Fun in the Sun in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
March 8, 2022
Whether you’re planning a spring break, summer beach vacation, or snowbird escape from the dreary winter slush (winter highs of 70oF are enticing!), Alabama’s coastline is a popular vacation destination for heavenly sugar sand beaches, crystal blue waters, exciting activities and adventures, and laid-back coastal living.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are bustling beach communities along Alabama’s Coastal Connection Scenic Byway with attractions, activities, and beaches geared to every type of traveler – unique beach boutiques and waterfront complexes, seafood shacks and fine dining restaurants, live music at the beach, and year-round festivals, and Gulf Shores vacation rentals to suit every size, style, and budget!
Sugar White Beaches
The sugar-white sand beaches stretch for as far as the eye can see with over 20-miles of calm, turquoise gulf waters for a perfect beach day on the Alabama coastline.
An aerial view of Fort Morgan.
Gulf Shores Public Beach (near the world-famous Hangout) is the most popular stretch of beach with water sports attractions and a fun beach vibe or take a scenic drive to historic Fort Morgan or Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge for more secluded beaches and nature trails.
Mix up your beach day with nature at Gulf State Park with two miles of pristine beaches, a fun fishing pier, kayaking on Lake Shelby, and 28 miles of biking and hiking paths (with a free bike-share program and bike racks throughout the park!). Heading along the coastline there is beach access at Romar Beach, Cotton Bayou, and Alabama Point at Perdido Pass in Orange Beach.
For a unique Gulf Shores experience, cross state lines for a day on the natural beaches of Perdido Key, a small barrier island off the coast of Florida. End your beach day with an iconic Bushwacker and gulf sunset over the water at the legendary Flora-Bama, one of the world’s top beach bars!
Beautiful Perdido Key.
Fly high with Blue Sky Parasail & Watersports!
Parasailing & Watersports
Whether you stay in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach, it’s easy to add thrilling watersports activities and coastal adventures to your vacation itinerary – parasailing above the Gulf Coast, jet skiing the crystal waters, flyboarding in Wolf Bay, and wild banana boat rides. If you’re staying on the west end of the peninsula visit Blue Sky Parasail & Watersports for all our water activities or spend the day with Southern Rose on Cotton Bayou in Orange Beach.
Catamaran Dolphin Cruises
Depart from the Wharf Marina on the best dolphin cruise in Alabama with the fun and knowledgeable crew at Cetacean Cruises. The Dolphin Cruise & Nature Eco Tour introduces you to our friendly, resident dolphin pod and native wildlife and birdlife in the hidden creeks, swamps, and estuaries of Wolf Bay, or set sail into the Alabama sunset on a Sunset Sailing Cruise on the Cetacean, a 52-ft Hawaiian Catamaran with a cocktail bar for sundowners!
See dolphins up close with Cetacean Cruises!
Championship Golf
Our Stay & Play packages in Gulf Shores include a round of golf with our participating activity providers for every day of your stay, any time of year! The Gulf Shores Golf Club presents a challenging round of play for both golf novices and pros in a lush scenic setting with 18 championship holes, a driving range and putting green for practice, an elegant plantation-style clubhouse with a pro shop and dining room, and great memories made on your golf vacation in Gulf Shores.
Have a blast at The Park at OWA!
Family Amusements & Entertainment
From the fairways to fun-filled family entertainment at The Park at OWA in nearby Foley. OWA is Alabama’s newest and largest retail, dining, and entertainment park boasting 520 acres of award-winning family amusements and fun. The Park at OWA features a theme Park with 23 roller coasters and attractions for amusement park fans of all ages (even preschoolers!), a classic carnival games arcade, a 9,500 sq ft splash pad to escape the heat, and the best theater shows and family entertainment in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
Shopping and dining in OWA’s Downtown District does not require a ticket and has everything from native treasures, sweet shops, and moonshine to unique dining and wine tastings.
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Vacation Rentals
Whether your Alabama beach vacation calls for a spacious waterfront luxury home, a pet-friendly golf course villa, or a classic beach condo overlooking the mesmerizing Gulf of Mexico, your dream vacation retreat awaits! Xplorie’s selection of professionally managed Gulf Shores rentals includes a vacation retreat for every size, style and budget with savings on the top attractions and activities in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach.
