Compared to Texas or Louisiana, Alabama’s coastline looks tiny. However, the amount and quality of beaches Alabama has to offer easily trumps both those states! Dozens of beautiful beaches around with white sands and crystal-clear waters – two perfect companions for every vacation. And if you’re still not satisfied and longing for more, well, Florida beaches are only a few hours away!
66 Best Beaches of Alabama
Some of the finest beaches of the Gulf of MexicoShow beaches from:
Fairhope, Alabama
Eye-pleasing sandy beach. Paved parking lot filled with flowers and has a fountain. Paved road along the shore. Limited amenities and not very clean. Fishing pier.
Close to Fairhope city center
Dauphin Island, Alabama
Rocky beach with limited amenities. Free parking. Never crowded. You'll love to see an aquarium and bird sanctuary nearby. There's only one cafe, so take care of food.
Close to Dauphin Island city center
Dauphin Island, Alabama
Large and quiet relaxing destination. Sand is soft and inconvenient for driving on. Offers many nice cabins and condos to rent. Features car ferries. Paid parking.
Close to Dauphin Island city center
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Awesome destination for a long stay. All needed amenities. 3 public beach access points. Offers a welcome center, restaurants, condos for rent and a sea food market.
19 mi from Gulf Shores city center
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Popular tourist recreation within a city limits. Well-kept, patrolled by officials, it's a perfect place to come with kids. Animals-free. Covered areas for rainy days.
Close to Gulf Shores city center
Orange Beach, Alabama
Small beach area, easily gets crowded because of the close location to the condos. Free parking, easily accessible. Features a wooden walking zone and a pier. No pets.
Close to Orange Beach city centerOrange Beach, Alabama
Huge white-sand beach are highly popular, and therefore crowded. All necessary facilities and eateries. Free but limited parking. Requires some walking to the beach.
Close to Orange Beach city centerCoker, Alabama
Highly popular and, despite of having 91 campsites, it’s highly recommended to book ahead. Boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, biking are common activities here.
4 mi from Coker city center
Jackson's Gap, Alabama
Perfect recreational spot for families or arranging parties. Shallow waters are great for kids. No pet allowed. There are no cars, loud music or drunks, so feels safe.
5 mi from Jackson's Gap city centerGuntersville, Alabama
Wonderful place for a long stay. One day just isn't enough. Provides lots of options for accommodation rent. Features a golf course and a small pool. No animals.
6 mi from Guntersville city center
Biloxi, Mississippi
Beach with a white sand and palm trees - perfect for taking Instagram pictures. Waters are shallow but murky and smelly. Variety of restaurants and casinos nearby.
Close to Biloxi city centerPensacola Beach, Florida
They call it the best beach in the USA. Great for a long stay, packed with amenities, restaurants and hotels. Dedicated dog area. Lifeguards on duty. Gear rentals.
Close to Pensacola Beach city centerBiloxi, Mississippi
Uncrowded spot, well-kept. Except basic beach activities, you can watch dolphins, crabs, jellyfish. There's no shade, bring or rent an umbrella. Popular among nudists.
14 mi from Biloxi city center
Gulfport, Mississippi
Beautiful gem on the Gulf coast. Lots of regulations help to keep this beach clean, safe and nice as much as possible. Uncrowded and calm. No animals are allowed.
Close to Gulfport city centerGulfport, Mississippi
Relatively close to the city, has lots of new eateries and hotels. Sand is soft and clean. Umbrella rentals are on site. Free and spacious parking. Shallow waters.
Close to Gulfport city center
Top beaches in Alabama
Alabama beaches: Weather
Alabama’s climate is famously very mild and temperate. The average annual temperature in the state is around 64 °F and there are no extreme fluctuations in temperature or intense weather phenomena. This means you can visit Alabama beaches at any time of the year.
To see the best of what the state has to offer, how about adding the following to your Alabama beaches list? Lake Guntersville Beach is a lovely man-made beach with clean water and Alabama Point Beach is perfect for surfing and boat watching. What’s for sure is that there is no lack of great beaches to visit in Alabama.
Gulf coast beaches in Alabama
Alabama is one of the Gulf states. These are the only five states in America that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico that is famous for its incredible beauty and biodiversity.
This famous beauty is clearly reflected in Alabama Gulf beaches. To see it with your own eyes, check out Gulf State Park Beach, a gorgeous sandy beach, and Gulf Shores Public Beach, otherwise known as Fort Morgan, which is a rather secluded beach known for offering the best views of all Alabama Gulf Coast beaches.
The best white-sand beaches in Alabama
There’s nothing quite like a white sand beach! Clear in color, and soft to walk on, it is inviting and hard to resist. Indeed, as far as beaches are concerned, white sand is most people’s number one requirement. Luckily, Alabama has its fair share of beautiful white sand beaches.
To experience Alabama white sand beaches, head to Dauphin Island East End Beach for a unique mix of rocks, shells, and sand and Cotton Bayou Beach if you prefer an easy-access location that’s buzzing with life. When it comes to white sand beaches, Alabama doesn’t disappoint.
Beaches in Alabama with clear water
White sand and clear water usually go hand-in-hand when talking about beaches. It should come as no surprise, then, that you will be able to find some excellent clear water beaches in Alabama.
Like to splash around in turquoise water and see the bottom of the sea while you swim? If so, you will be delighted with these suggestions. Some of the best blue water beaches in Alabama include Cotton Bayou Beach, where you can watch unforgettable sunsets, and D.A.R.E. Power Park Beach which is the perfect place for recreational watersports.
The best Alabama beaches for families
Alabama is a fantastic place for family holidays. Among the numerous family attractions in the “Heart of Dixie” state are the best family beaches in Alabama. They have everything you could hope for to entertain every single family member: mom, dad, the kids, and even elderly relatives!
Some of the best beaches in Alabama for families are Fairhope Municipal Pier Beach that has a great park with a playground, and Bon Secour Beach that will delight children with its wildlife.
Alabama dog-friendly beaches
Want to have fun with your furry friends on pet-friendly beaches in Alabama? You totally can! While not all of the state’s beaches allow dogs on them, the ones that do, do it well. That means they have everything that a man’s best friend would want: ample space to run, shade, and freshwater.
Some of the best dog-friendly beaches in Alabama are Dauphin Island Public Beach, with its shallow waters that your dog can splash around in, and Fort Morgan Beach, which has authorized dog areas and even designated dog-friendly beach houses.
The nicest beaches in Alabama
There are so many beautiful beaches in Alabama that it’s hard to pick the nicest. What the nicest is depends, of course, on one’s individual preferences and how they like to spend their time at the beach. Some locations that regularly rank as the prettiest beaches in Alabama are Lake Lurleen State Park Beach, an impeccably maintained man-made beach, and Alabama Point Beach with its awesome waves for surfing.
