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Cumberland Island, United States

Stay in Fernandina Beach: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Fernandina Beach

Watch this spot We email you when Cumberland Island is worth the trip.

CINS Beach, Looking North
Cumberland Island. Photo: Flatwoods 36, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Cumberland Island

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (234°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (54°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 14°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 29°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Fernandina Beach, 8.1 km away (about 15 min by car).

Water about 25°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 5 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to JAX, direct.

    See flights MDW → JAX · Skyscanner from about £145 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 55 min from the airport to Cumberland Island.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Fernandina BeachAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Fernandina Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Fernandina Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Cumberland Island on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Cumberland Island does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

No forecast for Cumberland Island yet: it refreshes every three hours.

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to JAX, then 55 min by road. About 5h 10 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 11 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 22 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 8 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 6 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to JAX, then 55 min by road. About 5h 10 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Fernandina Beach each day: Corners, Cumberland Island, Fernandina Pier, Hooks, St. Marys rivermouth.

The trip from Fernandina Beach, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £885–£1,590 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to JAX, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£145–£300
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£60–£100
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£885–£1,590

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Fernandina Beach

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.