7 Coolest Towns on the Gulf Coast for a Summer Vacation
The Gulf Coast is what happens when five states share a shoreline. Florida brings sugar-white sand and shell-strewn islands. Louisiana brings boardwalks through wildlife refuges and crab pots in every backyard. Texas brings shrimp boats and a 100-mile boat ride to the only coral reef in the continental US. Mississippi brings hurricane-resilient pier towns where commercial buildings still aren't allowed on the beachfront. Alabama brings 50 miles of coast that punch well above their length. The seven towns below are not the loudest names on the Gulf and that is exactly why they make a better summer.
Cameron, Louisiana
Cameron sits at the southwestern edge of Louisiana, on a thin strip of land between Calcasieu Lake and the Gulf, and it works as the state's quietest gateway to the coast. The Creole Nature Trail runs right through, with boardwalks into wildlife refuges and ten brown-sand beaches strung along the shore. Holly Beach is the most popular and sits about 10 miles from downtown.
Just 30 miles east of the Texas border, Cameron stays mostly free of the crowds that flood the Florida and Texas beaches in summer. RV parks, fishing piers, crabbing spots, and easy roads to the water are the whole offer. Anchors Up Grill will cook your fresh catch for you. Walk it back to the beach in time for sunset.
Captiva Island, Florida
Captiva runs on island time. Whether you are after the beach or the small downtown's shops and dining, the long, narrow island delivers both, with bird life pretty much guaranteed and kayaking through Chadwick Bayou a short paddle from anywhere. Central Captiva Beach is the headline, but a fishing charter or a quiet kayak run is just as much the experience.
Take a boat to Buck Key Preserve and come back for sunset dinner at the beachfront Mucky Duck. Turner Beach at the southern tip puts you a quick drive from Sanibel, which has the best shelling on this side of Florida. The Bubble Room is a year-round Christmas-themed eatery, while the South Seas resort with three pools is the splurge option. Among the galleries, Jungle Drums Gallery is the unmissable one, with a giant chair out front, and an open invitation to sit, kick back, and let the day go.
Freeport, Texas
Freeport feels freeing after Texas's big metros in summer. Two marinas, a string of boat ramps, and the three-mile sandy stretch of Bryan Beach put visitors in reach of some of the state's best saltwater fishing. Boat charters run overnight trips for night fishing under the stars, and if you would rather not clean your own catch, the Wetlands Trail & Bird Observatory is an easy detour for year-round birding before dinner. Established in 1912, Freeport once ran as one of the world's busiest shrimping ports, and the seafood at the Jetty Shack on the Gulf, On the River Restaurant, and La Sirenita Seafood N Grill still trades on that history.
The riverfront downtown of 1900s buildings is centered on Memorial Park, with the Freeport Historical Museum next door covering over three centuries of local history, including artifacts from Spanish-occupied Texas. Eight beaches sit within reach, including Lake Jackson Freeport Beach with its river pier. Summer water hovers in the low 80s. The Brazos River is good for a kayak, and 100 miles offshore the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary protects the northernmost coral reefs in the continental US. Don't miss RiverPlace on the banks of the Brazos, with floor-to-ceiling windows over the water as part of Freeport Municipal Park.
Gulf Shores, Alabama
A short drive from Orange Beach, Gulf Shores is the Alabama coast's main summer pick. The state's 50-mile shoreline is the shortest of any Gulf state, but Gulf Shores packs a lot into it. Waterville USA combines a waterpark with the Escape House attraction, and Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is a few minutes inland. The swimming season here runs about 152 days a year, and the turquoise water and sugar-white sand do most of the marketing on their own. Beyond the beach, the schedule fills up with seafood festivals, live music, and history stops.
For a town of just over 17,000, Gulf Shores moves like something larger. It has its own international airport, and visits keep producing something new. No trip is really complete without dinner at LuLu's Gulf Shores. Don't skip historic Fort Morgan, the Gulf Shores Museum, or working through the local shrimp at the various eateries between the boutiques, gift shops, and specialty stores. Fishing charters, diving, snorkeling, and dolphin excursions cover the water side, while the peninsula to the west holds the Jeff Friend Trail, the Pine Beach Trail, and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.
Pass Christian, Mississippi
French-Canadian explorers named "The Pass" in 1699 after the deep-water pass discovered just offshore by Nicholas Christian L'Adnier, and the temperate climate and seafood have kept it on the map ever since. Indian mounds and remains of Native American settlements survive nearby, predating the town's 1848 charter. That charter came after a free man of color, Charles Asmar, left the entire downtown to his heirs. The City of Pass Christian sits on a peninsula between the Mississippi Sound and Gulf of Mexico, with two harbors, two parks, a working seafood industry, and a steady run of small, independent businesses.
The streets are easy to walk under centuries-old oaks, with elegant historic homes and good local restaurants on the way to the sand. The Mississippi Sound and Gulf beaches give the town about 213 swimming days a year. Stop in at War Memorial Park, and don't skip Pirate's Cove for dinner. Nature preserves and meandering waterways flank the town. Kayak or boat out toward the sunset against the Bay Saint Louis Bridge if you want the view from the water; if you'd rather stay on land, it is minutes from downtown by car.
Port St. Joe, Florida
Port St. Joe doesn't have the name recognition of Malibu or Palm Beach, but it has the better deal. The little bayfront town sits about 45 minutes southeast of Panama City on Florida's northwest coast, with a 15-by-six-mile protected bay between the town and the St. Joseph Peninsula. The compact downtown is mostly pet-friendly and deeply historic, with independent restaurants, shops, and boutiques, plus newer eateries like Quatro Locos Tacos and Cantina. Seven beaches sit within reach, and the fishing and boating are the real draw.
Start at St. Joe Beach, then make the boat trip out to T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. The town's own paved four-mile Port City Trail is good for a bike ride and splits off into the 0.7-mile gravel Bay Walk Trail along the uncrowded shoreline of St. Joe Bay. Shelling and scalloping fill the time before sunset. Stop at the Constitution Convention Museum State Park and the historic Cape San Blas Lighthouse at George Core Park. The Gulf County Welcome Centre pours local tupelo honey and coffee, with tips on local hotspots like Krazyfish Grille and Sisters' Bistro and events including the Blast on the Bay Songwriters' Festival and the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Festival.
Waveland, Mississippi
Founded in 1888 and incorporated as a city in 1972, Waveland sits next door to Bay St. Louis and pairs old-world architecture with a tight community feel. Local rules keep commercial buildings off the beachfront, which leaves the Gulf Front exactly as it sounds. Visitors can take in the Veteran's Memorial Monument, then walk out to the adjacent Garfield Ladner Pier for fishing, picnics, and sunset views with feet dangling off the boards.
The 343-acre beachfront Buccaneer State Park has a 4.5-acre waterpark and over 300 campsites for RVs and tents, plus an 18-hole disc golf course and a popular 1.8-mile nature trail for those not already birding, crabbing, or kayaking off the shore. Dat Kitchen Too is the unmissable stop for a Southern take on seafood, while Claiborne Hill Supermarket is the right place to stock up for a picnic. Three beaches sit within easy walking, with summer water in the low 80s and small enough crowds to actually feel the water on the swim out.
The summer move on the Gulf is the one that fits the day. Port St. Joe for the soft sand and the empty stretch of Forgotten Coast. Captiva and Sanibel for the shells. Cameron for the boardwalks through the wildlife refuge. Waveland for the protected beachfront and the long pier. Gulf Shores for the seafood, the fort, and the zoo. Pass Christian and Freeport for the history. Pick the one that matches the trip.
