“We had the best time on our Lofton Creek Kayak adventure with CJ. Our family of six, including my three-year-old son, went on this tour. It was my son's first-time kayaking. It was well organized, a beautiful, calm creek to kayak in. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and also just so much fun. He pointed out some gators and other wildlife to us which was so fun to see! Definitely a highlight of our trip!”
Home / Experiences / Amelia Adventures: Talbot Island Kayak Tour
Verified operator
Amelia Adventures: Talbot Island Kayak Tour
Launches at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp under the A1A bridge, between Big Talbot Island and Amelia Island.
Booking opens the operator's own calendar on Peek, with dates, tide-set meeting times and prices. Jacksonville Activities earns nothing on this listing.
Three and a half hours in a sea kayak, timed to the tide so the water does the work: across Nassau Sound, along Big and Little Talbot, past the driftwood skeletons of Boneyard Beach and the birds of Bird Island, then home through Simpson Creek. The operator rates it intermediate.
TALBOTISLANDS FL
Concept illustration, not a photo
- LaunchesSawpit Creek, A1A
- Length3.5 hours
- TimingSet by the tides
- SkillIntermediate
- Minimum4 guests
- KayaksSingle or tandem
Why the meeting time moves
This week’s tides at the ramp
The operator sets each day's meeting time from the tide, so the paddle runs with the current instead of against it. These are the daytime highs and lows at NOAA's Sawpit Creek station, the bridge where the tour launches, for the next seven days.
Tide data loads live from NOAA station 8720137 (Sawpit Creek entrance, A1A bridge). If it does not load, see the NOAA chart or call the crew at 904-500-8687.
Predictions, not observations: wind and weather move the real water.NOAA station 8720137
The experience
What a Amelia Adventures: Talbot Island Kayak Tour tour is like
“Trip is timed with the tides for ease of paddling.”Amelia Adventures, on the tour page
Amelia Adventures is a family-owned outfitter based in Fernandina Beach that runs guided kayak, paddleboard and private boat tours around Amelia, Cumberland and the Talbot Islands. This listing is their Talbot Island Kayak Tour, the one they describe as their most diverse and adventurous paddle.
The route crosses Nassau Sound and follows the shorelines of Big and Little Talbot Islands to Blackrock Beach, where dark rock and the salt-bleached bones of fallen live oaks make the shoreline locals call Boneyard Beach. Then it turns into the tidal marsh past Bird Island, a preserve where ospreys, oystercatchers, sandpipers, gulls and terns are regular, and runs Simpson Creek below sand bluffs that stand 40 to 50 feet above the water.
Meeting times change every day because the tour is timed to the tide, which makes the paddle faster and the distance longer for the same effort. You see the day's meeting time when you pick a date. The operator rates the tour intermediate level, runs it with a minimum of four guests, and pairs kids fourteen and under in a tandem with an adult.
What’s included
- A guide and the kayak, single or tandem
- Complimentary photography of your group
- A beach landing on Big Talbot Island
- Tide timing worked out for you
What to bring
- Clothes that can get wet and a water shoe or old sneakers
- Sunscreen, a hat and water for three and a half hours out
- Nothing for parking: the state park parking charge is added when you book
- Binoculars if birds are the point
Where you meet
One ramp, the Talbot Islands
The map loads with JavaScript. Departure points: Sawpit Creek Boat Ramp (Residence Ct, Jacksonville, FL 32226). Islands: Nassau Sound, Big Talbot Island, Little Talbot Island.
In their guests’ words
Real reviews, verbatim
Three guest reviews, quoted verbatim from the operator's Google profile on September 10, 2026 (they cover the operator's other tours as well), and the two ratings we read the same day.
“We have done the kayaking and 2 sunset cruises and they have all been remarkable! Thomas was our tour guide for the sunset cruise both of the times we have done it and his knowledge of the island, patience with our kids, and just overall kindness is awesome! We truly appreciate that these tours never disappoint and well worth the money!”
“Our group of 18 had such a wonderful experience with Amelia Adventures on a sunset cruise. First, they were great to work with. So helpful and friendly. Second, they know what they're doing on the water and do it SO very well. These are great people who are extremely knowledgeable about this beautiful area and made our group trip so memorable!”
How this listing is verified
Verified September 10, 2026. Jacksonville Activities checked this operator before it went on the map, and the tide tool reads live data on every visit.
Booking goes straight to the operator. No commission, no markup, no middleman.
The affiliate note in the footer covers marketplace links elsewhere on this site. It does not apply to this listing.
- Every fact on this page comes from the operator's own tour page and website
- The Google and Tripadvisor ratings and review counts were read from the listings the same day
- The three quotes were copied from the operator's Google reviews the same day
- Tide data comes straight from NOAA station 8720137 at the launch bridge every time the page loads
Good to know
Common questions
How long is the Talbot Island Kayak Tour?
Three and a half hours, per the operator. The meeting time changes daily with the tide and is shown when you pick a date.
Where do we meet?
The Sawpit Creek boat ramp at the base of the A1A bridge, on the right heading south off Amelia Island. The address the operator gives for GPS is Residence Ct, Jacksonville, FL 32226. Your confirmation email repeats the meeting time and place.
What is the minimum age?
The operator's own tour page lists two figures: a minimum age of 8 in its tour details and five in its FAQ. Ask when you book. Either way, the operator recommends paddlers be at least 15 to take a single kayak and pairs kids 14 and under in a tandem with an adult or another confident paddler.
How hard is it?
The operator rates this tour intermediate level and calls it their most diverse and adventurous paddle. Tandems are available for less confident paddlers, and there is a beach landing on Big Talbot Island where your feet get wet.
Is there a minimum group size?
Four guests, per the operator's tour details.
What if the weather turns?
Weather cancellations are refunded in full, and the operator says it will be in touch before the tour if conditions look like a problem. Other cancellations are handled by phone at 904-500-8687 up to 48 hours ahead.
Why is the trip timed to the tides?
Paddling with the tidal current is faster and covers more shoreline for the same effort. That is why the meeting time is different every day.
Ready?
Pick a date, let the tide set the time
Dates, meeting times and prices are on the operator’s own calendar. Questions first? Call them at 904-500-8687.
