FERNANDINA BEACH - NASSAU - FLORIDA - UNITED STATES

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FERNANDINA BEACH

Renowned as a pirates den until the early 1800s

Fernandina Beach

Its deep water harbour attracted a motley crew of foreign armies and adventurers, whose various allegiances earned Amelia Island its soubriquet, the Isle of Eight Flags. Today, Fernandina is better known as a charming Victorian resort and Florida's primary source of sweet Atlantic white shrimp, more than two million pounds are caught by the shrimping fleet each year.

The legacy of Fernandina's golden age is best seen in the Silk Stocking District, which occupies more than half of the Historic District and is so named for the affluence of its original residents.

Watching the shrimp boats put into harbour at sunset is a local ritual; the fleet is commemorated by a monument at the foot of downtown Centre Street, where chandleries and naval stores once held sway. These weathered brick buildings now house antique shops and upscale gift shops.

Down on 3rd Street, the 1857 Florida House Inn is the state's oldest tourist hotel, and a couple of blocks further south, the Amelia Island Museum of History occupies the former jail.


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