If you measured history per square mile, and graded it by the beauty of the natural backdrop, Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach might be able to claim the most spectacular heritage in Florida.

Eight national flags have flown over this magnificently beached and forested spit of land, the most southern of the sea islands that trail down the Carolina and Georgia coasts. Fernandina Beach is the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry and the shrimp boats depart the docks most days. The 50 block historic district with classic Victorian architecture make a stroll through the city a delight. The oldest saloon in Florida can be found on Centre Street. Fort Clinch, a fort built before the Civil War, is open daily and is perfect for a bicycle ride down tree-lined roads, catching the view of a nuclear submarine nosing through the sound, just relaxing on the beach or fishing from the shore or pier.

Wide beaches on the east frame the Atlantic Ocean, where shrimp boats prowl among the whitecaps, whales calve in the fall and sea turtles nest in the summer. The Amelia River and a long sweep of salt marshes, looking a bit like miss located western prairies, act as a moat against the mainland west. Forested dunes anchor the middle, offering haven to birdlife.