Tybee Island fits five beaches, a lighthouse, and sea turtles into 3 square miles

Savannah’s beach town is more than sand

Twenty minutes east of downtown Savannah, U.S. Highway 80 dead-ends at Tybee Island. The road just stops, and the Atlantic begins.

This three-square-mile barrier island has been pulling people out of the Georgia heat since the 1800s, and once you understand what’s packed into those three miles, you start to see why.

Five beaches, a lighthouse that’s been standing since 1736, a Civil War fort, wild dolphins, sea turtles, and an uninhabited island twice its size just across the water.

From railroad resort to the town it is today

The island opened up in 1887 when the Central of Georgia Railroad pushed a line all the way to the shore.

The railroad built the original Tybrisa Pavilion and pier in 1891, and for decades, it was the center of everything. Big Band acts played the dance floor on their way up and down the coast.

When U.S. Route 80 came through in the 1920s, cars replaced trains and more people arrived. A fire took the pavilion in 1967, and the island went nearly 30 years without it.

The current pier and pavilion opened Aug. 9, 1996.

South Beach is where the action concentrates

South Beach runs south of 14th Street and is the busiest stretch on the island. The pier anchors one end and Tybrisa Street runs behind it, packed with shops and places to eat.

Lifeguards are on duty during peak season, which makes it the go-to for families. If you surf, head past 19th Street where the break works better.

The whole area moves fast on summer weekends, so arriving early gives you the best shot at parking and a good patch of sand.

North Beach sits where the river meets the ocean

At the northern end of the island, the Savannah River empties into the Atlantic, and that collision of currents pushes seashells onto the sand in piles.

The beach is quieter here, and the North Beach Birding Trail runs right along the water’s edge. In fall and winter, sanderlings, plovers, and willets stop here on their way down from the Arctic.

You can also watch massive container ships move through the Savannah River channel from the shoreline, which is something you won’t see from most Georgia beaches.

Back River and Mid Beach round out the shoreline

Back River Beach runs along the southwestern edge of the island, where the water stays calm and sunsets come straight at you. Families with small kids tend to land here.

It’s also where kayakers put in when they’re heading over to Little Tybee Island. Mid Beach stretches between 1st and 14th Streets and draws the smallest crowds of any ocean-facing stretch.

If you want to spot a marked sea turtle nest during nesting season, Mid Beach is where you’re most likely to find one.

Georgia’s oldest lighthouse has been rebuilt four times

The Tybee Island Light Station goes back to 1736, when General James Oglethorpe ordered it built.

At 145 feet, it’s the tallest lighthouse in Georgia, and it’s been rebuilt multiple times after storms, erosion, and a fire set by Confederate troops during the Civil War.

The current tower dates to the 1860s and was built on top of the first 60 feet of the previous structure. Climb all 178 steps and you get a full view of the island and the coastline.

The original Fresnel lens still works and throws light 18 miles out to sea.

Fort Pulaski changed how wars get fought

Fort Pulaski sits on Cockspur Island, right between Savannah and Tybee. Construction started in 1829 and took 18 years, using around 25 million bricks.

A young Robert E. Lee, fresh from West Point, helped oversee the early work. The fort was named for Casimir Pulaski, a Polish general who fought in the American Revolution.

In April 1862, Union forces brought in experimental rifled cannons and punched through the fort’s 11-foot-thick walls in just 30 hours. That battle ended the era of brick fortifications in military strategy.

The Marine Science Center sits right on North Beach

In March 2021, the Tybee Island Marine Science Center moved into a new 5,000-square-foot building with direct views of North Beach.

Two coastal galleries hold live animals, including baby alligators, sea turtles, horseshoe crabs, and diamondback terrapins. An interactive exhibit covers Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, about 19 miles offshore.

The center runs guided beach walks, marsh treks, and Turtle Talks throughout the year.

It’s a nonprofit focused on education and conservation of the Georgia coast, and it’s worth an hour of your time even if the weather turns.

Loggerheads nest here from May through October

From May 1 through the end of October, loggerhead sea turtles come ashore on Tybee’s beaches at night to lay eggs. Each female can drop 80 to 120 eggs per nest, and the eggs take 55 to 60 days to hatch.

Trained volunteers with the Tybee Sea Turtle Project walk the beach at dawn to find and mark new nests before beachgoers arrive.

During nesting season, the ask is simple: keep the beach dark at night, flatten your sandcastles before you leave, and fill in any holes you dig.

Dolphins, eagles, and horseshoe crabs share the water

Bottlenose dolphins show up regularly in the waters around Tybee, and dolphin tours run throughout the season for closer looks.

The North Beach Birding Trail pulls in migratory shorebirds every fall and winter, some of them coming all the way from the Arctic.

In May and June, horseshoe crabs gather on the south end beaches to spawn, which draws shorebirds that feed on the eggs.

Osprey and bald eagles nest on nearby Little Tybee Island, so keep your eyes up when you’re paddling between the two.

Little Tybee is bigger than Tybee and has no roads

Just south of the island sits Little Tybee, an uninhabited state-owned nature preserve that doesn’t look little at all. Including marsh, it covers about 6,780 acres, more than twice the size of Tybee Island.

There are no roads, no facilities, and no utilities. You get there by boat or kayak only.

People come to shell, fish, camp under the stars, and bird-watch in the salt marshes and live oak forests. Roseate spoonbills and wood storks have been spotted here, two species you won’t see on many Georgia day trips.

The island marks its calendar with water, costumes, and turtles

The SCAD Sand Arts Festival in May brings sand sculptures built by students and alumni of the Savannah College of Art and Design. The Beach Bum Parade, also in May, wraps up as a community-wide water fight.

April brings the Tybee Turtle Trot 5K, which raises money for the sea turtle project.

October fills up with the Tybee Pirate Fest, a full weekend of parades, costume contests, re-enactments, and live music. Fourth of July brings fireworks over the ocean, which looks exactly as good as it sounds.

Walk the pier at Tybee Island, Georgia

The Tybee Pier and Pavilion sits at the end of Tybrisa Street on South Beach, and walking there costs you nothing.

The pier is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., so early mornings and late evenings work just as well as midday. If you want to fish, bring your Georgia fishing license, or rent bait and tackle at the end of the pier.

The octagonal pavilion has picnic tables, a snack bar, and restrooms. Live music and seasonal events run throughout the year.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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