The Orange Beach Experience We Keep Coming Back To
After 20+ years of visiting Lower Alabama, we’ve learned a key fact. You can have an incredible beach vacation, and it doesn’t require spending every waking hour on the beach.
We’ve learned to mix a little adventure, a little local food, a little touristy fun and, most importantly, a little nothing-at-all.
Lower Alabama can be all of those things.
And that’s why, after 20+ years, we’re still not finished exploring.
A Few of Our Favorite Orange Beach & Lower Alabama Experiences
This isn’t meant to be the definitive “best of Orange Beach” list.
It’s our list of the places and experiences where we’ve collected memories over the years—and a few we discovered more recently.
If you’re looking for things to do in Orange Beach with kids, traveling with grandparents, or simply want to experience more of Lower Alabama beyond the beach, this is where I’d start.
Adventures & Excursions
Sunset & Crab Grab Tours
Our most recent adventure and, according to our boys, one of the best.
There’s something pretty magical about paddling glow-in-the-dark kayaks toward an island and then getting out to explore the shoreline, blue crabs, hermit crabs and little pools filled with fish.
It felt adventurous without being an all-day commitment—which, when you’re traveling with kids, is sometimes exactly what you want.
Family adventure + water + something completely different? Yes, please.
Sea View Tours operates from Caribe Marina and offers both sunset and nighttime “Crab Grab” tours in clear, glowing kayaks.
Alligator Alley
- Feed giant alligators.
- Hold a baby alligator.
- Walk through the swamp.
Our family loved the entire experience, from the live feeding to exploring the property.
Alligator Alley is in nearby Summerdale and has an elevated boardwalk through its swamp sanctuary, with hundreds of alligators and other wildlife.
It’s one of those places the boys will probably remember long after they forget what restaurant we ate at that night.
Parasailing
This one goes way back.
Parasailing was one of my favorite adventures from when my husband and I were dating. He stepped far outside his comfort zone to feed my adventurous soul—and it was equal parts incredible and hilarious.
It was also the beginning of him realizing that maybe adventure wasn’t so bad after all.
Some traditions are worth repeating.
Dauphin Island Day Trip
Take the Mobile Bay Ferry from Fort Morgan to Dauphin Island and turn the ride itself into part of the adventure.
The ferry crossing takes approximately 30-40 minutes and connects Fort Morgan with Dauphin Island across Mobile Bay. From there, you can explore Dauphin Island and visit the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.
It’s one of those excursions where getting there is part of the experience.
Orange Beach Pirate Adventure
If you’re visiting Orange Beach with kids, put this one on your list.
The crew is incredibly talented and brings plenty of energy—even on those hot Gulf Coast days.
It’s exactly the kind of slightly cheesy, completely fun vacation experience that kids remember.
And sometimes, that’s the point.
Boat Tours & Dolphin Cruises
Rent a pontoon or hire a captain.
Because the Gulf and surrounding waterways are different from the lakes we’re used to at home, we’ve preferred hiring a captain for a couple of hours.
On our most recent trip, we found a captain through the Caribe Marina who took us out for a two-hour tour, where we saw dolphins and explored some of the local waterways.
If you haven’t spent much time on the back bays around Orange Beach, I’d highly recommend getting out on the water.
Some of the best views of Lower Alabama aren’t from land.
For the Aviation-Loving Family
National Naval Aviation Museum
This is technically over in Pensacola, but it’s close enough to make a great Lower Alabama day trip.
The National Naval Aviation Museum is home to more than 4,000 artifacts and more than 150 restored aircraft, and admission is free. Blue Angels practice viewing is also available on select dates throughout the year.
For families who love airplanes, history or anything that flies, this one is worth the drive.
One practical note: because the museum is located on NAS Pensacola, adults entering the base need a REAL ID or valid U.S. passport, so check the current access requirements before you go.
The Wharf
Shopping, restaurants, entertainment and the famous Ferris wheel make The Wharf an easy family stop.
It’s also home to the Blue Marlin Grand Championship, one of the area’s major sportfishing events, held each July.
This is a good one for those evenings when everyone wants something a little different.
The Tourist-y Things
And sometimes you just need to embrace the tourist stuff.
- Outlet shopping.
- Putt-putt.
- Go-karts.
- Water parks.
We’re not above any of it.
We’ve found that vacations don’t have to be perfectly curated to be memorable.
Sometimes the thing you think will be cheesy becomes the thing your kids talk about for years.
OWA Parks & Resort in nearby Foley is another option to keep on your radar. We’ve never personally visited OWA, so I’ll leave the review to someone who has—but if you’re looking for additional family entertainment beyond the beach, it’s worth researching.
Where We Like to Eat in Lower Alabama
Some trips are about finding the most acclaimed restaurant.
Ours are usually about finding a place for the experience and also, where everyone will actually eat.
Here are some of our favorites for different kinds of nights.
Shipp’s Dockside Grill— Great for a date night on the bay.
Big Mike’s Steakhouse— Good for either a date night or family dinner. It’s busy, so plan ahead.
The Gulf — Built from shipping containers and right on the water. Great outdoor atmosphere for families.
Tacky Jack’s — Great for family outings. The original Orange Beach location sits right on the bay (Tip: discount in the gift shop when you eat here!).
OSO at Bear Point — A great local lunch stop on the bay when you’re on the Bear Point side.
COASTAL Orange Beach — Beachy atmosphere, good for families or date night. Finish dinner with a walk on the beach.
Jesse’s Restaurant in Magnolia Springs — A quieter, more intimate option for date nights or special family dinners.
The Tin Top Restaurant & Oyster Bar — Casual, easygoing and good for families or groups.
And if you’re traveling with grandparents or a larger multigenerational group, don’t be afraid to choose the restaurant based on who has the most patience left at dinnertime.
We’ve been there.
And One Very Important Treat…
Mythic Beach Banana Bar
Frozen banana. Frozen cheesecake. Need I say more?
It’s one of those “you won’t find this everywhere” kind of places—and absolutely worth a stop.
Don’t Forget the Quiet
This might actually be my favorite piece of advice for visiting Orange Beach.
Don’t fill every minute. There is so much to do in Lower Alabama that it’s easy to turn a vacation into a checklist. We know because we’ve done it.
But some of our favorite memories have happened in the spaces between the activities.
- Coffee on the balcony.
- Boats passing by.
- A sunset turning the sky orange and dusty pink.
- Kids winding down after a full day.
- A slow dinner.
- A walk with nowhere to be.
After 20+ years, we’ve learned that Orange Beach doesn’t require us to choose between adventure and rest.
It gives us both.
Keep Exploring Lower Alabama
Planning your own Orange Beach trip? Continue exploring our Lower Alabama series:
Part 1: Why We Keep Coming Back After 20+ Years
The story behind our family’s connection to Orange Beach—and why this place has become so much more than a beach destination.
Part 2: Where to Stay in Orange Beach: Our Caribe Resort Review
A closer look at where we stayed, what we loved, the accessibility considerations, amenities and whether we’d stay there again.
Part 3: Best Things to Do in Orange Beach & Lower Alabama
Our family favorites for adventures, food, day trips and finding a little quiet along the way.
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