8 Lovely Small Towns to Visit on the Gulf Coast This Summer
Summer on the Gulf Coast is about easy beach access, warm water, and towns where everything sits close to the shoreline. In Gulf Shores, days revolve around wide public beaches and simple seafood spots nearby. Orange Beach keeps the same pace, with marinas and boat charters just off the sand. Over in Crystal River, clear springs and guided tours make it one of the few places where you can reliably see manatees up close. Towns like these keep things straightforward in summer, with the beach, food, and water never far apart. These eight Gulf Coast towns are some of the best places to plan a warm-weather trip.
Grand Isle, Louisiana
Grand Isle is a picturesque town on a barrier island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico, at the mouth of Barataria Bay, where it joins the Gulf. On the island, ocean views are magical at every turn, and the beach at Grand Isle State Park is a melting pot of summer activities. The boardwalk is perfect for catching the sunset, while the beach is great for sunbathing, picnics, and swimming. Beyond the beach, Grand Isle State Park offers more activities like hiking, fishing, and boating.
History enthusiasts in Grand Isle should take a boat to Fort Livingston, a 19th-century defense fort on Grand Terre Island, one of Louisiana's largest forts. Another must-see attraction is Elmer's Island Wildlife Refuge, which offers stunning beaches, salt marshes, mangroves, coastal dunes, and a variety of bird species, making it an ideal summer destination.
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay St. Louis, a charming town on the Mississippi Sound near the Gulf of Mexico, offers summer visitors a peaceful escape from the crowds. Its beach along South Beach Boulevard is often nearly empty yet stunningly beautiful, merging with the clear waters of the Mississippi Sound. Visitors can enjoy kayaking, canoeing, boating, and paddling, or go on cruise excursions to explore the broader Gulf.
The Jimmy Rutherford Pier is available to those who love to fish on the waters of Bay St. Louis. Afterward, visitors can enjoy seafood for lunch at the Blind Tiger, which offers an open-air setting and great water views. For art lovers, check out the Alice Moseley Folk Art and Antique Museum, which features authentic paintings and artifacts by renowned folk artist Alice Moseley, who once lived in the town.
Fairhope, Alabama
Fairhope is among the top Gulf Coast towns in Alabama for summer vacations. Located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, it is known for the Fairhope Municipal Pier and Park. The pier serves as the town's central hub, with a rose garden, fountain, boardwalk, marina, picnic spots, fishing pier, and a large sandy beach. The park also features a tree trail with 500 tree species and a shoreline trail for walking and biking, offering great sightseeing opportunities.
Fairhope also features Weeks Bay National Estuarine Reserve, where nature lovers can have a field day exploring salt marshes, forests, wetlands, and wildlife. On the side of history, the town is home to the Fairhope Museum of History, which immerses visitors in the past through exhibits and artifacts detailing the life and times of the town's bygone days.
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Ocean Springs is an irresistible town along the Gulf of Mexico with so much to love. For art lovers, this town is home to many amazing art establishments featuring sensational works from some of the best artists in the world. Must-see art establishments in town include Hillyer House, Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Mary C O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center, and Shearwater Pottery. Next, visitors can head to the town's Front Beach for picnics and outdoor recreation.
Visit Fort Maurepas State Park on the highest point of the Mississippi Gulf Coast for picnics, viewing the French explorer's monument, grilling, and exploring the park. A walkway from the park leads to the McPhearson Jr. Fishing Pier, perfect for anglers. Hikers and bikers can enjoy the Live Oak Bicycle Trail, offering stunning views as it extends to the Davis Bayou Area. For further adventures, rent a kayak to explore the town's many bayous, especially the Fort Bayou waterways.
Crystal River, Florida
Crystal River is a paradise where summers are truly enjoyable. Famous for its abundance of manatees, visitors can explore these animals at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. This area also features Three Sisters Springs, a collection of freshwater springs ideal for paddling, swimming, or snorkeling with the manatees.
For similar experiences and to play alongside manatees, head to Kings Bay Park, just a few blocks from downtown. Crystal River also features the Crystal River Preserve State Park, where visitors can lose track of time exploring its diverse ecosystem via hiking and kayaking adventures. For a beach experience, visitors are welcome to Fort Island Gulf Beach to bask on its sands, admire the scenery from a boardwalk, boat in the water, and fish from its pier.
Marathon, Florida
Marathon is a stunning city in the Florida Keys, featuring two beautiful beaches—Coco Plum and Sombrero—that make for an unforgettable summer getaway. These beaches serve as nesting sites for sea turtles and also offer excellent opportunities for kayaking, boating, swimming, fishing, sunbathing, picnicking, and snorkeling. Additionally, Sombrero Beach has volleyball courts, adding to its appeal.
Marathon is also close to Curry Hammock State Park, where visitors can paddle, bike, camp, fish, hike, and see wildlife amid lush mangrove forests and a pristine coastline. Afterward, visitors are invited to the Crane Point Hammock Museum and Nature Center to explore its botanical gardens, hike its nature trails, and learn about marine life through museum artifacts. The center also features a fishing pond, abundant birds and butterflies, and wildlife such as deer, bald eagles, raccoons, and alligators.
Orange Beach, Alabama
Orange Beach is a charming small town along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, ideal for summer getaways. Like many Gulf Coast towns, its beaches are a major attraction, and Orange Beach provides access to several Gulf State Park beaches, including Shell Beach, Cotton Bayou, and Alabama Point East. These beaches are perfect spots for water sports, picnics, and relaxation.
Away from the beaches, visitors to Orange Beach flock to The Wharf, an entertainment district home to local shops, restaurants, a marina, a Ferris wheel, and an amphitheater for concerts and shows. Adventure Island is another prime tourist attraction in this town for fun, as it features two 18-hole golf courses, bumper boats, thrilling children's rides, arcade games, and more. Before leaving, visitors with a love for history can savor the area’s Native American history and fishing heritage at the Orange Beach History Museum.
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Just a few miles from Orange Beach, Gulf Shores is a beautiful small town in Baldwin County, known as a summer tourist destination. It features the 6,150-acre Gulf State Park, which is a main attraction. The park offers over two miles of pristine, white sandy beaches ideal for sunbathing, swimming, and fishing. It also includes approximately 28 miles of trails, pine forests, coastal dunes, freshwater marshes, streams, and three lakes fed by springs. In addition to the park, Gulf Shores hosts the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, where visitors can get close to animals such as kangaroos, lemurs, giraffes, and sloths. Families can enjoy The Track family fun park, which offers exciting rides, arcade games, and other entertainment.
Summer in the Gulf Coast region of the United States is inviting and irresistible, courtesy of beaches, nature preserves, rivers, and resorts sprinkled across its small towns. From Gulf Shores, Alabama, to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, there is no shortage of small towns to kick back and enjoy a summer retreat or satiate the need to explore after a long, harsh winter. Sunbathing in the sun on laid-back beaches, swimming alongside manatees, cruising on crystal waters, and enjoying strolls on boardwalks are activities that make summer in these towns special, and there is so much more.
