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We just got back from our first family vacation to Amelia Island, and we absolutely loved it. We originally planned to stay for just a few days, but we ended up extending our trip to a total of eight nights because we were enjoying the slower-paced island life so much.

In the past, most of our summer family vacations have been to the Rosemary Beach and 30A area. We still love that area for its beautiful water, charming communities, and family-friendly atmosphere, but over the years it has also become much busier and more crowded than what we were personally looking for this summer.

This year, we really wanted a trip that felt relaxing and uncomplicated – somewhere that allowed us to slow down, spend intentional time together as a family, and enjoy simpler moments without constantly feeling overstimulated or surrounded by crowds and activities.

Amelia Island ended up being exactly that for us. It has such a charming, boutique coastal feel with quieter beaches, a walkable downtown, slower mornings, bike rides, shell hunting, and simple family fun that never felt overly commercialized or rushed.

In this post, I’m sharing everything we personally loved from our trip — where we stayed, things we did, bike rentals, shelling spots, grocery delivery, travel tips, and some of the little things that made this trip feel especially easy and enjoyable with kids.

Why We Loved Amelia Island

One of the biggest reasons we loved Amelia Island so much was simply how easy and relaxing it felt from the moment we arrived. The island is only about 30 minutes from the Jacksonville airport, which made travel days with three kids feel very manageable.

We chose to stay in an Airbnb for most of the trip, and it ended up being perfect for the slower-paced family vacation we were hoping for. We loved having slower mornings at home before heading out for the day, making breakfast together, and not feeling rushed to constantly be somewhere.

The beaches never felt overly crowded, which made the entire trip feel much calmer and more peaceful compared to some of the busier beach destinations we’ve visited in the past.

At the same time, there was still plenty to do whenever we wanted a little more activity — whether that was biking, walking downtown, exploring Fort Clinch, or grabbing ice cream in the evenings.

One of our favorite parts of the trip was downtown Fernandina Beach. The downtown area is full of charm, history, cute local shops, and little spots to walk around as a family. The entire island has such a boutique coastal town feel that feels relaxed without ever feeling boring.

Overall, Amelia Island just felt very easy with kids. For reference, our kids are 9, 6, and 3, and this ended up being one of those family trips where everyone truly seemed able to relax and enjoy the slower pace together.

Where We Stayed

For the majority of our trip, we stayed in an Airbnb for six nights, and then we ended up extending our vacation for two additional nights at the Omni Amelia Island Resort. The two experiences were completely different in the best way, and honestly gave us a really good perspective on the different types of vacations you can have on Amelia Island depending on what you’re looking for.

Our Airbnb was a simple single-family beachfront home. It wasn’t huge or overly luxurious, but it was clean, comfortable, and had everything we needed for our family of five. What really made it special was the location. Being able to walk straight out to the beach every morning completely changed the pace of the trip for us.

Most mornings, Cody and I would have coffee outside while the kids were already playing in the sand or water by 7:30 AM. There was such little effort involved in actually enjoying the beach, which made the entire trip feel relaxing and low stress. We also had a really nice outdoor patio area, which helped the smaller house feel much bigger since we spent so much time outside.

One thing we realized on this trip is that we honestly don’t need a huge luxury rental for this stage of life. In the past, we’ve stayed in much larger homes on vacations, but we really aren’t spending much time inside anyway. Having direct beach access, a kitchen, and a comfortable place to sleep ended up being much more valuable for us than extra space or amenities.

Having a kitchen with three kids was also incredibly helpful. Most days we made breakfast and lunch at the house and then decided dinner plans based on everyone’s energy level. It also made naps and downtime so much easier with Conrad. I could easily walk him up for a nap while the big kids stayed down at the beach with Cody, and it just made the entire rhythm of the trip feel very easy.

Toward the end of the trip, we made a very last-minute decision to stay two additional nights at the Omni Amelia Island Resort, which is something we would normally never do impulsively, but it ended up being such a fun way to finish out the vacation.

The Omni experience was completely different from the Airbnb in terms of energy and atmosphere. We stayed in a standard room with all five of us packed in together, but the resort amenities made it feel like a totally different style of trip. The Omni has multiple pools, restaurants, poolside service, family activities, and a much more active resort atmosphere overall.

One thing we especially loved was that during the summer, kids eat free for breakfast and lunch at several of the resort restaurants, which was such a nice perk for families. There were also discounts available at some of the dinner spots while we were there.

The Omni was beautiful and very family friendly, but it definitely felt more like a full resort vacation experience compared to the slower, quieter beach house rhythm we had earlier in the week. It also wasn’t particularly close to downtown Fernandina Beach, and honestly, if we had stayed there the entire trip, I’m not sure we would have left the property very often because there was already so much to do there.

Overall, we genuinely loved both experiences for different reasons. The Airbnb gave us the slower-paced, quiet beach vacation we were craving, while the Omni added a really fun resort-style ending to the trip. I think which option you’d prefer really depends on the type of vacation you’re hoping to have.

