Mayport is a working shrimping village at the mouth of the St. Johns River, about 25 kilometres east of downtown, where the fleet of commercial shrimp boats ties up and the smell of salt and diesel is constant. It is one of the few genuinely functional fishing communities remaining on the northeast Florida coast — most of the old fishing villages have been converted into tourist restaurants and beach-town boutiques.
The state-run ferry from Mayport to Fort George Island crosses in about five minutes and is the most interesting way to reach Fort George Island and Amelia Island from Jacksonville. The crossing gives a view of the naval station, the shrimp boats, and the river mouth that you cannot get from the road. The village has a couple of good seafood restaurants where the shrimp is genuinely fresh.