7 Best Small Towns To Visit In the Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast is a geographic area in the Southern US and the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico. Extending from Western Florida through Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas, the Gulf Coast comprises these "Gulf States." Thriving on industries related to energy and fishing, tourism also provides economic boosts around the Gulf States. Every year, tourists flock to famous cities such as Galveston, Tampa, New Orleans, Houston, and Tallahassee; however, the region is also studded with small beach towns that certainly warrant a visit!
Cedar Key
Cedar Key is an island community in Southern Florida's Levy County, located about 60 miles west of Gainesville. The community sits in a rural part of Florida and is nicknamed the state's "Nature Coast". Cedar Key remains a popular weekend getaway among Floridians, alluring visitors to its rugged, remote, and old-fashioned nature scapes. Here, visitors often enjoy activities related to bird watching, hiking the local natural trails, kayaking, fishing, and visiting its wildlife areas and historical museum.
Tourists can explore the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge and its 13 islands, home to 20,000 nesting birds and other forms of wildlife. Species such as egrets, herons, brown pelicans, and reddish egrets call this wildlife refuge home.
Visitors can also step back in time at the Cedar Key Museum State Park with its 18 acres of historic property. The attraction showcases shells, artifacts, and other historic finds detailing Cedar Key's (and Florida's) past from different periods, from as early as prehistoric times to the 20th century. Tourists in a festive mood can also enjoy Cedar Key's melange of festivals, including April's Old Florida Celebration of the Arts and the Seafood Festival in October!
St. George Island
St. George Island is an unspoiled barrier island in The Sunshine State's Franklin County, spanning 22 miles with uncrowded beaches and pretty shorelines. The vibes at St. George Island are anything but hectic; families can enjoy the laid-back nature of this cozy Floridian town and get in touch with nature through fun activities like fishing, paddling, swimming, shelling, and kayaking.
Here, visitors can spend their day at the Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park, the longest beachfront state park spanning 2,000 acres! The park is perfect for sunbathing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, boating, fishing, hiking, camping, and wildlife watching. In the summer, the shoreline is teeming with activity from creatures like sea turtles and shorebirds.
The Cape St. George Lighthouse is another gem and sits in the middle of St. George Island. This 72-foot lighthouse has survived hurricanes and erosion since 1852. This historic attraction is open year-round and offers the public sunset and full-moon viewings.
Dauphin Island
Located on Dauphin Island (a barrier island of the same name), Dauphin Island sits in Mobile County, Alabama's most southern point. The town is 3 miles south of Mobile Bay and sandwiched among Biloxi, Mississippi, and Mobile. This southern town boasts a collection of uncrowded beaches with a strong marine culture, a tiny population of about 1,300 residents, and a length of only 14 miles. Come one and come all to Dauphin Island to experience southern hospitality and the beauty of this small town that earned its nickname, "Sunset Capital of Alabama"!
Dauphin Island is home to Fort Gaines, a site that played a central role during the Battle of Mobile Bay though now functions as a historic site. Fort Gaines was also designated as one of the "Eleven Most Endangered Historic Sites" in the country due to its constant threat of shoreline erosion.
The Audubon Bird Sanctuary is another attraction worth visiting, fit with a woodland landscape over 164 acres of property, including a freshwater lake, a network of dunes, a half-mile nature interpretative trail loop, and a 1,000-foot boardwalk. This bird sanctuary is a gem to check out and observe neotropical migrants, or birds who fly south in the fall to the tropics.
Bay St. Louis
Bay St. Louis is part of Southern Mississippi's Hancock County, set along the Mississippi Sound (an embayment of the Gulf of Mexico). Originally, the area in which Bay St. Louis sits was part of a 1789 Spanish land grant. The community started as a village, eventually transforming into a resort and eventually into an incorporated community in 1882. With its friendly vibes and quaint seaside atmosphere, Bay St. Louis is consistently praised as one of Mississippi's best places to live.
Travelers who visit this charming small town in Mississippi can also find solace in their uncrowded white sandy beaches (known as the state's "Secret Coast"), perusing its blueways through kayaking/paddling excursions, or shop-until-they-drop at the Old Town. The Old Town is also chalked with local history, which is especially expressed through its architecture, from the 19th-century digs at the Hancock Bank Building to the designated Mississippi Landmark of the Old City Hall and Shoofly Oak.
