St. Andrews Beach Park was a surprise find during my last trip to Jekyll Island, the barrier island along Georgia’s Golden Isles. The beautiful, quiet stretch of sand is hidden away and lesser-known than other beaches on the island, like Driftwood Beach, which is famous for its surreal landscape of bleached driftwood scattered along the shoreline.
A short walk from the island’s southernmost tip at Jekyll Point, St. Andrews Beach is also a prime spot for watching migratory birds and dolphins. There’s even a two-story platform so you can get a better view of the local wildlife.
Although it’s easy to get caught up in the beauty of the landscape, the small park has deep historical significance, too. The Wanderer Memory Trail, tells the story of the Wanderer, one of America’s last known slave ships, which arrived on the banks of the Jekyll River in 1858. Part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Slave Route Project, the path features eight interpretive and interactive exhibits highlighting the journey of Umwalla, a young African boy who was one of more than 400 illegally enslaved Africans who were on the ship.
Umwalla, who was given the name Lucius Williams after arriving in America, was kidnapped at age 10 in Guinea, West Africa, and sold into slavery, even though it had been illegal in the U.S. for more than 40 years. In 1888, several years after emancipation, Umwalla shared his memories of home and of being captured — and his experiences aboard the ship and enslaved life in America during an interview with The Augusta Chronicle. The Wanderer Memory Trail is a moving experience and worth visiting during your time on Jekyll Island.