’ve seen a few. There’s just something about the reeds blowing in the wind, the waves lapping against the shore, lighthouse silhouetted against the sky and the Jet Skis whizzing across the water that just caught my attention. I just felt like I could stay there for hours, pfft give me days!
After dipping my toes in the water, writing a few naughty things into the sand before the waves erased it and failing to land an invite onto a Jet Ski, I found a little nook by some rocks and settled my bum on my beach throw. The book came out and I thoroughly enjoyed some serious relaxation time.
Before heading back to the car, I grabbed a cheeky rum and coke (only the one) and some food at the local beach bar just over the walkway. A bit of flanter with the handsome ticket booth guy as I handed over my parking pass and I was off again.
Next stop: Brunswick, St. Simon’s & Jeckyll Island!