Tourists with an artistic eye can appreciate the colorful works at the Alice Moseley Folk Art Museum, a free museum at the Bay St. Louis Train Depot. The museum showcases vibrant works from Alice Moseley, a self-taught folk artist who started painting at 65 years old! Several of Alice's paintings highlight the town of Bay St. Louis.
Port Aransas
In Nueces County of Texas, Port Aransas is the only established town on the Mustang Islands. Many Texans and their families frequented Port Aransas for generations, basking in its reputation as a quaint and sleepy fishing town. Formerly named "Tarpon" (after the large fish present in the Gulf of Mexico), Port Aransas was a popular destination for sportsmen because of its reputation as a world-class fishing hub. Today, the cozy Texan town makes for a peaceful getaway!
Port Aransas is blessed with 18 miles of sandy shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico, with waters fit for all kinds of recreational activities, from boogie boarding to parasailing. Anglers are also in luck when visiting Port Aransas, the so-called "Fishing Capital of Texas"—they can cast lines from one of the public piers or embark on an offshore excursion. In the summer, fishing tournaments also draw a crowd. Deep sea fishing is also a popular activity in Port Aransas. Avid anglers can take a couple of friends on a public fishing charter or hire a private guide to venture into the Gulf waters and prowl for fish like barracudas, groupers, pompanos, and more!
Rockport
Rockport sits in Aransas County on the eastern coast of Texas near Corpus Christi. This Texan town was founded after the Civil War as a port for cattle slaughtering, packing, and shipping. It was also named after the rocky ledge hidden underneath its shore. This small town is drivable from large Texan cities and makes for an ideal vacation destination for those wanting to escape from the bustling metropolitan.
While here, travelers can indulge in fresh seafood, learn some Maritime history at the Texas Maritime Museum and the Fulton Mansion State Historic Site, or enjoy the sandy beach shores at Rockport Beach (or Port Aransas Beach). The town is also known for its collection of shorebirds and birdwatching, which can be done at the Padre Island National Seashore.
The community especially comes alive during the Rockport Arts Festival, a community event held every year since 1969 to support the art scene in communities across the Texas coast. This festival draws together artists from across Texas (and the world), showcasing their artistic goods like handmade pottery or intricate jewelry. The event attracts over 120 artist vendors and well over 10,000 art buyers!
Grand Isle
Grand Island sits in Louisiana's Jefferson Parish County, situated on a barrier island of the same name. Located at the southern tip of Highway 1, Grand Isle stretches for seven miles and is the state's only inhabited barrier island. Grand Isle is not only a pretty destination—for communities like New Orleans; however, Grand Isle (and other barrier islands) are also the first line of defense against hurricanes and storms. Guests can enjoy a healthy dose of Southern Hospitality here, alongside other offerings like delectable seafood, world-class birdwatching, and premier fishing excursions.
There are miles of shoreline to admire at any of Grand Isle's beaches, including the seven-mile public Grand Isle Beach or the Grand Isle State Park with its 400-ft fishing pier, nature trails, and camping accommodations. Grand Island even inspired creative writers and their works through the decades, including Kate Chopin's The Awakening and Lafcadio Hearn's Chita!
The town is bustling with wildlife, serving as a vital feed stop for migrating birds and other species like pelicans, wading birds, and shorebirds. Visitors can catch the Migratory Bird Festival, which highlights and celebrates the phenomenon of bird migration across the Gulf of Mexico to Grand Isle. Visitors can witness peak bird migration in April when the festival takes place. This event also offers Bird-watching and kayak tours through the island mangroves.
The Gulf States are famous for major cities like Houston and Tampa, but their small coastal towns are perfect for people seeking a seaside refuge from busy city traffic and skyscrapers. These small towns may all boast pretty shoreline views and refreshing ocean breezes, but each of them is uniquely charming, from the nature-filled scapes of Cedar Key in Florida to the southern hospitality in Louisiana's Grand Isle.
