A First-Timer's Guide to Tybee Island

Tybee doesn't behave like the rest of the Georgia and Florida coast. There's no wall of high-rises along the sand, no boardwalk of airbrush T-shirt shops. Instead you get a barrier island about three miles long, a working lighthouse that's been lit since the 1700s, a fishing pier, and a handful of casual seafood joints — with the whole thing twenty minutes from downtown Savannah.

We're a five-minute walk from the sand, on Butler Avenue near the pier, and a good share of the guests who stay with us are here for exactly this trip. This is the guide we give them at the front desk, written down.

What makes Tybee distinct

Tybee is Savannah's beach — close enough for a day trip, far enough to feel like its own place. The island has flown a few flags and worn a few names over three centuries, and that history is still standing. The Tybee Island Light Station, at the north end, is one of the oldest and most intact lighthouse stations in the country; the current tower dates to 1867 and you can climb all 178 steps. Just across the mouth of the Savannah River sits Fort Pulaski, a Civil War-era brick fort whose walls changed the course of military history when rifled cannon breached them in 1862.

And then there's the beach itself: wide, flat, and hard-packed near the waterline, backed by dunes and sea oats rather than concrete. The south end near the pier is the liveliest; the north end near the lighthouse is quieter and better for tide pools; the Back River on the island's southwest tip is calm, shallow, and the best sunset on Tybee.

When to visit

Spring (March–May) is the island at its best — 70s and 80s, blooming, the water warming up by late April. The Tybee Island Beach Bum Parade, a rolling water fight down Butler that's exactly as fun as it sounds, lands in May.

Summer (June–August) is family season: hot, humid, afternoon thunderstorms that roll through and clear. The ocean is bath-warm and the island is at its busiest, so book ahead and plan around the heat with a midday pool break.

Fall (September–October) may be the sleeper pick — the water holds its warmth into October, crowds thin after Labor Day, and the Tybee Island Pirate Fest takes over the island in October.

Winter (November–February) is quiet and mild, think 60s by day. Not swimming weather, but excellent for long beach walks, the lighthouse, and cheap rates.

How to get here and get around

There's one road onto Tybee: US-80, which runs east from Savannah across the marsh and a couple of bridges. Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) is the closest airport, about 30 to 40 minutes away. Savannah's historic district is 20 to 30 minutes west, depending on traffic on the bridges.

On the island, you have options. Tybee is small enough to walk if you stay central, which is the whole argument for where we are — leave the car parked and go to the beach on foot. Golf-cart rentals are the local way to cover more ground, and the Tybee Turtle Transit shuttle will pick you up and drop you at dinner or the pier. You'll want a car for Savannah, Fort Pulaski, or the airport.

One practical note that shapes everything: parking on Tybee is metered island-wide and fills up fast in season. Staying within a walk of the beach isn't just convenient — it saves you the daily circling for a space.

Where to stay

Honest version: Tybee has beautiful places to stay, from beachfront rentals to boutique spots, and they're priced like it in season. What Tybee doesn't have much of is the big chain hotel — it's mostly inns, motels, and vacation rentals, which is part of the charm.

Staying central and walkable, the way we are on Butler Avenue, is the practical move. You're five minutes from the sand on foot, a few blocks from the pier and the island's restaurants, with a saltwater pool to rinse off in and free parking that you don't have to feed a meter for. If your trip is beach-by-day and casual-dinner-by-night, you may barely touch the car until it's time for Savannah. Rooms cost less than beachfront, and the dog's welcome.

What to do

The beach, obviously. The south-end strand near the pier is the classic Tybee beach day — wide sand, the pier and pavilion, restaurants within walking distance. North Beach, by the lighthouse, is quieter and has tide pools and the best shelling. The Back River, on the southwest tip, is calm and shallow — the move for families with little kids and for sunset.

The lighthouse and the fort. Climb the Tybee Island Light Station for the whole island laid out beneath you, then tour the keepers' cottages and the museum across the street. Ten minutes back toward Savannah, Fort Pulaski is a slow, quiet two hours of Civil War history and marsh trails. We wrote a fuller guide to the lighthouse on this blog.

Get on the water. Dolphin tours run from the back river and the Lazaretto Creek marina — sightings are close to guaranteed, and the route past the lighthouse at golden hour is the one people talk about after. Fishing charters, kayak and SUP rentals, and jet-ski outfitters round out the options. Our things to do page has the operators we send guests to, with phone numbers.

Hunt for shark teeth. Tybee's beaches are surprisingly good for fossilized shark teeth — black, triangular, glinting in the shell beds. Guided fossil-hunt tours will teach you where to look, and most groups go home with a pocketful.

Where to eat

Tybee eats casual and eats well, mostly within a few blocks. Breakfast at Sunrise Restaurant a block up Butler; seafood and a lively room at StingRay's practically across the street; shrimp and grits near the pier at Pier 16; fish tacos with your feet in the sand at The Deck. Toward the north end, Sundae Cafe is the sit-down dinner locals reorder the key lime pie at, and Huc-A-Poos is the pizza-and-a-band institution. The full list, with distances and our honest notes, lives on our dining page.

What to skip, and first-timer mistakes

Don't try to "do" Savannah and Tybee in the same afternoon — give each its own block of time; the bridges will eat your day otherwise. Don't assume you can park at the beach on a summer Saturday without circling; either walk or arrive early. Don't bring the dog onto the main beach (city rules) — walk the streets and the Back River instead. And don't skip the lighthouse because "it's just a lighthouse" — the climb and the view are the best hour of history on the island.

One more: check the tide chart. Tybee's beach is broad at low tide and much narrower at high; the tide pools at North Beach and the shark-teeth shell beds are a low-tide game.

The short version

Come for two or three days. Split your time between the south-end beach, the lighthouse and the fort, and a sunset on the Back River. Eat the local shrimp, get on the water at least once, and give Savannah an evening. And if you'd rather spend your budget on dinners and dolphin tours than on beachfront, we'll keep the light on for you a five-minute walk from the sand — check availability and bring the dog.