During our 2015 trip to the United States, we made a stop in Georgia, first in Savannah and then, almost by chance, in Brunswick and the four barrier islands known as the Golden Isles.

Located on the Georgia coast halfway between Savannah and Jacksonville, Brunswick sits on the mainland and acts as the gateway to the Golden Isles: St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island, and Jekyll Island.

Like Savannah, Brunswick has beautiful colonial homes and old buildings with plenty of charm. In downtown Brunswick you will find antique shops, art galleries, theaters, and restaurants. On the waterfront, you can see shrimp boats, and there is even a shrimping boat called the Lady Jane where visitors can try shrimping themselves.

Brunswick is a pretty little town, although it felt very quiet to us, perhaps even a little too quiet, with a whole street of abandoned storefronts.

We then crossed the Sidney Lanier Bridge. The current bridge was built to replace the original one after two separate collisions with ships. It was named after the poet Sidney Lanier, who wrote about the marshes surrounding the region. The scenery all around this area is absolutely stunning.

We continued our road trip and arrived on one of Georgia’s Golden Isles: Jekyll Island. We decided to visit it and had no regrets at all. The island is beautiful, with preserved natural areas full of live oaks draped in the distinctive Spanish moss of the American South.

We were lucky enough to discover one of its very natural white-sand beaches. As is often the case in the United States, everything is thoughtfully designed to preserve the charm of the place while still making it easy to visit: parking, a small wooded access path, restrooms, and showers.

From Jekyll Island, it is also possible to take boat excursions to spot dolphins. Seeing these animals in their natural environment is always a special experience.

The scenery on the island really amazed us. We then headed toward the center to get ice cream with the children before continuing to drive around. We reached a more upscale area with beautiful colonial homes and a lovely marina.

What struck us most about Jekyll Island was its preserved nature. The United States has magnificent landscapes in every state, and I am always impressed by the effort made to protect them.

If you are in the area, Brunswick and especially the Golden Isles are worth a stop for their atmosphere, scenery, and coastal beauty.