Tybee Island - island and city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States of America

Tybee Island is a popular beach town and barrier island east of Savannah along the Atlantic coast of Georgia.

Get in

By car

GA-26/US-80 is the only route onto the island and passes directly through Savannah on its way east.

By plane

• Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (IATA: SAV) is about 45 minutes away from the island and is served by seven airlines. The airport is directly served by Interstate 95 and is located about 20 minutes north of Savannah.

By bike

It's about 18 miles from Savannah along route 80, and most of the highway has no bike lanes or paved shoulder to ride on. However, it is a scenic ride, and flat.

Get around

By car

GA-26/US-80 is the main street through town and is known locally as Butler Ave. The main drag along the beach is Strand Ave and runs from 14th Street to 18th Street.

By bike

The island is quite accessible by bike, and is the preferred method of getting around with a more relaxed, beach attitude. Bikes can be rented for this purpose (see the Do section below).

See

• Tybee Island Light Station, 32.0273°, -80.8509°, +1 912 786-5801. 9AM - 5:30PM, Closed Tuesdays. Georgia's oldest and tallest lighthouse at 144 feet, includes a complex of historic support buildings and 187 steps to the top! $7 Adults, $5 Children and Seniors 2018-03-31
• Tybee Island Marine Science Center, 1510 Strand Ave (Directly in front of the Tybee pier and pavilion), 31.992444°, -80.846917°, +1 912 786-5917. 10AM - 5PM. Part science center and part aquarium, featuring touch tanks and many kid friendly exhibits. $4 Adults, $3 Children
• Tybee Island Museum at Fort Screven's Battery Garland, 32.02135°, -80.84393°. Located inside a coastal defense fort first used during the Spanish American War, this museum outlines the history of Tybee Island as an integral part of America's coastal defense system. Don't miss the WWII submarine periscope located just inside the entrance.
• Fort Pulaski National Monument, 32.0272°, -80.8903°, +1 912 786-5787. 9AM - 5:30PM. An imposing Civil War era fort designed to protect the coastal region of Savannah. The fort was the site of a siege battle between the Confederates who usurped the fort and Union soldiers determined to take it over. The 7.5 foot solid brick walls still feature cannon fire damage. $3

Do

• Fat Tire Bikes, 1405 Butler Ave (near 14th Street), +1 912 786-4013. Rent bikes to see the island at a relaxed pace. Can also call ahead to have bikes delivered to where you're staying.
• The Beach, 32.00208°, -80.84140°. Tybee Island is very strict about preserving its beach; dogs and glass bottles are forbidden, and fines are very steep. Parking is $2 per hour
• Sea Kayak Georgia, 1102 Highway 80, 32.01927°, -80.85465°, +1 912 786-8732. Offers guided kayak tours through salt marshes, rivers, and other coastal waterways. Trips available for all skill levels.

Buy

• High Tide Surf Shop, 405 Hwy 80, 32.01303°, -80.84399°, +1 912 786-6556. Hip surf shop with bathing suits, boogie boards, and of course surf ware. And a trash can... Probably.

Eat

• AJ's Dockside Restaurant, 1315 Chatham Ave, 31.99729°, -80.85480°, +1 912 786-9533. 11AM - 10PM. Great neighborhood setting on the back river. Serves seafood outside on a dock which is the setting for some spectacular sunsets.
• The Crab Shack, 40 Estill Hammock Rd, 32.01134°, -80.86522°, +1 912-786-9857, stephanie@thecrabshack.com. Laid back seafood restaurant with extravagant decorations and a zany atmosphere. Be sure to buy some gator food to feed the live alligators!. ~$15
• Sundae Cafe, 304 1st St (at the corner of Hwy 80 & Jones Avenue), 32.01258°, -80.84299°, +1 912-786-7694. Fine dining featuring both traditional southern dishes and seafood.
• Fannies on the Beach, 1613 Strand Ave, 31.99086°, -80.84773°, +1 912 786-6109. Large restaurant with full bar overlooking the beach; has an open-air dining area on the second floor. Ask to sit in the boat if you have young kids who want to steer a ship while enjoying a meal.
• The Tybee Bakery Featuring Cafe Miss Korea, 1204 US-80 (near the Wedding Chapel on Highway 80), 32.0196°, -80.8590°, +1 912 376-0002. ~10am - 8pm. A home-made bakery and coffee house with a Korean food cafe. Located inside a 99 year old train station on the Savannah and Tybee Railroad. 2018-09-30

Drink

• Doc's Bar, 10 16th St, +1 912 786-5506. Fun bar by the beach.

Sleep

• Beachside Colony, 404 Butler Ave, 32.00827°, -80.84207°, +1 912 786-4535. Oceanfront property with rooms and condominiums available.
• DeSoto Beach Hotel, 212 Butler Ave, 32.010036°, -80.841927°. Claims to be Tybee Island’s only beachfront hotel. $69.95-$149.95
• Hotel Tybee, 1401 Strand Avenue, 31.99397°, -80.84667°, +1 912-786-7777, bloehr@linchris.com. Charming historic Southern hotel.
• Lighthouse Inn Bed and Breakfast, 16 Meddin Dve, 32.020157°, -80.845771°. An officer's beach cottage (ca. 1911) with 3 rooms. $179-$199
• Hotel Tybee, Oceanfront at 15th St, +1 912 786-7777. Oceanfront hotel rooms and luxury 3-bedroom condos on the beach. Tiki bar, pool, and beach access. 2018-09-13

Go next

• Savannah - The historic riverside birthplace of Georgia.
• Hilton Head - A lush seaside paradise in the neighboring state of South Carolina.