Things We Loved Doing

One of our favorite things we did during the trip was visiting Fort Clinch State Park. Instead of renting a golf cart or relying heavily on a car, we rented bicycles for the week, which ended up being one of the best decisions we made.

We rode our bikes through Fort Clinch, and while it definitely felt like a workout at times, it was absolutely beautiful. The scenery throughout the park is incredible, and the kids especially loved exploring the fort itself and learning some of the history of the island. There were also several quieter beach areas nearby that were perfect for looking for seashells and shark teeth, which became one of the kids’ favorite activities of the entire trip.

The shelling on Amelia Island really is amazing. We brought home so many unique shells, and it ended up being one of those simple vacation memories that felt really special. Some mornings we would just walk the beach slowly looking for shells, and honestly those slower moments ended up being some of my favorites from the trip.

The bikes themselves became such a huge part of our vacation rhythm. We rode them to coffee shops, dinners, downtown, and just around the island in general. It honestly inspired me to want to ride bikes more often now that we’re back home because it made everything feel slower, simpler, and more connected.

Another thing we loved about where we stayed was how walkable and easy everything felt. There was a casual waterfront restaurant close to our Airbnb that we could easily walk to for lunch or dinner, which was perfect after long beach days with the kids.

Downtown Fernandina Beach was another favorite for our family. Our Airbnb was only about a mile and a half from downtown, so we would often bike there in the evenings for dinner, ice cream, or just to walk around. The downtown area is full of cute local shops, ice cream spots, and so much charm and character.

One thing I especially appreciated about Amelia Island overall was that it felt like you could make the trip as relaxed or as elevated as you wanted it to be. You could absolutely dress up and enjoy nicer dinners if that’s your style, but the overall atmosphere still felt very laid back and approachable, which honestly felt refreshing with three kids after long beach days.

I also realized during this trip how much pressure I sometimes put on vacations in the past — wanting the perfect outfits, perfect photos, or perfectly planned evenings. This trip felt different in the best way. After spending all day at the beach, everyone was sandy, tired, sun-kissed, and happy, and it felt really nice to embrace the slower pace of family vacation without feeling like every moment needed to look picture perfect.

What Made the Trip Easy With Kids

One of the biggest reasons this trip felt so enjoyable and manageable with kids was simply how easy everything was logistically.

We used an airport car service for transportation to and from the Jacksonville airport, which ended up being such a great decision for our family. The drive to Amelia Island is only about 30–35 minutes, but after multiple flight delays and traveling with three kids, it was incredibly nice to have someone meet us directly at the airport and help with luggage.

What made the experience even better was how flexible the service was throughout the trip. Since we didn’t rent a car, we could easily schedule rides whenever we needed to go somewhere farther away, and having access to car seats already installed made everything feel so much simpler and less stressful.

Another thing that made a huge difference was scheduling a Hungryroot delivery ahead of time. I placed the order about a week before the trip and scheduled it to arrive at the house before we got there. Because everything is packaged on ice, our groceries were still perfectly fine even though our flights were delayed and we arrived much later than expected.

Hungryroot (use code: TERESA40) worked especially well for vacation because you can order both regular groceries and meal kits. We loved that the meal options included smaller portions of things like olive oil, sauces, and seasonings so we didn’t have to buy full-size ingredients just to cook a few meals while traveling.

Since we didn’t have a car, it was also really convenient that Amelia Island had easy access to services like Walmart and Target delivery, which made it simple to grab anything extra we needed throughout the week.

The bike rentals also ended up being one of our favorite parts of the trip. The kids loved riding bikes everywhere, and it honestly made the entire vacation feel slower and more connected. We weren’t constantly loading everyone into a car or coordinating transportation plans.

I also think one of the biggest differences compared to some of our past beach vacations was how easy the actual beach days felt. Because we stayed directly on the beach, we didn’t have to spend time packing coolers, hauling everything onto golf carts, or trying to claim a beach setup for the day. We could simply walk down to the beach, head back up for snacks or lunch, and then return whenever we wanted. That low barrier to entry made the entire trip feel much more relaxing and flexible with kids.

The walkability of the area also added so much to the experience. We loved being able to bike or walk to coffee shops, restaurants, downtown, and the beach without feeling rushed or tied to a schedule.

One thing I do think is helpful to know before visiting Amelia Island is that the beaches have a different feel compared to Florida’s Gulf Coast beaches like 30A. Since Amelia Island is on the Atlantic side, the water isn’t quite as clear or turquoise, and there are definitely more waves. That said, the sand was still beautiful and soft, and the shelling was incredible. It really just depends on what type of beach experience you’re looking for, and honestly we found there were so many trade-offs that made Amelia Island feel really special in its own way.

Overall, we would absolutely go back. For this stage of life with younger kids, Amelia Island felt exactly like the type of vacation we needed — slower paced, easygoing, family friendly, and focused more on simple time together than constantly trying to keep up with busy schedules or activities.