A fully reconstructed version of Georgia's first fort, and British outpost dating back to 1721, overlooks a vast estuary and is surrounded by mossy oaks. Visitors can wander around the reconstructed buildings, including a blockhouse – the basement of which was where soldiers would store their munitions, rum, salt and meat. Meanwhile, cannons are poised to fire on the 2nd floor. Points of interest include 18th-century bunkhouses, dining rooms and the graveyard for those who defended the Southern English Frontier.
It's a beautiful scene. Expect to spot egrets and storks and to be serenaded by songbirds. Before the British, there's evidence of a Guale Indian Village. Thousands of pottery fragments were found here, plus remains of wattle and daub houses. The visitor center museum has interesting displays on the tools and medicine that would have been used more than 200 years ago. Plus there's a gift shop on site.
Darien is about a 20-minute drive from Sapelo Island.