One of the many pools at the Amelia Island Resort

One of the many pools at the Amelia Island Resort
Those who know about this
little gem also know that it has a
tremendous reputation as home to
Florida’s premiere island resort. But
for those that don’t, Amelia Island
is a delightful discovery.
Located about 20 miles (40
minutes) from Jacksonville, Fl., on
the Atlantic Ocean, Amelia Island is
as Amelia Island has the historic
distinction of at different times
being under eight different flags
(national
sovereignties).
The
museum also offers guided walks
through Fernandina’s 50-block
historic district.
Also on the north end of the
island (which marks the Florida/
Florida’s greenest community.
Southern Living Magazine referred
to the development plan of Amelia
Island Plantation as “environmental
balancing honed to a fine art,” also
saying that “a sounder approach
to planning a coastal development
than that used for Amelia Island
Plantation would be hard to
The old downtown area in Fernandina Beach
a 12-mile long and two-mile wide
island named for Princess Amelia,
daughter of England’s King George
II.
Fernandina Beach is an 1880’s
fishing village that today offers
quaint shops, galleries, antique
shops, restaurants and watering
holes. The downtown is a showplace
of historically registered homes and
businesses restored to their original
Victorian charm. The nearby harbor
is home to charter fishing boats and
one of the largest commercial fishing
and shrimp fleets in the South.
The Amelia Island Museum
of History, also in Fernandina, is
housed in the old Nassau County
Jail. The museum is worth a trip
Georgia border) is Fort Clinch State
Park, an enormous land tract (1,121
acres) and home to a still-standing
fortification built beginning in 1847
by the federal government. It was
occupied by Confederate forces
when the war began in 1861 and
was taken by federal troops when a
withdrawal was ordered by Gen. Lee
the following year. In 1898, the fort
was reactivated for several months
during the Spanish-American War.
Today it remains in a remarkable
state of preservation.
But Amelia Island’s greatest
claim to fame is the Amelia
Island Plantation, a 1350-acre
environmentally-sound recreational
paradise. In fact, it’s been called
imagine.”
Amelia Island is home to The
Amelia Island Plantation, a 1350-acre
environmentally-sound recreational
paradise. In fact it’s been called
Florida’s greenest community.
Southern Living Magazine referred
to the development plan of Amelia
Island Plantation as “environmental
balancing honed to a fine art,” also
saying that “a sounder approach
to planning a coastal development
than that used for Amelia Island
Plantation would be hard to
imagine.”
The Plantation offers every
resort facility you can imagine. It
is truly a class operation (AAA
4-Diamond), but one that is not
One of the three impressive golf courses at the Amelia Island Resort
Page 2, Vitality, March 2003
pretentious, snobby or overpriced.
In fact, we found it to have one of
the best trained staffs we’ve seen-helpful and courteous in the extreme,
and always having time to help
you. And even though there’s 670
rental properties in the Plantation,
the place is spread out in such a
way that even when it’s booked
up, it doesn’t seem at all crowded.
This aspect is enhanced at meal
times by the fact that restaurants are
dispersed throughout the plantation,
not lumped in one area.
Being
uncrowded
makes
a stay most peaceful, but the
intense concern of the developer
for preserving the natural beauty
of the island weighs in heavily
toward its relaxed ambience. The
entire development is built under
a carefully preserved canopy of
primordial oak trees. And even the
Plantation’s 3.5 miles of beaches
look undisturbed.
The Amelia Inn & Beach Club is
the center of the resort. Every room
has an ocean view. Color schemes
throughout are a noticeably restful
selection of pastels. There’s a
wonderful Piano Lounge on the
first floor that comes alive every
evening, as well as The Amelia
Inn Dining Room, which offers
impeccable,
reasonably-priced
dining. Out back of the Inn there’s
a two-tiered pool area that in turn
decends to the ocean beach. Right
next to the pool area is the Beach
Club Grill, which is a favor place to
have lunch poolside.
Many visitors enjoy the
Plantations one-, two- and threebedroom condominium villas that
One of the many Plantation Villa complexes that overlook the Atlantic
offer all the comforts of home. Villa
complexes each have their own
pool.
