Georgia Cities and Regions

Like the cherry and magnolia blossoms that brighten this Southern belle's landscape every spring, Atlanta is a perennial rejuvenator, infusing her classic charm with modern style and welcoming visitors to her unique blend of history, dining, shopping, and adventure. See our Atlanta Travel Guide

Georgia’s first city, Savannah has been welcoming guests with southern hospitality since 1733. Uniquely historic and shamelessly social, the expansive street grids of this Spanish moss-draped city offer a wide variety of heritage, culinary, and entertainment experiences for any traveler. See our Savannah Travel Guide

This quirky college town of 175,000 residents is much more than fraternity houses, redbrick lecture halls, and football Saturdays. The legendary “Athens Sound” music scene has propelled the likes of R.E.M. and the B52’s from the friendly local watering holes here to a national acclaim. A restored Victorian downtown historic district highlights local galleries, museums, shops, and restaurants, making it the perfect place for ambling away an afternoon.

Augusta Country Club, home to the annual PGA Master’s Tournament, is arguably the most exclusive – and storied - golf course in the world. While the greens are reserved for Augusta’s illustrious list of invite-only members, over 25 public and semi-private courses can be found in the immediate area. If you aren’t feeling up to par, enjoy the splendid Southern ambiance with a stroll in the Downtown art gallery district.

With a combined 700+ miles of freshwater shoreline, Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee welcome a wide spectrum of vacationers and weekend warriors to their luxurious resorts and world-class golf courses, not to mention the plethora of fishing and boating opportunities on the lakes themselves.

Laced with historic streets and Southern antebellum mansions, this central Georgia town is most spectacular in spring when its 275,000+ cherry trees burst into blossom. In addition to soulful Southern hospitality, Macon is known for the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Tubman African-American Historical Museum.

The native Cherokee once called the rugged hills of Northern Georgia “The Great Blue Hills of God” for their scenic beauty. The Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountain region is home to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the 2175-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches to central Maine. Much of the region is included in the 1,100-square-mile Chattahoochee National Forest system. The quaint towns and rural communities are rich with native Appalachia folk art and heritage, including high-country fiddlin’ and bluegrass.

In the heart of Georgia’s Piedmont area, Lake Lanier is a quick hour’s drive north of Atlanta (45 miles). Each year, over eight million visitors flock to Lake Lanier’s 692 miles of shoreline and aqua blue waters. The lake is home to an impressive 10 full-service marinas, 12 campgrounds, an agglomeration of timber-lined islands, and the Lake Lanier Islands Resort, known for its houseboat marina, equestrian center, relaxing full service spa, and two lakeside golf courses.

Quaint fishing villages, award-winning golf greens, and unspoiled seashore are nestled off Georgia’s southeast coast on a cluster of barrier islands – Golden Isles and Brunswick Island. Quaint B&Bs, Southern-fried seafood shacks, and old-fashioned Americana towns are scattered throughout the isles. Be sure to ride a horse on the beaches of Sea Island, home to the posh Cloister Resort and Hotel, which boasts championship golf, a full-service spa, and a private five-mile stretch of shoreline.

Over a half-million acres of shallow bogs and still water channels comprise the Okefenokee Swamp, which shares Georgia’s southeastern border with Florida. The swamp is famous for its bear, bobcat, snake, lizard, and alligator populations. Paddle past the ’gators and through towering, moss-draped Cypress forests by canoeing or kayaking through this unique biosphere.