Golden Isles of Georgia

The Golden Isles of Georgia are a group of four barrier islands and the mainland port city of Brunswick on the 100-mile-long coast of the U.S. state of Georgia on the Atlantic Ocean. They include St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island, Little St. Simons Island, and Historic Brunswick.

Since the American Civil War, all the islands (except for Little St. Simons Island) have become elite resorts frequented by some of the nation's wealthiest families. These three islands also have permanent residents.

All the islands are located within Glynn County and make up the lower middle section of Georgia's eleven barrier islands. Annual temperatures average 66.5F, with January lows of 42F and August highs of 91F. This pleasant climate has led to the islands becoming a major attraction for Northerners from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, who seek the mild winters the Golden Isles offer. The islands' good weather and natural beauty have made the area an exclusive place to live. Many other people come to the islands for their beaches, wetlands, sub-tropical forests, and water recreation every year.

Brunswick is a city in and the county seat of Glynn County, Georgia, United States. The major urban and economic center of the state's lower southeast, it is also the second-largest urban area on Georgia's coast, after Savannah, and it contains the Brunswick Old Town Historic District. Brunswick is located on a harbor of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 mi north of Florida and 70 mi south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the west by Oglethorpe Bay, East River, and Turtle River. On the south it is bordered by the Brunswick River and on the east by the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, which separates it from the Golden Isles. The city is located at the apex of the bight of the Georgia coast, the westernmost point on the Atlantic seaboard, and is naturally sheltered by two barrier islands, Jekyll and St. Simons. The city is situated on a peninsula with the East River and the Turtle River to the west, the Brunswick River to the south, and the Intracoastal Waterway to the east. An abundance of salt marshes separate the city from the Intracoastal Waterway, which passes between Brunswick and the barrier islands.

The Port of Brunswick (POB) is an Atlantic seaport located in Brunswick, Georgia. It is one of four ports operated by the Georgia Ports Authority. POB is one of the nation's most productive ports on the Atlantic coast. The shrimping industry is still important economically; the city was once called The Shrimp Capital of the World due to the plentiful wild shrimp harvested in its local waters.

Jekyll is one of the Sea Islands and one of the Golden Isles of Georgia. Its beaches are frequented by vacationers and guided tours of the Landmark Historic District are available. Bike trails, walks along the beaches and sandbars, and Summer Waves, a water park are a few of the many things vacationers can do. The historic district consists of a number of buildings from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The island is also full of wildlife, consisting of many different mammals, reptiles, and birds living and breeding in the island's inland marshes.

St. Simons Island is the largest of the Golden Isles. The island since the early 20th century has been developed as a resort community. Much of the island remains marsh or woodland. It has many seasonal residents, as well as a steady base of year-round residents.