Tybee Island or Fine Me Island as many tourists will call it, is located 20 minutes from Historic Savannah. This barrier island boasts five miles of dredged sand to allure tourist to support their economy.  Tybee is a "Pay to Park Community" in order to keep critical island services available for visitors and residents. "We take in a lot of revenue in different ways like visitors with parking and hotel motel. These costs are always growing because the sheer amount of people that come to visit requires us to keep and maintain a certain number of police officers," said City Manager Shawn Gillen Note that Tybee Island generates close to 5 Millon dollars in parking and another million in fines. Ah yes, the fines, pull up a chair with a beverage this is what Tybee doesn't want you to know about. There are 21 ordinances on the books and more to come!  I am sharing all this information because I was a victim of one of these rules and charged $1100 in fines!  This is nothing special about this place that only wants your money and not you.  The police, parking, and code enforcement are lying in wait for the opportunity to pounce and write a citation.  Code enforcement will also be out making their rounds looking for all sorts of beach violations. He says they've been really cracking down on one violation in particular. "Make sure that your litter is contained at all times in a bag or container. If you bring it on the beach, take it off the beach. We don't give warnings; we just give a ticket. Gillen says it's not just more people coming to the beach that's driving up citations after the coronavirus pandemic slowed tourism last year. He says the island also has a full staff of code enforcement officers patrolling the beach, which wasn't the case during the height of the pandemic. That adds up to a cool million in the cities pocket folks! Code enforcement on Tybee Island will be keeping a closer eye on beach violations, like littering and dogs on the beach, with a new beach surveillance system. "Code enforcement is going to be up there dispatching code enforcement personnel. They will be able to monitor the entire beach all the way from the river on the north end to ally 3 on the south end," SAID Shawn Gillen, Tybee Island City Manager. If you have a pet leave them home or go to another beach as they are not welcome on Tybee's Beach! More summer visitors are flocking to Georgia's largest public beach, and that means local officials are writing more tickets for rule violations. Police on Tybee Island in recent months have been reporting high numbers of citations for beach rule violations such as littering, having glass containers on the beach, and climbing on sandbars. City Manager Shawn Gillen said one particular violation has shown a huge increase -- people bringing dogs onto the beach, which the city doesn't allow. "We've written more dog tickets in the last year than we have in the last four years combined," Gillen said. "It's one of those things where we're getting more and more signage to let people know about the rules and we ask people to go to our website, look at the beach rules and understand them because the code enforcement will be writing a ticket if they see the violation." Let's talk about the signage, they have been busy this fall upping the signs after they got called out on the lack of.  They are not illuminated and only at the "Public" accesses to the beach.  If you're renting a residence you might have a private entrance to the beach and never see them.  It is no excuse and your responsibility to know the rules of the beach! The food available at the local eateries is subpar and small potions, at a 5-star cost. Oh, when they are even open.  Traffic will drive any normal person crazy as 10,000 plus vehicles visit on a busy day.  This is a seasonal town that again only wants your money and not you.  Don't give them the pleasure of supporting the locals who could care less. Know Their Rules before thinking about going there. NO MERCY! https://library.municode.com/ga/tybee_island/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH12BEW read more

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Terrible beach made up of mostly broken shells. There are so many other (and better) beaches out there. Would not return to this beach or tourist trap town. The city loves to hand out parking tickets and beach violations too. Very hostile towards visitors. read more

Tybee Island Beach - Terrible beach made up of mostly broken shells. Lots of better beaches out there. Would not return to this beach or tourist trap town. - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

The beach on Tybee Island gets a lot of flack, but it's actually a pretty nice beach. There is usually plenty of parking a block away from the beach, so it's a short walk to get to the sandy beaches of Tybee. I'm not much of a person for sunning or laying on the beach, but I do enjoy taking a dip in the cool waters off Tybee Island Beach on a hot day. My favorite time to visit Tybee's beach is when the weather is a little cool out and there aren't very many other tourist there. It makes for a great place to have a morning coffee and listen to the waves rolling in. read more

