We spent Spring Break this year in at Jekyll Island Club Resort in Jekyll Island, Georgia, and we absolutely loved every minute of it! Matt and I first went in 2020 for our babymoon with Grayson. We absolutely fell in love with the island, the hotel and all of it’s history, beauty and charm. It really is a beautiful hotel with so much interesting and unique history. You can read more about the island’s history here. I have been back every year since then, but this was our first time to take the kids with us. It was honestly a really special trip, and I’m so grateful we got to experience one of our favorite places all together.
We stayed at Jekyll Island Club Resort on this trip. We had one suite with a bedroom, bathroom and large living area with a sofa bed. We had a second room with 2 queen beds. It was the perfect space for our family. I’ve always loved the hotel for its gorgeous architecture, amazing food and resort activities and incredibly friendly staff, but I can now add family friendly onto the list too. This hotel is SO family friendly. They made us feel right at home and were so sweet and helpful to all the kids. If you’re looking for a unique beach spot to visit with the kids, check out my top 10 things to do below in Jekyll Island.
1.) Visit Driftwood Beach – The waterfront is lined with driftwood trees, and it creates the perfect play spot for kids. It is also the most gorgeous backdrop for any family photos you may want to take. = ) The kids played here for about 5 hours and seriously could have stayed all day long! They loved climbing on the trees, playing in the water and sand and chasing each other around, over and under all the trees. It was so pretty there, and it was really special getting to watch them have so much fun on the beach there.
2.) Go for a swim at Jekyll Island Club Resort or Jekyll Ocean Club – Our hotel had an outdoor heated pool that the kids loved visiting each day. Their sister hotel, Jekyll Ocean Club also has an outdoor heated pool and a hot tub. And they’re right on the beach too. Spend the day at the pool and then grab a bite to eat at one of the wonderful restaurants at the hotels. Our favorites are the Grand Dining Room for breakfast, The Wharf for lunch and Eighty Ocean for dinner.
3.) Take a stroll under the oak trees – Imagine walking under these pretty oak trees with Spanish moss cascading down. It is the prettiest backdrop to your morning or afternoon walk. The kids loved walking around and exploring here. They also loved climbing and playing in some of the trees. They had a blast, and we just couldn’t get over the dreamy views.
4.) Go on a bike ride with Jekyll Wheels – We brought the kids’ bikes with us, but the adults rented bikes from Jekyll Wheels while here. It is right next door to the hotel and so convenient. They have several different bike styles, and they even offer kids’ bikes for rent. We loved riding all around the island to look at the ocean, the marshes, and to ride over to see the sea turtles next door. There was a nice breeze, and the temperature was perfect for bike rides together.
5.) Visit the Sea Turtle Center – The Sea Turtle Center is next door to the hotel. They have some interactive exhibits and experiences for kids that are really cool, a gift shop and the rehabilitation center. This center is Georgia’s only sea turtle rehabilitation center. We got to see several sea turtles that had come from New England during winter, and one they were applying a treatment to its shell to help rehabilitate. It was a really neat experience getting to see them up close and learn about all the work they were doing to help the sea turtles.
6.) Play croquet together – The hotel has croquet on the front lawn, and you can just sign up for a time to play up front at the valet counter. We were all excited to play together. Grayson thought the hoops were supposed to be hammered into the ground with the mallets and didn’t understand why they were sticking out to the ground lol. It was pretty cute. We had fun playing together, but the noseeums were out fairly decent around the oak trees this time of year. Just make sure to pack some bug spray, and you’ll be able to spend all day playing an denjoying croquet. And don’t forget to pack your all white attire.
7.) Take a dolphin tour with Jekyll Island Boat Tours – This was such a fun experience! We took a 2 hour boat ride along the intercoastal waterway to the Atlantic Ocean. They gave us some history along the tour and showed us several sights too. We saw an eagle perched above the water, and….we saw several dolphins! We got to see the swimming up close, and it was so neat! The kids loved seeing the dolphins! It was a little chilly this time of year on the water, so make sure to pack a sweater or coat.
8.) Go on the history tour with Landmark Trolley Tours – This is always one of my favorites each year. No matter how many times I take this trolley tour, I feel like I always learn something new each time! We took a trolley along Jekyll Island and learned of the history of the island, who owned the houses, and we even got to tour some of the houses. I always love learning of the history when I visit a new place, and this island’s history is so unique as it used to be privately owned, and the hotel was a club that only members voted in could visit. I definitely recommend this tour!
9.) Roast s’mores at sunset by the Jekyll Club pool – The perfect way to end the day! At night they set up a fun little s’mores table by the outdoor pool, and the kids loved roasting marshmallows. Shortly later the sun started setting, and it was so beautiful out here.
Have you ever been to Jekyll Island? What are your favorite things to do here?
