Georgia Magazine - July 2020 - 24

Around GEORGIA

By Victoria Scharf DeCastro

Georgia, the 'beach state'
There's no better place to relax, restore

lanning a beach vacation? Georgia offers beach destinations to please everyone, from those seeking a remote
island getaway to families in search of fun in the sand,
surf and sun. Each beach has its story, and every visitor adds to
its history.
The Georgia coast abounds with historical landmarks,
recreational activities and barrier islands. Some islands are
accessible by car, while others require a boat ride. Here are a
few shores to explore.

Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island
Littered with twisted, fallen trees sculpted by decades of
erosion, the shoreline of Driftwood Beach on the northern end
of Jekyll Island is like no other. A photographer's dream and a
great picnicking site, the beach also is a popular place for
weddings. Driftwood Beach is not ideal for swimming, but
visitors enjoy riding bikes, walking along the shore and
posing for snapshots among sun-scorched, uprooted trees.
Driftwood Beach was once a maritime forest. But over the
years, the forest slowly surrendered to the relentless effects of
erosion as the north end of the island gave way and redeposited
on the island's south end. goldenisles.com.

Nanny Goat Beach and Cabretta Beach, Sapelo Island
Nanny Goat Beach on Sapelo Island is an ideal retreat for

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those seeking an isolated beach with no commercial development. Bird sightings include bald eagles, blue herons, egrets and
ospreys. Nearby Cabretta Beach is equally isolated.
How Nanny Goat Beach got its name may never be known
for sure. Buddy Sullivan, an author and lecturer from Darien
who specializes in coastal Georgia history, theorizes the name
may be tied to neighboring Cabretta Island.
"Cabretta in Spanish means 'goat' or 'sheep,'" he says.
"Since the Spanish had a Franciscan mission on Sapelo Island
in the 1600s, it might be they who applied the name to Nanny
Goat, but there is no proof of it."
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources manages
the island, which is accessible only by a state-run passenger
ferry. The island is home to the Sapelo Island National
Estuarine Research Reserve, the University of Georgia Marine
Institute, Reynolds Mansion on Sapelo Island State Park, the
historic Hog Hammock Gullah-Geechee community and the
restored 1820 Sapelo Island Lighthouse. sapelonerr.org.

East Beach, St. Simons Island
East Beach on St. Simons Island is a popular spot for fishing, riding bikes and kiteboarding (an action sport that uses the
wind and a power kite to move across the water on a board),
but it's also known for its history. For example, the historic
St. Simons U.S. Coast Guard Station was built in 1936 as part

July 2020

6/12/20 1:16 AM

COASTAL GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT / RALPH DANIEL

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT / RALPH DANIEL

The sun-scorched skeletons of oak trees
hark back to a time when Driftwood Beach
on Jekyll Island was a maritime forest.

http://www.sapelonerr.org http://www.goldenisles.com

Georgia Magazine - July 2020

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