Beautiful and peaceful! Lots os shopping & dinning opportunities on the island. Parking is paid by credit card or an app and cost about $7 for 2 hours. The beach is clean and shells are abundant! Parking is great located next to the big public pier or on the opposite side of the island close to the rental houses. There are bikes and golf carts for rent on the island as well. read more

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If you are looking for a welcoming beach to spend the day with your friends and family don't go to Tybee Island. If you have no other options and end up spending the day there , don't take your dog. Even if your dog never sets a paw on the sand, just the dogs presence alone, constituents the issuance of a citation and $300.00 fine "no questions asked", as I was asked none, nor given the opportunity to plead no contest, as a first time visitor to the beach. City of Tybee Island -third party police issued the citation payable only after copious amounts of personal information was surrendered to set up a one time account to satisfy the debt...come on..! My six pound dog was in her sealed carrier not making a sound while seven of my senior citizen friends and I were trying to enjoy a day in the sun when I was charged with the heinous crime of having a miniature dog, in a purse, at a beach..!!? Good grief...Enjoy everything "dog friendly"Savannah has to offer but steer clear of the island... read more

Tybee Island Beach - Souvenirs you can waste your money on in Tybee Island. - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

Tybee Island Beach is a beautiful beach, the water here is very warm in June and the beach is well maintained from where we were. As others have stated, the water here is nothing like what one would see at South Beach Miami or Key West, but it is nice nonetheless, just murky. [Parking] When visiting the beach, you can park throughout Butler Avenue as they have parking meters, however these do require change, so make sure you have plenty of quarters. Otherwise, drive down Butler Avenue and turn on to 14th street, here they offer public parking as well, but the meters accept credit cards. The parking lot in the rear of 14th street can get extremely busy at times, so expect it to be hard to find parking spots on the weekends. If you cannot park at any of these places, you might get lucky, and find parking off Butler Ave and 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th street. Each of these streets have a few public parking spots as well, with meters, but they are very limited. At the end of each of these streets is a boardwalk to the beach. Just make sure to wear sandals or shoes, as the boardwalk gets extremely hot. Overall, this is a great beach. We all had a fantastic time here. I would recommend it. [Review #301] (Sixty First Review of 2015) read more

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The beach has parking that is very close, which is always a plus. Less than 5 minutes from parking lot to the beach. The beach usually has some 2-3 foot waves coming in. The beach is clean. It's been crowded when I've gone in the summer during the winter it's very nice without many people there. If you do go in the summer I recommend an umbrella or something to give some shad. read more

This isn't the best beach I ever been to but it's nice. I loved seeing the sunrise it was beautiful. read more

Tybee Island Beach - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

You get 3 stars for expensive parking, Tybee! We got here early... around 10 or 11a. Had a fun day at beach. We went panning for shark's teeth. Although we did not find any, we found some nice shells, crab claws and, clams. Panning for teeth is hard work. We watched the tide come in and wash away our first lay down area. Not too many people were out, so social distancing was not a problem! read more

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We decided to try this beach out and we are thinking of relocating to Georgia. The parking was easy, there's more than one boardwalk to get down to the beach. I've been to Clearwater beach in Florida and this was a lot cleaner than that one was! There's a cute pier where you can buy hot dogs, hamburgers or even get a margarita. The atmosphere here is very chill. It was very quiet. The sand is soft but beware of broken shells. The water is warm and the sand can get hot. This is a no dog beach which is a bummer as o have 3 pups but it's understandable. I was told they have a separate beach but I'm not sure! Everyone is friendly and polite. The only bathroom I found was on the boardwalk that leads out to the pier. None of the surrounding shops have a bathroom! There's fountains to wash the sand off of your feet. They have cute swings to set on that are on the beach. It was a pleasant beach! Hopefully I will see it again. :) read more

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We really liked Tybee Island because it is very dog friendly! Cannot say the same for the beach, no dogs allowed! As much as we liked the town, restaurants and people we won't be back unless the rules change. read more

Came today 9:30am and left at 12! Hot sunny and gorgeous . Weren't many people at all. I walked the beach and enjoyed getting some shells. The water is clear because of the less amount of foot traffic. read more

