What things should I do in Gulf Shores?

Planning a family vacation, reunion, or a wedding? Visit Gulf Shores! Over 8 million people visit the Alabama vacation spot each year, so if you've booked your tickets, you're not alone. So, you've found your beach house, made your travel arrangements, and snagged a pair of sunglasses and beach towels. Now you're wondering, "what things should I do in Gulf Shores / Orange Beach?" We've got you covered. Whether your looking for some local eateries, some sea life with boat and jet ski rentals, activities the whole family will enjoy, or just the perfect spot to fill up your instagram story, keep reading. This guide will help you fill up your schedule and check something off your entire parties Gulf Shore bucket list.

Things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange beach

Its a given that the beach will be a top activity of your stay in Gulf Shores and if you booked with us then the beach is right at your back door!! But besides the obvious of sun bathing, sand castle making, and swimming in the ocean. What else does the sea and beach have to offer?

Water Sports

Rent a Jet Ski
Soar over the ocean on a Parasailing adventure
Explore the sea life and book a Dolphin Tour
Go fishing on a Fishing Charter
Take to the sea and rent your own Boat

Fun Filled activities

There are plenty of places to visit in Gulf Shores that can fill up your evening and play the day away. One of our favorites is The Track: a fun filled mini amusement park that offers go carts, bumper boats, an arcade, smaller rides and even some larger rides for thrill seeking adults.

Here are some other activity type attractions just a small trip away from the beach houses we rent.

Food and Dinning

If this is your first time visiting Gulf Shores then it will quickly become apparent that there is a plethora of places to eat out. But what places are worth your visit in such a short time that you have already jam packed full of fun? Here we will give you some insight on our top dining spots inspired by the locals. It wouldn’t be a beach life vacation without some seafood.

The Oyster House: menu features an impressive variety of fresh local seafood, steaks, chicken, salads and pasta. Simple but flavorful blends of spices and sauces complement fresh catches, gulf oysters and authentic Southern classics including their homemade seafood gumbo, cheesy grits with blackened shrimp and the local favorite “Blackened Mahi down on the Bayou” just to name a few. The restaurant overlooks mobile bay for a great dinning view.
Luna's eat and Drink: Fresh seafood meets soulful, Southern goodness at Luna’s Eat & Drink in Orange Beach. This unique blend of coastal fare and home town favorites, not to mention a grassy courtyard perfect for outdoor games, make this the perfect family friendly restaurant. Every day, our chefs create their favorite authentic and coastal dishes by using simple ingredients with a Southern flare. We also feature 32 craft beers on tap and large screen TVs, perfect for relaxing and watching your favorite sporting events.
Florabama: Right on the border of Florida and Alabama sits several restaurants and Beach bars that have live music and entertainment. The offer the Oyster Bar, Yacht club and Ole river grill all positioned right next to each other at the beach. The food is wide ranged amongst their restaurants and if you plan accordingly, you may be able to be apart of one their events. Visit their website for more details.
The Sassy Bass: The sassy bass has a multitude of restaurants scattered through Gulf shores and the surrounding area. We particularly lIke their amazzin grill located out by Fort Morgan if you want to eat some locally caught fish cooked the Alabama fine dinning way.

Here are some other great places worth a mention and a potential stop.

Sight Seeing and WildLife

Gulf shores has plenty of natural parks and biomes for wildlife to be seen. If your looking for a great trail, somewhere to take your bike, Historical sight or even the local zoo and alligator farm, we got you covered.

Gulf State Park has beautiful trails, scenic views of the beach and a lake to swim in. The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail is an award-winning 28+ mile paved trail system that takes visitors throughout the 6,150 acres of Gulf State Park. The are plenty of rentals to travers this trail including, bikes, segways, scooters and e-bikes. We especially like the bike trail located right next to the Woodside restaurant that has plenty of outdoor games and hangout seating to enjoy the wilderness area.
Pure aloha Adventures has paddle board and kayak rentals perfect to travers the back lagoons of gulf shores and they even offer tours if your not sure where to go.
Fort Morgan was built in the 1800s as a defense base at mobile point. It can be toured and has a lot of historical information to be browsed and explored. Great for history buffs and architecture enthusiasts.
Gulf Coast Zoo has over 118 different species of animals to see, 22 of which are endangered. The zoo is a great place to take kids and fill an afternoon seeing all the different habitats and educational areas of conservation they have to offer. They also allow interaction with some the animals for unbelievable memories to be made with lemurs, anteaters, kangaroos and much more.

Shopping centers and entertainment

Looking for a great place to go shopping? How about lunch? Oh you also want an activity, we got the hotspots for all of the above that will strike the tourism in everyone.

The Wharf is a top spot that mixes amazing food, great shops, and fun filled activities all into one place. This shopping center has two floor filled with top named retailers all the way down to unique local stores you wont find anywhere else. They have activities such as Axe throwing, Arcades, Vr experiences, AMC movie theater,a ferris wheel right in the center of the Wharf and at night if you time your visit accordingly they have a laser light show that lights the entire area.
The Hangout is located right on beach Boulevard with the gulf coast as its backyard. They offer amazing food and host events through out the year that include live music, acrobatic shows, trampoline parks and much more. The hangout doesn’t have shops per say but because of its location, it is the hangout out spot. Shops fill the streets all around this area and they can be easily walked to right by the beach. Parks and beach access are right next door so the kids can be entertained while the parents dive into souvenir stores.
Fair Hope is a little town nestled right in Mobile bay, a short drive from Gulf Shores. The area has an old European charm with its cobblestone walkways that cover the area with unique local stores that have handmade products. Restaurants are around every corner if you want to partake in local cuisines with Local family ownerships.

More to come

Gulf Shores Travel Guide