Amelia Island offers an enticing mix of history, activities and beautiful views

When I lived in the Tampa Bay area, I loved exploring the Gulf Coast’s barrier islands, from Caladesi to Captiva. Now that I’m in northeast Florida, I’ve discovered their Atlantic Coast counterparts. My favorite is Amelia Island, just south of the Georgia border, at the mouth of the St. Marys River.

About a morning’s drive from Tampa Bay, Amelia feels like another world entirely. Like many barrier islands, Amelia has miles of pristine beaches, luxury resorts and recreational activities, from golfing to kayaking to horseback riding on the beach. But what sets Amelia apart from others is the inescapable feeling that you’re part of history — just one more in a long line of travelers passing through this stretch of sand and oaks.

First came the Timucuans, who fished Amelia’s waters more than 1,000 years ago. Then the French, Spanish, English, even a delusional Scotsman vied for control of the island with its protected, deep-water harbor. Pirates, slave ships and smugglers sailed Amelia’s coastline. Confederate, then Union soldiers stood watch during the Civil War at a brick fort on the island’s northern edge. And in the late 1800s, newly minted millionaires came by steamship to the seaport of Fernandina Beach, building elegant Victorian mansions as winter getaways.