• Amelia Island offers 13 miles of white-sand beaches.florida sky image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
  
  Amelia Island, located off the northeast coast of Florida, is a popular destination for tourists who come to enjoy the island's beaches and natural beauty, and to explore its rich and colorful history. The island's earliest inhabitants were the Timucuan Indians, but it has been visited over the centuries by Spanish conquistadors, pirates, shrimpers, Civil War soldiers--and families looking for rest and relaxation.
  
  

Amelia Hotel at the Beach

• This oceanview resort hotel, only a short walk from the beach, is owned and operated by the Germano family. Located in Fernandina Beach, the largest community on Amelia Island, the hotel has 86 rooms and suites, some with whirlpool bathtubs. Rooms feature large-screen LCD TVs with HBO, high-speed Internet access, microwaves, mini-refrigerators and Tempur-Pedic bedding. Other resort amenities include a heated outdoor swimming pool and complimentary hot continental breakfast. The resort has a variety of beach and recreational equipment that can be rented for a nominal fee, including beach chairs and umbrellas, as well as bicycles. The hotel is convenient to Fernandina Beach's shopping area and only a short drive from Fort Clinch State Park and the Amelia Island Museum of History.
  
  Amelia Hotel at the Beach
  1997 S. Fletcher Ave.
  Amelia Island, FL 32034
  904-206-5200
  ameliahotel.com
  
  

Amelia Island Plantation

• This beachfront resort sits on a sprawling 1,350-acre wooded tract and is only 29 miles from Jacksonville International Airport on the mainland. The eight-story hotel tower at the heart of the resort contains 249 oceanview rooms. Scattered elsewhere around the plantation's property are the Villas of Amelia, each with its own design. These villas have standard-size hotel rooms, as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom suites. All units feature cable TV with premium channels, high-speed Internet access, voice mail, privacy safe and coffeemaker. Other amenities include multiple restaurants and bar/lounges; two large heated outdoor swimming pools; a kiddie pool; a hot tub; a health and fitness center with an indoor heated swimming pool; a full-service day spa; and planned activities. The resort even has its own mini-shopping center with a number of nationally recognized high-end shops.
  
  Amelia Island Plantation
  6800 First Coast Hwy.
  Amelia Island, FL 32034
  888-261-6161
  aipfl.com
  
  

Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island

• This eight-story, 444-unit resort hotel has received the coveted AAA five-diamond rating. Each of the hotel's rooms and suites features a private balcony, 37-inch flat-screen cable TV, Egyptian cotton linens, marble bathroom, wireless Internet access, direct-dial telephone with voice mail, wall safe, bathrobes, 24-hour room service, desk/work area and twice-daily maid service. Other amenities at this resort include a 1.5-mile beach, 18-hole golf course, four restaurants, four cocktail lounges, full-service day spa, tennis courts, heated indoor and outdoor swimming pools, beauty salon and gift shops.
  
  Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island
  4750 Amelia Island Pkwy.
  Amelia Island, FL 32034
  904-277-1100
  ritzcarlton.com