Ultimate Guide to Alabama Beaches

By The Backseat View

Welcome to my Alabama beaches, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Perdido Key, and Dauphin Island. The white powder-soft sand crosses the Florida line into Alabama. Our beach towns are smaller than the average Florida beach town. Fewer hotels result in fewer people crowding the beaches, translating into heaven. I travel the world visiting beaches, but I’m spoiled by living a few hours from paradise. Alabama has 32 miles of beachfront coastline. The water can be crystal clear and blue one day and murky the next due to being closer to the Mississippi River. As with most beach trips, the planning is about where to stay. Let’s open the Ultimate Guide to Alabama’s Beaches for beachfront lodging, traditional family restaurants, and the best places to play.

Guide to Alabama Beaches

Gulf Shores vs Orange Beach

For the life of me, I can’t tell you where Gulf Shores ends and Orange Beach begins. The Lodge at the Gulf State Park is as close as you get to a divider from Orange Beach to Gulf Shores. Gulf Shores is the older section, which has more action and restaurants. Orange Beach is the quieter section closer to Florida. It’s the same town in my mind.

Fort Morgan

Fort Morgan is 20-30 minutes west of Gulf Shores and is the site of a Civil War battle. I’m all about a small beach home community, and Fort Morgan delivers peace and quiet. My overall choice is always a beach home, even with a drive into town for dinner. VRBO #644298 is a cheaper bayside option for fishing, biking, and boat launch for a kayak or small boat, and five acres to yourself. A few houses back from the beach, moderate options are VRBO #9173595ha & VRBO #332664.

Foley

Foley is 12 miles north of Gulf Shores. It has outlets and an Amusement Park, OWA Parks. No one stays in Foley, but everyone visits at some point during vacation. Lambert’s is the best restaurant choice known for throwing rolls. Lastly, The Foley Railroad Museum has railroad history and model train displays.

Dauphin Island

Dauphin Island is a short boat ride from Gulf Shores or an hour’s drive around the bay. It’s mainly VRBO homes, and several have boat docks. We come here to fish but prefer Gulf Shores, which has more restaurant and entertainment options for beach trips. Being an hour away, it’s not near the other Alabama beaches. The best attraction is the Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. I stay at the Gulf Breeze Motel, a two-star with a boat ramp and parking for our CHEAP weekend FISHING trips. It’s a short walk to the beach, but we came to fish. The restaurant choices are bleak, so we cook on longer trips. Pirates Bar and Grill is your best bet.

Perdido Key

Perdido Key’s western end is in Alabama, but it’s a 30-minute drive from Gulf Shores. It’s the Florida Bama Line, which makes the Flora-Bama restaurant WORLD famous. The Flora-Bama has a restaurant across the street, Ole River Grill, for when you are tired of waiting. The Sunset Grille is my second favorite restaurant for classic seafood on the water. The Shrimp Basket and the Crab Trap restaurants usually finish our vacation. I love Perdido Key, which has a smaller atmosphere and less crowded beaches than Gulf Shores. The planning is the same: VRBO, a condo, and enjoying the beach. It’s a small-town American beach town.

Best times to visit

The beach is always summer break. I try hard to arrive and depart on Fridays due to the crazy crowds on Saturdays and Sundays during summer. The BEST time to visit is when school is in session in May, August, September & October. This is NOT South Florida, so Spring is too cold and windy for the ocean and pools. The winter is fine for beach walks in sweatshirts.

Car/Flight

Once you decide on an area, you must arrive by car. Flights from Pensacola International Airport are a 35-mile drive, so plan for an hour. If you travel during peak beach season or on a Saturday, the beachfront road gets crowded, taking an hour to go 10 miles.

Lodging

The lodging, dining, and entertainment options discussed are in the Gulf Shores or Orange Beach area.

VRBO

The best options for condos and homes are VRBO or Air B&B. Most lodging is personally owned, not by corporations. If you are looking for luxury homes, that’s down on 30A in Iconic Seaside, Florida. I want a house in Fort Morgan or Orange Beach.

Gulf State Park

The crown jewel of Gulf Shores is the Alabama Gulf State Park. The Gulf State Park is a phenomenal place to camp and home to the best hotel in Gulf Shores, The Lodge at Gulf State Park by Hilton. The Lodge is worth the money of a 5-star hotel for the 2 miles of empty beach it is located on, the infinity pool, hammocks, pier, and access to all the state park walking trails around the bay. Walking for a mile on an empty beach every morning and seeing no one is my definition of heaven. The Gulf State Park has over 6,000 acres to explore and is within minutes of all the best restaurants, Pirate Island Adventure golf, and The Track.

Condos

If I travel on a moderate budget, the Phoenix condominiums are a crowded beach option with several locations. You have a beach view, but the resorts are large. Again, VRBO these condos.

The Turquoise Place is a newer high-rise in Orange Beach.

Beachside Resort Hotel

The cheapest acceptable option I have found is the Beachside Resort Hotel. The Beachside Hotel is behind the Phoenix West and Bahama Bob’s. The public beach walkway is directly in front of the hotel. Bahama Bob’s Beach Side Café is good fried food a few steps from the beach. I cross the street and grab my second or third-row seat on the beach, and people-watch. The bed was comfortable, had a full-size fridge, and cost $100-130/night. This is for cheap and unplanned trips. I only have $500, but I want to walk on the beach for two days.

