Things to do / Travel Guide
Both the Peach State and Palmetto State have plenty of coastline, perfect for catamarans, sailboats, yachts, or just about anything else that floats. Wherever you are on the coast, the cool ocean spray accompanies you like a sweet Southern belle, and the wild lush greenery envelops you; in many places you'll see dolphins. Further inland, Georgia also has many rivers and lakes, perfect for spending a day on the water. Relax with a refreshing mint julep or a planter's punch.
Lake Cruises and Boating in Inland Georgia
The central area of Georgia is full of lazy rivers and large lakes that provide visitors with lots of great chances to sneak a peek at Georgia's distinctive wildlife while, at the same time, allowing boaters to take in the magnificent and diverse scenery. Interestingly, most of the lakes are man-made.
Just north of Atlanta are two major lakes with plenty of boating options available - Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier. These are located in mostly residential areas, and they're a great escape for the good citizens of Atlanta, and for tourists from all over. When the sun sets or rises directly at the far end of the lakes, you're in for a real treat, as the sun's reflection stretches for miles and miles. Lake Allatoona was the site of water events in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and Lake Lanier boasts the world's largest floating marina, Holiday Marina, on the southeast side.
Just an hour east of Atlanta, off of I-20, sits Lake Oconee. The lake offers over 350 miles of mostly forested shoreline in a rural setting. The lake is equipped with numerous full-service marinas, which offer all types of boat rentals, and boat ramps are readily available all over the lake. In the lake you'll have the opportunity to spot the shadows of the many fish scooting by.
Adjacent to Lake Oconee is Lake Sinclair, a slightly larger lake offering a little over 400 miles of shoreline full of quiet, forested coves. The lake has several boat ramps as well as marinas that offer pontoon and jet ski rentals.
River Boating in Inland Georgia
Some of the bigger rivers in the state include the Altamaha, the Ogeechee, and the Ocmulgee. There are outfitters in cities along these rivers close to the coast, where the rivers are generally widest. For the Altamaha, you'll find outfitters in the town of Darien, while for the Ogeechee, Savannah is the place. The Ocmulgee is actually inland, and the principle city along its shores is Macon.
There are various eco-systems along these rivers; what's constant are the live oaks. You'll also find intermittent cypress swamps, and other trees such as water oak and laurel oak, red maple, sweet gum, and swamp blackgum. Look more closely and you might see some endangered plants, such as wiregrass and low scrub oaks.
For a completely different kind of cruise, Savannah's River Street Riverboat Cruises, on the Savannah River, offers sightseeing tours, but also evening cruises with music, Saturday leisure cruises, moonlight entertainment cruises, and more. These riverboats are the epitome of Southern luxury - expansive and well-kept-up.
Coastal Pleasure Boating in Georgia
Out on the coast, boating takes on a whole new “persona.” Boating along the coast can provide the seafaring visitor the rare chance to glimpse schools of dolphin or even an alligator or two. One thing's for sure, you will get a good look at the Spanish moss-laden coastal banks and, if the sky is clear, you'll get to see, from the Atlantic, the sun setting over the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.
The islands of Georgia are a center for boating in the region. Tybee Island, Jekyll Island, and St. Simons Island are all home to local boating marinas that offer charters for hire for fishing or for trips that specifically focus on dolphins and eco-tourism. Small motorboats, jet skis, and even yachts can be rented or chartered to explore the rich coastal estuaries and miles and miles of marsh.
Around Savannah and Tybee Island the local marinas offer boats for either charter or rental, also including yachts. The deep blue water makes any cruise experience unique. A big draw to this area are the dolphins swimming the coastal waters. They'll either be swimming alongside the boat, or gleefully playing for passengers' entertainment.
Coastal Pleasure Boating in South Carolina
With all South Carolina's coastal islands and waterways, there are an endless amount of river tours, coastal cruises, and sea charters available.
You can find an array of charters at the Hilton Head marinas. One option is to circumnavigate the island, watching the coastal scenery change from beautiful and expansive waterfront estates to wild and enchanting nature preserves. There are, additionally, dolphin-watching tours, dinner cruises, and shopping cruises that dock in Savannah.
Cruises depart from the Beaufort area as well. Beaufort is located on the island mass just north of Hilton Head called Parris Island. Cruises around it are properly called river tours, because of all the weaving between and within the various smaller islands, peninsulas, and so forth. In one trip you can visit the northern part of Hilton Head with its golf courses, then speed over to Hunting Island for its semitropical paradise-like environment.
Boats and boat tours are available throughout Charleston's coastal waters, and are popular not only with out-of-town visitors but also with the locals. The Isle of Palms area, in particular, is loaded with boat rental and tour operators.
Myrtle Beach, and the whole of the Grand Strand, can serve as launch points for your boating adventures. This is a huge fishing zone, so most charters are for fishing. With the Great American Riverboat Company, based in Myrtle Beach, you can hop onto the riverboat and take a cruise down the Intracoastal Waterway.
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