Tybee Island Beach - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

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This beach is a nice escape from downtown Savannah, as it's only 25-30 minutes out (straight shot). However, you should plan to get here earlier in the day or anytime after 4 (before the sun sets) because parking sucks!!!! We arrived at the beach around 11:50a on a Saturday and didn't find reasonable parking until 1:06p..there were residents that would allow for you park in their private spaces but be ready to pay $20-35. We were able to park in the 'pay to park, lot for $8 which converted to 4 hours. The beach is well kept and there's more than enough room for a large group to hang out. I would hope that they replace their mini-shower heads because most were busted when it was time to rinse off the sand. Overall, we were able to grab a bite to eat, enjoy live music and let reality go in the waves. Since it was my time, I wasn't aware how limited parking was going to be. Next time, I'll know better because I had fun! read more

What an easy beach to visit! We walked over in about 5 minutes from our hotel, but parking is plentiful. There are board on the walkways leading up to the beach that need to be replaced and there were lots of shells trashing the beach, but that's nature for you. We had a nice midweek visit with very few people crowding the shore today! I am excited to come back soon. read more

Tybee Island Beach - Just a girl, a smart phone, & a view that never ends... - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

Great beach area if you are just wanting to relax. The waves break right at the coast line, so there is no surfing available. Parking is $2 an hour. The machine only takes coins and credit cards. If you are using a card there is a minimum charge of $4. There is also a little bar in the beach parking lot. We did not eat or drink anything, but the live music seemed to be very enticing. read more

Tybee Island Beach - Beautiful morning at the beach - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

good very great place but uhm , there's many seashells that have put many cuts into my feet. The beach is a great place but maybe someone should come and take some of the small seashells they hurt a lot lol #cool mom read more

Wow! What an awesome trip to Tybee Island! The beach is picturesque and tranquil. Understand, this is a typical "popular"beach on any holiday, so lots of people, cigarette butts, litter, waiting, but it's worth it. I'd suggest staying somewhere on the island or at least know that Tybee Island has tons of public parking, even on assumed private property, as long as you pay the machines; 2 hour minimum at $3 an hour! The shores are full of shells, shark teeth and sea life. At night, take a flashlight out to the beach and see what you can find. The pier and downtown area all have had a facelift and are undergoing some revitalization for a better experience. read more

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Kind of a different experience coming out here at 6:00 am to watch the sunrise. First thing we had going against us was the weather, it was overcast and rainy. But, when we got there we found a spot in the pavilion to sit and watch and there was a small crack in the clouds that gave way to some spectacular morning sunrise color. Once the sunrise was finished the rain had let up so we walked on the beach for a little bit. Very clean beach with plenty of fresh shells and an abundance of live sand dollars. We also stumbled across one Jellyfish. Fun time to be had and I can expect that it gets plenty crowded on days that are a little nicer. FYI, December 2nd is probably not the time to dip your feet in the water, it borders on extremely cold. read more

4 stars for being able to legally drink beer at the beach! While I we didn't have issues with the parking situation (we were staying at a beachfront condo, so we were set) I could see with just a quick drive down the main strip that it definitely could fill up quickly. But since all we had to do is walk down the stairs and out the gate, it was perfect! We are so used to "hiding" our adult beverages on Florida's beaches, it was nice to be able to take a few cold ones with us, and properly enjoy this beach. There is a lot of beach here too, so make sure you keep your flip flops on while getting closer to the ocean, or else your feet just might catch fire! The ocean water is a little murky, so don't expect clear blue waters here, but it felt amazing on such a hot June day. And no doubt, this is a vacationer's spot, so it will be crowded, and is very family friendly. But even with all the people out, with so much beach, it never felt like people were on top of us, so we enjoyed it very much. Some of the vacation rentals have chairs and umbrellas set up for rent, but since we brought our own tent, we didn't think to ask how much. They do fill up quick! Lots of trash and recycling cans about to keep the place clean, and a lifeguard stand close by to make sure everyone is safe. I'd definitely visit again. read more

