Main Beach Park is the most accessible public beach access point on Amelia Island, with a parking area, picnic facilities, and a playground that makes it popular with families. The beach itself at this point is wide and hard-packed — the sand at Amelia Island is firm enough that driving on the beach is permitted in some areas, which is unusual for Florida's Atlantic coast.
This central location on the island is convenient from the Fernandina Beach hotels and the resort development to the south, and the beach gets moderately busy on weekends. The water is generally clear and swimmable, with calmer conditions than you get at the more exposed Atlantic beaches further south. Sunrise on Amelia Island's eastern beach is worth setting an alarm for — the island faces east, the horizon is clear, and the sunrises can be spectacular.