Tybee Island is just a very, very short drive from Savannah, Georgia. It takes about 25 minutes, depending on traffic, and once you get onto the US-80 E it’s the easiest drive in the world. You literally keep going until you hit the Atlantic Ocean.
We happened to be in Georgia during a fairly freak October heatwave, so we didn’t expect to get the blazing hot temperatures that would allow us to lay out on the beach, so we really were in luck.
Tybee is a beautiful little island, but unless you are insanely dedicated to going to the beach, I’d say just spend a sunny afternoon there when you are visiting Savannah. It probably doesn’t necessitate its own weekend break. But you definitely should visit it!
Make sure that you load up on change (specifically quarters) because all the parking is still metered using old-fashioned meters that take quarters only. I’d forgotten this, sadly, and I ended up walking nearly 2 miles in the blazing sun to try to find somewhere that would make change. I’d also really highly recommend packing your own picnic as food and drink on the island are quite over-priced. But a walk along the pier with an ice cream is a tradition that can’t be ignored.
There’s something about Tybee Island that feels so quaint and quirky (the metered parking aside). I think it’s because most of the houses are still so small and colourful and the island is remarkably chain-free. Most stores and restaurants seem to be locally owned.
If you’ve seen the new Baywatch, Magic Mike XXL, or The Last Song, you’ll have seen the beach at Tybee Island as they film quite a few things there.
If you have a fair amount of time on your hands to visit Tybee, you can also visit the Lighthouse and the Lighthouse museum, or even be a little bit more adventurous and rent a sea kayak for a little while.
I’d try to avoid it during the busy summer months and during Spring Break weeks, because it does get very, very busy.
I’m so thrilled that I got the chance to show Sam some genuinely beautiful Southern beaches on a hot day. It’s not something that I thought I was going to be able to do.
Have you ever visited Tybee Island?
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