How to Plan
A Boat-Friendly Vacation in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
If you have a boat and are ready to hit the water, the beaches of the Alabama Gulf Coast are calling your name. Our area is the ideal spot for a boat-friendly vacation. Get your motor running and bring your family along for a great time along the sandy shores of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
Lodging
When you visit Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, you’ll find numerous condos with boat slips and even beach houses with private piers perfect for docking your vessel. When speaking with a rental property management company about boat-friendly options, don’t forget to ensure the property offers trailer storage and boat slips. Some properties provide complimentary boat slips for renters, while others charge a daily fee. Additionally, some boat-friendly condos offer slips on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Dining
There’s no shortage of boat-friendly eateries lining Gulf Shores and Orange Beach waterways. You can easily cruise over to a waterfront restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In Orange Beach, you can float into numerous places such as Tacky Jacks, Playa, Fishers, Cobalt, Avenue Pub, OSO and Pleasure Island Tiki Bar. You can pull into either Flora-Bama Yacht Club or Flora-Bama Ole River Grill, or Sanroc Cay, and enjoy a meal on the water. The Wharf Marina also offers transient slips for boaters looking for fun and food at The Wharf. In Gulf Shores, stop at LuLu’s and the Gulf Shores or Fort Morgan location of Tacky Jacks.
Launch Sites
You brought your boat, now where do you launch? Several boat launches are available in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan. When you need to refuel with marine gas, you’ll find 15 marinas in the area ready to send you on your way for a day of fun in the sun.
Boat Rentals
If you’re a boater who can’t bring your watercraft along for the ride, you can still enjoy a day on the water with a Gulf Shores or Orange Beach boat rental from a number of area businesses. Whether you’re in the market for a fishing boat or a double-decker pontoon boat with a slide, you’ll find the perfect ride for a day on the water.
Fun Spots to Explore
Check out Robinson Island and Bird Island while you're out cruising the waters in Orange Beach. The City of Orange Beach purchased these two spots in 2003 to protect the area from development and provide a protected habitat for sea birds. Today, the areas are a sanctuary for birds and wildlife, and the water surrounding the islands is very shallow, making them great places to anchor your boat for a dip in the water. While many boat rentals allow pets to ride along with you, they are not allowed on our beaches or these two islands.
Launch your boat at the Fort Morgan boat ramp and head over to Sand Island Lighthouse near Dauphin Island. Here, you'll discover a decommissioned lighthouse known as one of the most endangered lighthouses in the U.S. due to its persistent erosion. Despite this, dolphins often hang out around the lighthouse, so be on the lookout while you're exploring.
Start planning your boat-friendly beach vacation to the Alabama Gulf Coast!
