Sapelo Island in
Austell (GA)

What an absolute treasure Sapelo Island is for the state of georgia. I have had an interest in getting on the island for a few years with the opportunity never presented itself until recently. I saw this past weekend that we actually had the pleasure of being able to spend some time on the island. We were the guests of the UGAMI staff. Which is the University of Georgia Marine Institute. They are a group of scientists professors researchers students and other faculty members that study the marshlands waterways and island. With The Limited time we spent on the water we were able to see a variety of marine life. We saw alligator a variety of fish and crabs as well as dolphin. The works they do they're not only have local impact but also worldwide impact. What a great group of people and what fantastic work they do at the facility. The University of Georgia campus on the island is actually the old Reynolds Plantation dairy farm, which has been undergoing a transformation into what it has become today. We met a wonderful group of people who are called the friends UGAMI. A very active and concerned group of citizens who put in the hard work to care for and keep up with many of the needs required at the facility. We were also able to take a bike ride around the island to the lighthouse as well as out to hog hammocks the community that has existed on the island for hundreds of years. The Gullah Geechee are longtime inhabitants of the island who still now hold a small foothold in population on the island. The island is really just a natural beauty surrounded by marshlands. You will be hard-pressed to find more beautiful sunsets than the ones available on Sapelo. We definitely enjoyed our visit to the island and look forward to returning again very soon. The hospitality we received was second to none and made for a wonderful getaways for the weekend.

1st visit to Niagara Falls.

Unique experience. Read about the Gullah people. Book your ferry. Rent a house. Wonderful beach. No restaurant. No store. Take what you need.

This is one of my favorite places to go visit in the United States. I wouldn't hear many many years ago on a project for the Oprah Winfrey show in fell in love with the island. I actually got to meet Mama Bailey when she was living and she gave me a permanent pass to come so I know her entire family and I go as often as I can. I was giving an opportunity to purchase property on the island but I didn't at the time. Now I wish I would have. It is a great place but to really get to know sapelo Island you have to know the indigenous people. You have to go to hog hammock and meet the Bailey's and really get to know him and you'll really understand the island. The island is changing because it's now allowing people to purchase land there and it's really taking away a lot of the beauty of it

Beautiful beaches and the history is remarkable. Be sure to visit the lighthouse. Saw a huge bald eagle nest but couldn't see if there were occupants. Yvonne was a fantastic tour guide.

I Remember Dr.afrika Author of Book "African Holistic Health" & Others speaking of the Gullah Great Clean Nature Island

I reached out to both JR Grovner and Maurice Baily, as recommended by the visitor center, to rent a golf cart for half a day self tour since my wife is disabled. (The tours were not recommended for individuals in wheelchairs.) Grovner answered the phone on my first call and stated that he could not access his calendar at the moment and would call me back in 30 minutes. Never heard from him. Called Baily and he instructed me to text him my arrival information and the number of people in my party and he could provide a golf cart. I followed his instructions but never received a confirmation. Reached out several times for a response of any type weeks before our arrival date. Could never get him on the phone and never got a text response. Extremely unprofessional behavior for individuals who supposedly are stewards of their community. My wife and I arrived at the visitors center on the day of our departure and confirmed that Maurice Baily was operating his tours as usual. Apparently, unless you pay for a full tour, your patronage or visitation of the island is not important to them.

Great secluded gem. Bring what you need.

The planning to get to the Island can be tricky, but it's affordable round trip ferry fee. We used a private tour company to tour the Island to learn the history. Next time I want to go to explore the nature!

I had an awesome time! I went to Sapelo in February.

This was a great island tour by Jrs Father who has been a I believe he said 9th generation lifetime resident on the island. He was great !!! Our purpose was to go see the two lighthouses on the island but he and his wife made it so much more. We goured the mansion and we'll everything on the island.

Really enjoyed the tour by lifelong resident JR.

👍👍😎

It's very nice place.

