We recently escaped for a week to Sea Island, Georgia! While I grew up visiting St. Simons and Sea Island, it was great to see Sea Island from a refreshed perspective. I was able to see how they are handling the travel landscape in current times – hotel capacity, social distancing, dining, bars, beach and pool areas, and more. Only 5 hours from Atlanta, Sea Island is the perfect getaway for any amount of time. This summer, we’ve had honeymooners, baby-mooners, families and couples.  Here’s a bit of a recap about why we love Sea Island.

An Overview

Sea Island is a private island adjacent to St. Simons Island on the East Coast of Georgia. It contains multiple restaurants, golf courses, a beach club, a hotel, residences, cottages and a wide range of activities. While you’re not lounging on the beach, you can horseback ride, take a fishing charter, visit the shooting range, experience the spa, walk on a guided nature hike, see the turtles hatch at dawn, and more. See, there’s truly something for everyone!

Accommodations

The accommodations at Sea Island can really be split into two categories – The Cloister and the Cottages. The Cloister is a beautiful, stately hotel that sits right on the marsh in Sea Island. Entry level room categories overlook the river and the higher categories have ocean views. We have two very favorite things about The Cloister. First, it makes a statement. We love a good entrance and The Cloister has just that. I mean, just look at this staircase. Second, the sunsets. You can sit on the outside patio at The Cloister and enjoy a sunset just about every night as you sip an Aperol Spritz. Virtuoso amenities at The Cloister include daily breakfast for 2, $100 resort credit, upgrade on arrival, early check-in and late check-out.

If you have a bigger party, we recommend staying in The Cottages. You can rent a range of cottage accommodations from 2 bedrooms to 10 bedrooms. Location is everything in Sea Island, so we love to base our recommendations off of bedrooms and location. It’s nice to be within walking distance of the beach and the Beach Club, especially if you have kiddos in tow. Sea Island can equip your cottage with everything you need – groceries, bike rentals, golf carts, strollers, etc..

Fishing

Sea Island has so many activities to choose from, but fishing is one of their most popular! You can pretty much customize your experience with your boating captain. We chose an inshore fishing charter in the afternoon. Our guide, Kyle, asked what we wanted to fish for and took us to a prime spot. The most exciting catch of our day was a 3-foot bonnethead shark. The most exciting part for me was the 20 minute boat ride out to the fishing area. It was beautiful to glide across the marsh and see Sea Island from a different angle. Plus, our boat was equipped with drinks and snacks so we were cruising like kings and queens.

Restaurants

The opportunities for dining are endless. During the day, you can dine casually at the Beach Club and Pool, with a stop at Wonderland of course. Wonderland has hand dipped ice creams and candy lined walls – it’s a kids (and adults) paradise. The Cloister holds both Tavola and River Bar. Tavola features Italian cuisine and Aperol Spritz on draft (!!!). Our favorite part about Tavola is that if you can’t decide between two pastas, they’ll do half and half portions for you! River Bar is a little more chic with a French inspired menu. The bar here is an excellent place to grab a drink before watching the sunset. One night during your stay, you must venture to The Lodge, which is a short drive from the main areas of Sea Island. The Lodge features a bag piper some evenings and overlooks the golf course and ocean views. It is a beautiful setting. We found ourselves drinking here for 2 hours before wanting to eat dinner. When you’re done enjoying the scenery, you can eat at Oak Room, which features more steak-house/pub style food.

Want to have a very special dining experience? Splurge on the tasting menu at the Georgian Room. The Chef’s table will allow you to see the Forbes Five Star culinary team at work. 

Ready to go to Sea Island Or, want to explore other quick weekend getaways? Reach out to the Major Traveler team and let’s get to planning!