Tybee Island Beach - Representing Intuition and Jax at Tybee Island Beach! - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

Very relaxing with lots of shops, restaurants, and bars. For those who drink tybee island is an open container spot. There is lots of security. People are friendly and helpful. Everything is within walking distance from hotel tybee, our home for the weekend. Good Military rates offered. read more

Tybee Island Beach - Tybee island view from hotel tybee balcony - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

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Friends recommended that we visit Tybee. We arrived at sunset and found the beach empty of people, except for one romantic couple who still played together on the rocks. Cool. We walked the dark hard packed sands toward the pier. Close to the pier, a monstrous and vacated stage set that would soon accommodate temporary crews filming Bay Watch, intruded on the dunes. Obviously, enough permit monies can trump beach preservation. We drove past uninterrupted blocks of condos and For Rent beach houses suggesting that it can get pretty raucous when summer comes. Multiple beach signs warning swimmers of surf dangers are planted near the beach entry from public parking. The 4 lifeguard stations further down the beach also suggest that there are too many visitors too stupid to pay attention. read more

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We were only in Savannah for 2 days and went here once. We'd just left Sanibel island were the water was turquoise and clear ... when we went to Tybee the water looked brown and the beach was so crowded we didn't even get in the water. We had trouble finding parking and walked to the beach with the intention of swimming but it felt claustrophobic at the beach ... so loud and crowded. Not our thing ... we like clear calm water and beaches that are not crowded. read more

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We easily found parking! Meter wasn't that expensive. Walking on the beach was hard to do. There were so many broken seashells. It hurt! My husband even cut his foot from it. Other than that, the beach was relaxing and beautiful. Very relaxing! read more

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Beautiful clean spacious beach with lots of restaurants and close to hotels and campground. I did my six mile run here and loved it. only problem is if you go late there are huge biting flies so bring bug spray and don't wear perfume lol . read more

I got pictures of the lighthouse here and we walked out on the pier and the huge pavilion here on the beach we sat in the swing on the beach that was nice it was not very crowded pretty clean however the downtown was definitely not something that I would return to for good food or vacation . read more

Nice relaxing beach . Not very " touristy " , very nice beach to come and relax . Parking $4 for two hours , was told there was a place to rent chairs but couldn't find it . Nice & quiet after 4 pm . Check it out ! read more

Tybee Island Beach - Beach Babe - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

Out of all the georgia beaches we've been, Tybee is our favorite. The island has a low-key vibe, lots of public beach access and plenty of great inexpensive restaurants. We went this summer and had an amazing time, despite corona virus threats. There really is nothing like the fresh sea breeze and an endless view of the Atlantic Ocean. Here is a great guide for anyone wanting to visit this beautiful island! https://visitTybee.com read more

I came here two weekends ago with my man and let's just say that it's a beach. There's nothing spectacular about it at all. The water looks brown and dirty so we didn't get in. I like the fact that you can rent chairs and umbrellas for $15-$25. I also liked the pier that they had. It's cash only though, so come prepared. If not, there is an ATM if needed. Parking was pretty easy. I believe it's $2 an hour to park which isn't too bad. Try arriving early though, because parking can get hectic. read more

Tybee Island Beach - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

Better than Miami Beach, better than Jones Beach in NY and really really beautiful without all the fluff, bells, and whistles that come with some beaches. A nearby restaurant (The Deck) provided us with decent food and really good drinks. The beach was relatively empty for the most part, on both a Friday and Saturday and we got there at 2pm one day and 12pm the next. It is really clean though the water isn't-nothing beats the Caribbean and this beach is located off the Atlantic so...I'd definitely mark this as my top three when it comes to beaches. read more

Not my favorite beach but apparently people love it because it was packed! Lol. Parking was a pain. We visited on a Friday afternoon and a Saturday morning. There was lots of traffic. And the beach was pretty packed. However- the waves were fun, we found a sand dollar, and the sand was soft. I would do a day trip from Savannah if I ended up here again but probably wouldn't try to stay a week on Tybee. I personally like beaches that are less crowded. However the kids enjoyed it. read more