Good people. They rolled out the Red Carpet Treatment" for me here at Sapelo 1st African Baptist Church...⛪

Best vacation we have had in years. Spent 5 days exploring the beaches, the trails on the north end and everything we could find. I hate to tell people how much we love it because I don't want anyone else going, it's selfish but true. Pack your bags wisely and truly get away from it all

Cool island .very relaxing take the ferry over. Very nice get away. Try out the fishing while you are there

First & foremost, permit me to say that Lucy Lea is The Ultimate Sapelo Information Specialist as a 26-year resident and former manager of The Reynolds Mansion. This is priceless on an island where there isn't much direction otherwise so DO NOT underestimate the value of her as a resource. Her AirBnB is called Lucy's Place. Plus, you get a CAR with the rental that generally she picks you up in at the docking hour. We cannot emphasize enough that this is a major advantage on the island for getting one's bearings, for little trips or just when you're tired of walking or cycling. Golf carts cannot go certain places where island vehicles can and golf carts, nor vehicles are permitted up most of the North end of the island where a lot of very cool stuff is. Truth be told, in some respects, this is a "younger" person's adventure going up the North end. You'll find that you will be required to bike it and or walk it and this is NO easy task! We did nearly 50 miles of walking in 3 days both for the exercise and partly because unless you have a semi-serious mountain bike, it is very unlikely you will get to the North end on your own outside of a guided tour. For the history buff, it is well worth it, but the roads after rain are particularly prohibitive for general beach bikes, some portion of the muddy areas are impassable by bike alone. We broke the North end up into 2 days on foot. Doing Raccoon Point one day, and the Western half the 2nd day that includes multiple tabby ruins sites, The Chocolate Plantation & mysterious Shell Rings. You could really justify a whole day or 2 days just to that end of the island if you wanted to track down the old duck ponds or wander off the paths as we were inclined. This is also the greater wildlife area for certain. We saw gators, otters, tons of armadillos, a wonderful pack of the elusive wild pig piglets, hawks, American Bald Eagles and sighted the wild cattle from a distance. We do recommend the day tour with JR Grovner or his father who come from the oldest descendants of the island. Sans a tour, of particular value is Lucy's library of books that range from great Sapelo history annals to those for wildlife & plant life enthusiasts. The library is part of the apartment. We were honored to have Mary Bailey cook for us and she delivered a fantastic feast of fresh flounder, shrimp & grits, biscuits, veggies, pumpkin pie, the works! Her island counterpart, Sharon (Shu-rohn) Grovner brought us meatloaf, mashed potatoes, salad, homemade mini-pies, peas, bread and was amazing too. As these women work hard all day and have to go off the island for ingredients, we opted to tip more than double their asking price which was entirely worth it to us. Oh, near Lucy's is the only island store and has limited morning, early afternoon hours. Same goes for post office. As we arrived on a Sunday, they invited us to church with them at The First African Church of 1866 and it was the perfect start to our visit. The choir was amazing, Pastor Banks very uplifting and it was an honor to be introduced as guests and recognized by such a historic congregation. They don't seem to mind photos & video but don't forget to tythe to the church. This is perhaps the greatest closing thought we can offer and what we mean is spend everywhere you can on this island and think of how you can spend with the locals while there. For all of its virtues, it is in many ways dwindling and in an hour of great cultural & economic suffering. While the world hopes this is only temporary and a cycle or long arc to a boom or new era of prosperity, Sapelo is still at risk. This is not really the message the islanders put out there but its something that becomes quickly apparent with one's advance research and also while there. But a beautiful beginning to adding your energy to the island is by landing at Lucy's Place first and foremost. We realize now being gone that her smile at the dock was like the whole island smiling to greet us too and made everything all the more indelible and endearing. We can't wait to encounter it again.

Very few luxuries unless you are at the mansion, so island is very natural and beautiful, wonderful easy visit

I would learn more on this island it sounds interesting to me

A beautiful and unique Georgia barrier island, rich with history, friendly people, shell-filled beaches, and trails filled with saw palmetto and Spanish moss covered trees. Pack your own food in, rent a golf cart to get around, and explore to your heart's content.

Hauntingly beautiful. Take bug spray.

We stayed at Sapelo Breeze Cottage with our grandchildren and we loved it! Owners went put of their way to ensure the kids had something they could do, they bought a bug catcher so the kiddos hunted for fiddler crabs! What a blast they had doing that!

Lived here for 3 years. Wondrous place. Fascinating history and definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. This is a place everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime!~

Wonderful place to get away from everything. Which also means bring everything you will need.

Great, remote island only accessible by boat!

Had a great visit here!