Tybee Island

By car

GA-26/US-80 is the only route onto the island and passes directly through Savannah on its way east.

By plane

• Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) is about 45 minutes away from the island and is served by seven airlines. The airport is directly served by Interstate 95 and is located about 20 minutes north of Savannah.

By bike

It's about 18 miles from Savannah along route 80, and most of the highway has no bike lanes or paved shoulder to ride on. However, it is a scenic ride, and flat.

By car

GA-26/US-80 is the main street through town and is known locally as Butler Ave. The main drag along the beach is Strand Ave and runs from 14th Street to 18th Street.

By bike

The island is quite accessible by bike, and is the preferred method of getting around with a more relaxed, beach attitude. Bikes can be rented for this purpose (see the Do section below).

• Tybee Island Light Station

  phone: +1 912 786-5801
  Georgia's oldest and tallest lighthouse at 144 feet, includes a complex of historic support buildings and 187 steps to the top!

• Tybee Island Marine Science Center

  phone: +1 912 786-5917
  address: 1510 Strand Ave
  Part science center and part aquarium, featuring touch tanks and many kid friendly exhibits.

• Tybee Island Museum at Fort Screven's Battery GarlandLocated inside a coastal defense fort first used during the Spanish American War, this museum outlines the history of Tybee Island as an integral part of America's coastal defense system. Don't miss the WWII submarine periscope located just inside the entrance.

• Fort Pulaski National Monument

  phone: +1 912 786-5787
  An imposing Civil War era fort designed to protect the coastal region of Savannah. The fort was the site of a siege battle between the Confederates who usurped the fort and Union soldiers determined to take it over. The 7.5 foot solid brick walls still feature cannon fire damage.

• Fat Tire Bikes

  phone: +1 912 786-4013
  address: 1405 Butler Ave
  Rent bikes to see the island at a relaxed pace. Can also call ahead to have bikes delivered to where you're staying.

• The BeachTybee Island is very strict about preserving its beach; dogs and glass bottles are forbidden, and fines are very steep.

• Sea Kayak Georgia

  phone: +1 912 786-8732
  address: 1102 Highway 80
  Offers guided kayak tours through salt marshes, rivers, and other coastal waterways. Trips available for all skill levels.

• High Tide Surf Shop

  phone: +1 912 786-6556
  address: 405 Hwy 80
  Hip surf shop with bathing suits, boogie boards, and of course surf ware. And a trash can... Probably.

• AJ's Dockside Restaurant

  phone: +1 912 786-9533
  address: 1315 Chatham Ave
  Great neighborhood setting on the back river. Serves seafood outside on a dock which is the setting for some spectacular sunsets.

• The Crab Shack

  address: 40 Estill Hammock Rd
  Laid back seafood restaurant with extravagant decorations and a zany atmosphere. Be sure to buy some gator food to feed the live alligators!

• Sundae Cafe

  phone: +1 912-786-7694
  address: 304 1st St
  Fine dining featuring both traditional southern dishes and seafood.

• Fannies on the Beach

  phone: +1 912 786-6109
  address: 1613 Strand Ave
  Large restaurant with full bar overlooking the beach; has an open-air dining area on the second floor. Ask to sit in the boat if you have young kids who want to steer a ship while enjoying a meal.

• The Tybee Bakery Featuring Cafe Miss Korea

  phone: +1 912 376-0002
  address: 1204 US-80
  A home-made bakery and coffee house with a Korean food cafe. Located inside a 99 year old train station on the Savannah and Tybee Railroad.

• Doc's Bar

  phone: +1 912 786-5506
  address: 10 16th St
  Fun bar by the beach.

• Beachside Colony

  phone: +1 912 786-4535
  address: 404 Butler Ave
  Oceanfront property with rooms and condominiums available.

• DeSoto Beach Hotel

  address: 212 Butler Ave
  Claims to be Tybee Island’s only beachfront hotel.

• Hotel Tybee

  phone: +1 912-786-7777
  address: 1401 Strand Avenue
  Charming historic Southern hotel.

• Lighthouse Inn Bed and Breakfast

  address: 16 Meddin Dve
  An officer's beach cottage (ca. 1911) with 3 rooms.

• Hotel Tybee

  phone: +1 912 786-7777
  address: Oceanfront at 15th St
  Oceanfront hotel rooms and luxury 3-bedroom condos on the beach. Tiki bar, pool, and beach access.

• Tybee Cottages

  phone: +1 912 786-6746
  address: 1310 Jones Ave
  Says the make a handful of some of the finest properties on the island available. Most accommodations are right on the beach. They also say that each property is furnished with "all of the conveniences of home".

• Tybee Vacation Rentals

  phone: +1 912 786-5853
  address: 1010 Hwy 80 East
  Over 120 unique homes, cottages, and condos in various locations. Oceanfront, luxury to "budget friendly". Claims to provide "exceptional customer service and quality properties".

• Savannah - The historic riverside birthplace of Georgia.
• Hilton Head - A lush seaside paradise in the neighboring state of South Carolina.