Amelia Island: Beaches & Victorian Waterfront

Amelia Island has managed to remain one of the least developed barrier islands in Florida — a consequence of its northern position above the most-developed stretch of Florida's Atlantic coast and the early state protection of Fort Clinch's northern tip. The Victorian commercial district of Fernandina Beach on the island's western shore has a working shrimp boat harbour and 19th-century storefronts along Centre Street that have changed less than most Florida towns; the Florida House Inn has been operating continuously since 1857. The Atlantic beach on the eastern shore is 13 miles of barrier island shoreline, hard-packed at low tide, uncrowded except on summer weekends, and backed by intact dune habitat.