Then satisfy a sweet tooth with a piece of homemade fudge or ice cream while soaking up the ambiance of the late 1800's. End the day with cocktails or dinner at one of Fernandina's many fine restaurants. Old Town Fernandina, at the end of White Street off of North 14th Street, bears evidence of the island's Spanish heritage in its plaza and city plan. Fort Clinch State Park, on A1A at the north end of Amelia Island, preserves 1,121 acres of beaches, dunes, nature trails, salt marshes, and ponds. Take a walk on the nature trail and see alligators and wading birds,collect shells along the 4,000 feet of Atlantic coast, or try catching your dinner from the 1,500 foot Fort Clinch Fishing Pier.
Camping is also a vailable.
The visitor's center exhibits explain the history of the Civil War fort, built in 1847, and on the first full weekend of each month visitors can observe Civil War reenactors carrying out daily chores. Kelly Seashore Ranch at the southern end of Amelia on A1A is one of the few stables o n the East Coast that offers horseback riding on the beach. Fernandina Harbor Marina is home to over 200 boats. If you love shrimp, Ameliais the place to be, especially during the annual shrimp festival the first week in May. Two million pounds of shrimp are delivered to Fernandina's docks annually.