Tybee Island Beach - Beaches Near Me - Tybee Island, Georgia

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My mom's family is from Savannah so I grew up having Savannah is my second home. Tybee is not the best beach but it gets the job done. Parking is cheap and there are miles and miles of uncrowded ocean to frolic in! read more

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Let me first say that Tybee is a great place to vacation at, but whoever is running government here has given a very oppressive government feel to the island. For the first two days here, they blasted loud speakers and told everyone to leave the beach because of severe storms. Well I'm a grownup and I can tell if it's about to rain. By the way, the severe weather never developed. They also have a no smoking ordinance with a $300 fine. If there's a litter problem, then make a litter ordinance. But we're outside and this is just bullshit. read more

We had two dogs with us on this trip with our family of ten. Unfortunately two of us had to sit at a nearby bar while the rest of our family enjoyed their time on the beach itself. It wasn't too bad though. We went to a place called Fannie's and the waitsaff was quite nice the pizza was delicious there. read more

Really cool beach to hang out and enjoy a day when visiting Savannah. Don't speed, I have never seen so many police pulling people over in such a small area. In a 2 mile strip there was 8 people I saw pulled over as I drove by. read more

Sorry but vacationing in Tybee Island was the most boringest vacay ever have taken. It wasn't awful so that's why it gets a 2 stars instead of 1. We got a condo on the beach cause we like to walk on the beach at night but nope, cannot do it here. No lights at night to walk on the beach, the beach itself is NOT beautiful, it's so dirty with broken seashells everywhere. Add the foamy water and blue jellyfishes being swept on shore. It's a small quiet, yes peaceful town but so boring! Nothing to do! We drove around the "downtown" area at night, it was dead, literally. No one. The restaurants overall were nothing worth mentioning either. Our checkout time was 11 am and the hubby & daughter wanted to leave at 6 am. No kidding, will not return back. I rather drive an extra two hours to go to Destin. read more

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Absolutely Loved It Here!!!! Only 30 minutes from Downtown Savannah. $4/hour to park. Quaint Shops and Restaurants all along Tybee. Grab a To-go Adult Beverage and bring it to the beach! When the tide is all the way out if you are at the right end of the beach where the locals go you can walk all the way out. Look for hermit crabs, fishes, sea turtles, & Jelly Fish. Miley Cyrus movie filmed here. read more

Home away from home for us. Rivers End RV park is so nice. We pull in our 5th wheel and we are home. Tybee is the best.

I was really impressed with how clean and quiet this beach was. Despite the fact that there were very few trash cans around the beach was impeccable. I didn't see a single piece of trash around. We rented beach chairs and an umbrella (4 chairs and 1 umbrella for $30) which was super convenient. Also you get the rental for the whole day. We found this beach to be very tranquil and not very crowded at all. There was lots of space to throw a football. The only cons were: the sand is very hot and full of shells, there were no public bathrooms and the parking is very expensive. read more

The good thing about Savannah in the summer is that you can go to the beach late in the afternoon and still catch some sun and waves. And that's exactly what I did. On a weekend I knew I could expect crowds. But here's a tip: if you don't need to be there early in the morning or during the lunch hour, just wait to go later. Traffic was non-existent throughout the Island, and parking was not at all difficult. The hardest part about parking was the fact that I failed to bring any significant amount of quarters. I was able to find a spot a block away from the beach, and under the shade. There were still quite some families enjoying their day, but less crowded than if I were there earlier, I imagine. The beach was clean, the sand was nice, and the water warm. It was a very pleasant experience and I look forward to many more trips out here. read more

Pay parking is city wide. It's $2 per hour. The walk to the beach is short, there's a lot of parking available if you get there early. The beach itself is beautiful. The sand is nice, and can be walked on in barefeet. The beach is clean, and well kept. Your experience will completely depend on your neighbors. We have enjoyed this beach in and off season and had an awesome time on both trips. Bring your blankets, towels, and whatever else you need because once you park you will not want to leave the spot. They have restroom trailers available. And honestly I don't know which is more disgusting- using those or peeing in the ocean. read more

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