Enveloped by expansive beaches, moss-draped oaks, and salt marshes, Saint Simons Island, part of the Golden Isles chain near Brunswick, is a nearly 18 square mile island, once dominated by rice and cotton plantations. Today, it’s a recreation wonderland with superb championship golf courses, miles of bicycle paths, great fishing, historic sites, and excellent restaurants. If you love golf, you’ll love Saint Simons Island, which is home to the 18-hole King and Prince Golf Course and 27-hole Sea Palms Golf and Tennis Resort. Nearby are 234 more holes of golf at popular spots like the 63-hole Jekyll Island Golf Club and 36-hole Sea Island Golf Club. Anglers have lots of opportunities to fish in the rivers, tidal creeks, sounds and the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll find charters and guides at the Golden Isles Marina, and you can also fish off the St. Simons Island Pier and surf cast on stretches of beach on the island’s north end. For such a compact island, Saint Simons is brimming with historic sites. Don’t miss the Saint Simons Lighthouse, where you can climb the 129 steps for a magnificent view of the island; the Fort Frederica National Monument, which has remnants of the British fort built in the 1700s; and the Bloody Marsh Battle Site, where the Spanish defeated the British in 1742.

For eco-tourists who crave adventure there are few places better than Parque Nacional Corcovado, a biodiverse smorgasbord of tropical rainforest, coastline and wildlife. Puerto Jimenez is a great base for those who wish to explore the park via one of several local touring companies, but it’s also got its own thing going on, including an impressive wildlife sanctuary, some lovely restaurants and an excellent local crafts shop.