The Plantation is a truly
complete resort in terms of activities
available. There’s swimming (23
pools on the Plantation including
two heated ones), jogging and
bicycle paths, fresh and salt water
fishing, sailing, Island Hoppers (golf
carts you can rent by the hour, halfday, day, or several days. They’re a
great way to get around during your
stay), and bicycle rentals. You can
go horseback riding along the beach
(two miles south of the Plantation).
And the nature center offers many
wonderful activities: from Edible
Plant Walks, to Birdwatching Hikes,
to Beachside Naturalist Hikes.
Tennis is a big deal at Amelia
Island, which is recognized as one
of the “Top 50 American Tennis
Resorts” by Tennis Magazine. The
biggest names in tennis frequent the
place, which has become home to the
Bausch & Lomb Championships.
The tennis area, dubbed Racquet
Park, is a five star tennis center
consisting of 23 clay courts and a
first-rate Pro Shop.
Also at Racquet Park is the
Verandah Restaurant, which has an
extensive seafood selection. Diners
have a marvelous view of Racquet
Park’s Tennis Stadium.
A state-of-the-art Health and
Fitness Center offers racquetball,
lap-pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, exercise
equipment,
on-staff
massage
therapists and personal fitness
consultants.
Golf at Amelia Island is lauded
far and wide. The Plantation’s
54 holes of golf has brought it
numerous awards, including Golf
Magazine’s “Gold Medal”, as one
of twelve best golf resorts in the
nation. Golf Digest called it among
the “Top 75 Resort Courses in the
U.S.”, and Links Magazine awarded
the Plantation their “Best Of The
South” award. Golf News said “The
1350-acre Amelia Island Plantation
resort is a golfer’s dream.”
The famous Ocean Links course
includes more holes on the Atlantic
Ocean than any other Florida
resort. Also excellent to play is the
Plantation’s Oak Marsh and Long
Point courses.
While visiting the Amelia Links
Pro Shop, don’t forget to grab
breakfast or lunch at the Golf Shop
Restaurant. The golf course view is
spectacular.
The Amelia Island Plantation
Golf School is conducted by the
Ron Philos’ School of Golf. Their
5976.
New to the Plantation is “The
Spa.” This enormously popular
13,200 square foot addition has
been very carefully designed to
bring nature into every aspect
of the complex. There are 25
treatment rooms. Their signature
treatment is Ionotherapy and Watsu
massage--which is done in water.
It’s quite unique. There’s also an
Arizona Desert Mud Wrap, a Vichy
shower, Aromatherapy Salt Glow,
Detoxifying Seaweed Body Mask,
Desert Heat Body Wrap, AntiStress Aroma Bath, Seaweed Bath,
Moor Mud Bath, Plantomer or Sun
Lover’s Facial, Oxygenating Facial,
RS2 Rosacea Facial, or you can
relax in a European hydrotherapy
tub. For more information, go to
www.spaamelia.com or call 877843-7722.
The resort does have its own
Plantation rates are made very
attractive by buying into one of
their many packages. There’s an
all-inclusive recreation package,
golf packages, tennis packages, etc.
Check the website or phone number
listed below for more information.
A car is not necessary while
staying at Amelia Island. The
Plantation runs trams all day to
wherever you need to go within
the Plantation. You can order one
from any house or room phone on
the property, and your ride is there
within minutes.
Amelia
Island
Plantation
is 29 miles from Jacksonville
International Airport. U.S. Air has
regular flights from Providence to
Jacksonville. Transfers to and from
Jacksonville International Airport
are available through the Amelia
Island Plantation Transportation
Department. (See www.aipfl.com,
The tennis stadium at Raquet Park
program concentrates on swing
mechanics and creating a more
consistent, predictable swing. There
are one, two and four day schools,
as well as private instruction. For
more information, call 904-277-
shopping complex as well, which
pretty much offers everything you
could think of buying. While there,
you can have breakfast or lunch
at the Coop, either indoors, or
lakeside.
or call 800-874-6878.) (Editor’s
note: Don & Bonnie Woodland are
free-lance travel writers based in
Cape Cod. They can be reached at
508-945-9455.)
Fort Clinch overlooks Amelia Island’s north coast
Page 3, Vitality, March 2003