Dining

All the restaurants serve FRESH seafood, and it’s the South, so it’s fantastic. This is the sweet tea and fried food district. There are dozens of restaurants that are not mentioned because I never get past these favorites.

Lulu’s

After a relaxing day on the beach, it’s time to eat. The boys like Lulu’s for family-friendly activities such as the ropes course, volleyball, arcade, and good food. Jimmy Buffet’s sister owns Lulu’s and has an entire line of “Crazy Sista” goods. I am the CRAZY sister, so I’m coming here every trip. Lunch is less crowded than dinner. If you don’t like loud, crazy families, keep looking.

Tacky Jacks

Tacky Jacks is a famous tradition. There are duct tape pieces all over the restaurant with messages from previous diners. Tacky Jacks overlooks the Intracoastal Canal. They know you will have an hour-plus wait, so many games and activities are here, too.

The Hangout is located on the beach. It is a Gulf Shores tradition, so it’s crowded. If you want the beach party vibes, this is it.

The Gulf is shipping containers turned into a restaurant on the beach with palm trees.

The Shrimp Basket is an affordable and basic meal option.

The Original Oyster House Boardwalk consistently delivers good food.

The FLORA-BAMA is a 30-minute drive to the Alabama/ Florida line in Perdido Key. It’s World famous! It has oceanfront views, live music in several sections, and good food. It’s always packed. After a certain time, it’s 18 years and older, so to be clear, this is a HUGE, OLD BAR.

If you are coming through Gulf Shores a little early to check in, stop at the Sunliner Diner for lunch. It’s like stepping back into the 1950s. This is a fun dinner of burgers, milkshakes, and pie. If you are tired of waiting hours for dinner, here’s your no-wait option.

Bahama Bob’s Beach Side Café is classic seafood and crowded, surrounded by condos and a public beach.

Brick & Spoon for breakfast was voted the “Best breakfast in the USA” by Travel and Leisure Magazine. I’ll take their word for it since I don’t get up for breakfast on beach trips.

Matt’s (real) Homemade Ice cream is another great option.

The Yard is THE DESSERT spot in town, with the cookies, brownies, and cake slices attached to your glass of ice cream.

Where to Play

The white beach and blue water provide entertainment all week. If you are sunburned and need alternative beach ideas, here are some options.

1. The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is 25 acres filled with lions, tigers, giraffes, kangaroos, and sloths. It is home to 118 species, including 22 critically endangered species. Tickets cost $23 for adults and $15 for kids.

2. Orange Beach has The Wharf, which hosts all the beach area concerts. It’s also an entertainment district with a Ferris wheel, boutique shopping, and restaurants.

3.Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf is where we play our mini-golf.

4. The Track for go-karts and arcade games.

5. Alabama Gulf State Park is for walking, biking, hiking, kayaking, and fishing.

Gulf State Park Pier is 1500 feet long and great for fishing. When we visit in the fall or winter, the ocean is too cold, so this is an excellent option. If I am staying in a cheap hotel and tired of the crowds, this is the two-mile stretch of beach I’m visiting.

6. Waterville USA is a water and amusement park perfect for families. It offers thrill slides, lazy rivers, a wave pool, go-karts, and mini-golf. It costs around $40 per person.

7. Go shopping in Foley at the Tanger Outlets, eat at Lambert’s Café, and enjoy the adorable town.

8. Alligator Alley is a farm with over 600 gators. It costs around $18/person. They feed the huge alligators, and you can hold baby gators. Alligator Alley is about 30 minutes from the beach, and you can drive by the Foley outlets.

9. Historic Fort Morgan is an old naval base built in 1834. It’s only $8 per person to explore.

10. Coastal Arts Center offers pottery and glass bead-making classes starting around $100 per person. Y’all know my guys are not stepping foot in an art class.

Boating

We can talk about what they come to do: fish and boat.

Sail Wild Hearts is a 53ft catamaran for sunset and dolphin cruise adventures. I haven’t been, but all the awards are on their website. They won a spot in the “Top 10 Boat Tours in the U.S.” by USA TODAY.

Fishing Charters

Zeke’s Landing has the most 5-star reviews for fishing charters. The fishing is speckled and white trout, flounder, snapper, redfish, and King Mackerel. As with all fishing, it depends on what’s in season.

Dawson wants Captain Collier when we hire charters because he watches him on YouTube. So, Fishing Chaos has a link to Captain Collier and his inshore and offshore charters. I plan on $1k daily, but it’s easily more for off-shore and rarely less for inshore.

Festivals

• When the summer crowds disappear, the festival weekends begin.

• The Coastal Bird Fest is the first week in October. Over 300 species of birds fly south from Canada during this week. It takes place in Spanish Fort, an hour from Gulf Shores. The Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge has 7,000 acres of wildlife trails for hiking and bird-watching. Do I know anyone who watches birds? No, we watch football in October, but a bird watcher might read this one day.

• The National Shrimp Festival is the second week in October.

• The festivals continue every weekend, featuring Freedom Fest, Oysters, Singers, Songwriters, Coastal Runs, Arts, Hot Air Balloons, fishing tournaments, and concerts on the beach.

When you’re ready for a slower-paced beach trip, come to Alabama. Thank you for reading my Guide to Alabama Beaches. I have all the other area beach options listed below, from ALL of 30A, Destin, to Panama City, Florida. For my Alabama friends searching for staycation options, I have 15 daytrips in my Anniston & Oxford Travel Guide and Atlanta’s Top 35 Attractions.