11 Small Towns In The Gulf Coast Were Ranked Among US Favorites
White sand. Warm water. Eleven small towns. From Bay St. Louis down to Naples the picks here trade big-city polish for shrimping fleets and fishing piers and front porches. Some are barely a square mile and one has a golf course where Hemingway used to drink. Pick a base and kick your shoes off and forget what day of the week it is.
Seaside, Florida
Seaside is the planned beach town that became the model for so many imitators along the Gulf. Its grid of pastel cottages and white-picket fences served as the on-screen Truman Show town in the 1998 Peter Weir film starring Jim Carrey, and the resemblance still holds up nearly thirty years later. The town also helped spark the New Urbanist movement in American design. Today, Seaside's Highway 30A address keeps it set among the dunes of Florida's Emerald Coast, with classy local eateries and a downtown amphitheater that programs steady summer events.
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Just east of Biloxi across the Bay Bridge sits Ocean Springs, a town of about 18,000 that has held onto an artist-and-oyster-shack character the bigger casino city long ago traded away. Mississippi's coastline once earned the region the nickname Seafood Capital of the World and Ocean Springs leans into that history with shrimp boats still working out of the harbor. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art holds the watercolors and block prints of the reclusive Gulf Coast artist who spent decades documenting the marsh life of nearby Horn Island. For dinner Government Street has the kind of independent restaurants and live-oak shade that make a long walk after a meal feel like the whole point of the trip.
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay St. Louis is many things to many people. About 51 miles east of New Orleans, the town is a quick drive from the Big Easy and a slower world altogether. The downtown leans into its arts side with galleries and independent shops, and the white-sand beaches along the Mississippi Sound make it a magnet for casual beachgoers too. Cast a line at the Jimmy Rutherford Fishing Pier, walk through Old Town in the evening, or take a seat at The Blind Tiger and order something cold. Bay St. Louis is the Gulf at its most laid-back.
Destin, Florida
Only about 14,000 people live year-round in Destin, but more than 4.5 million visit. The draw is the coastline, with roughly seven miles of sugar-white sand within the town itself and an emerald-green harbor that has earned the nickname World's Luckiest Fishing Village. Brotula's Seafood House & Steamer is a locally-owned stop along the harbor, and Destin's location between Pensacola and Panama City makes it an easy hub for a longer Gulf trip. The Florida Panhandle averages well over 200 sunny days a year, with summer afternoons broken up by short, dramatic thunderstorms.
Grayton Beach, Florida
Grayton Beach is a small historic beach village halfway between Destin and Panama City, sitting just outside Grayton Beach State Park. The park covers nearly 2,000 acres of dunes, scrub forest, and rare coastal lakes, and the gold-and-pink sunrises here genuinely deliver. Southern Living once described the town as "fully reclining," which gets the energy about right. If you want to break up the slow days, the Shops of Grayton just north of County Highway 30A bundle a small cluster of independent boutiques together.
Dauphin Island, Alabama
Marketed as the Sunset Capital of Alabama, Dauphin Island sits about three miles south of the mouth of Mobile Bay. Around 1,700 people live here. The Dauphin Island Public Beach is the easy choice for sand and shore time, and the 164-acre Audubon Bird Sanctuary on the east end of the island offers a short, scenic nature trail along the migration corridor. It is one of the more genuinely quiet stretches of the Gulf Coast.
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Gulf Shores sits at Alabama's southernmost edge, with sugar-white sand beaches and a slow tempo that runs all year. LuLu's Gulf Shores, a vibrant eatery on the Intracoastal Waterway, is the standard spot for a hearty burger and waterfront views with boats passing right alongside. Families with kids will find Sand Castle University handy for a hands-on beach day with a twist. The shoreline runs for miles in both directions, making it easy to find a quieter stretch.
Grand Isle, Louisiana
Grand Isle is the only inhabited barrier island in Louisiana. The remote setting on the state's expansive shoreline gives it a far-off feel that's hard to find elsewhere on the Gulf. Bibliophiles can put themselves on the same sand that served as the setting for Kate Chopin's 1899 novel The Awakening, a book frowned upon at publication for its frank treatment of female autonomy and sexuality and now considered a landmark of early American feminist fiction. The miles of beach are quiet and uncrowded, and the views of the Gulf are unobstructed.
Naples, Florida
This Naples sits about 35 miles south of Fort Myers along the edge of Big Cypress Swamp. With around 19,900 residents, the city is small but seriously well-heeled. The 34102 ZIP code ranks among the wealthiest in the country, with billionaires and well-known names among the residents of Port Royal. First-time visitors will find a polished mix of dining and shopping districts. For something free, head to Naples Pier at sunset and watch the sky turn over the Gulf of Mexico.
Sanibel Island, Florida
Sanibel Island sits just off the coast of Fort Myers and bills itself as America's Shelling Capital, with Bowman's Beach a known stop for collectors. The island stays low-key by design: no stoplights, no high-rises, no big-chain grocery stores. Rent a beach cruiser and ride the 25 miles of bike paths, or head to the 7,600-acre J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge for the best chance to spot alligators or manatees. Sanibel rewards an unhurried pace.
Panama City Beach, Florida
Don't confuse Panama City Beach and Panama City. They share most of a name and they're connected by the Hathaway Bridge across St. Andrews Bay, but the beach side is a separate town built around 27 miles of white sand. About 18,900 people call it home year-round. Pretty beaches, amusement parks, and mini-golf courses keep the town consistently ranked among American family favorites. Shipwreck Island Water Park, Coconut Creek Family Fun Park, and ZooWorld Zoological Park are the standards.
The Takeaway
Big surfing waves are rare on the Gulf, but the trade-off is some of the whitest sand and warmest water in the country. The region also offers undeveloped islands, well-preserved parks, and resident wildlife including alligators. If you want a base to explore from, Destin, Florida; Grand Isle, Louisiana; and Dauphin Island, Alabama, are three of the best.
