Your first day
The whole arrival, from booking to bare feet, in one friendly checklist.
Ahead of your trip
- Book round-trip ferry tickets and add the tram to your rental in the same booking; the tram is included in the fare. Book as early as you can, since seats beyond the standing reservations are limited.
- Reserve a golf cart; they sell out in peak season.
- Pack and bring as many groceries as you can. The island market carries a wide variety, but stock runs out faster and prices run higher than on the mainland.
Arrival day, mainland side
- Aim to reach Deep Point Marina an hour before your ferry.
- Park at the marina and note your parking row; your car stays on the mainland.
- Drop your bags at the terminal 45 minutes out: load them into the numbered carts, tag each piece with your island address and ferry times, and note your cart number. Large bins pack the most per item.
- Be at the lower level before boarding, ticket ready.
On the island
- At the landing, get your tram number at the podium, then move your things from the open carts to your tram; the driver loads them on.
- Ride to your rental; the crew set your bags at the foot of the driveway and you carry them in. Tipping the tram crew is customary.
- Pick up your golf cart and take the slow loop home through the forest roads.
- Stop at the Maritime Market for anything you could not bring; it is the island's one grocery.
- Then: beach. You made it.
Before your first evening
- Note where your beach access is and where the cart parks (tires off the pavement).
- Cart headlights on at dusk; deer and the occasional alligator have the right of way.
- If it's May through November, keep beachfront lights low and red; sea turtles are nesting.
Details like fares and check-in windows are covered (with sources and dates) in Getting here.