An island getaway is a no-brainer for anyone looking to unwind. When searching for sun and fun, we're quick to make plans for Cozumel, Jamaica or maybe the Bahamas. But what about that body of salt water right in our own backyard? This month we are visiting Gulf Coast island getaways for nearby sand and surf. These islands offer world-class nature excursions, coastal history and culture, locally harvested seafood, and clear Gulf waters for swimming, fishing and sunning.
Florida: St. George Island
St. George Island is a 28-mile long barrier island off the coast of Apalachicola in the Florida Panhandle. It's one of the last inhabited barrier islands with a year-round community of less than 1,000 people. However, the environment is virtually unspoiled. Perhaps the best way to experience the island is to first visit Jolly Roger Beach Shop where you can book a fishing trip, sunset cruise or a river trip. Or slow down and see the Forgotten Coast by way of kayak or paddleboard. They're also the experts on family shelling adventures and dolphin watching.
Afterward, visit the reconstructed 1852 Cape St. George Lighthouse, board a paddle wheel riverboat and tour the Apalachicola River, or visit one of the many museums in the area. For some great seafood, live music and island nightlife, kick back at Blue Parrot Oceanfront Café or stroll into Eddy Teach's Raw Bar.
On the east side of the island are the beaches, boardwalks and hiking trails of St. George Island State Park. Here you'll discover a nine-mile stretch of pristine shoreline, sand dunes, bay forests and salt marshes, perfect for birding, strolling and relaxing.
Alabama: Dauphin Island
South of Mobile Bay, across a three-mile-long, high-rise bridge, is 14-mile-long Dauphin Island, better known as the Sunset Capital of Alabama. Here you will discover Gulf Coast nature and history at its finest. Begin at the 164-acre Audubon Bird Sanctuary, where boardwalks and hiking trails pass through woodlands, swamps, fresh water lakes, sand dunes and white sand beaches. There is also the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, home of the Estuarium, where visitors can get up close and personal to more than 100 species of resident marine life.
On the north side of the island is Shell Mound Park, an archeological site dating as far back as 1100 AD, where people from the Bottle Creek site deposited their oyster shells over centuries of meals. Relive the Battle of Mobile Bay at the historic Fort Gaines, an experience complete with well-preserved ramparts, blacksmith demonstrations and living history events. Then take a quiet stroll through the old oak trees of historic Cadillac Square, or watch the comings and goings of shrimp and crab boats from Aloe Bay Landing Park. Afterwards, take your picnic basket to the Dauphin Island Pier, Magnolia Park or beautiful Bayou Heron Park before heading to the pet-friendly public beach for some quiet time. The island's West End Beach is great for families.
Mississippi: West Ship Island
The Ship Island Excursions ferry from Gulfport, Miss., to West Ship Island is an hour-long, 12-mile trip across Mississippi Sound and through a host of shrimp boats, tugs and freighters. The destination is an uninhabited barrier island where tranquil white sand beaches and pristine Gulf waters beckon visitors to leave their troubles behind. As part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and protected by the U.S. Park Service, West Ship Island trades the constant noise of traffic for the steady rhythms of the coastal breeze and lapping tide. This is the beach environment minus the resort fuss.
Favorite island pastimes here include birding, hiking, shelling and fishing for flounder, red drum and speckled trout from the shore, pier or local charter. Visitors also enjoy touring Fort Massachusetts, a 19th century structure built for national defense that has withstood both war and weather. However, the most popular activities on West Ship Island, aside from sunbathing, are swimming and snorkeling in the warm coastal waters. But don't get too comfortable here, no overnight stays are allowed on West Ship Island. However, camping facilities are available next door on East Ship Island.
Louisiana: Grand Isle
As Louisiana's only inhabited barrier island, Grand Isle is a Gulf Coast paradise for thousands of visitors each year. The island's history includes the Chitimacha tribe, frequent visits by pirates and occupation by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Today vacationers visit the island for fishing, birding and relaxing on seven miles of white sand beaches.
Offering more than 280 species of fish and four seasons in which to catch them, Grand Isle is a fisherman's paradise. Charter a boat and head out into the Gulf or set out in the shallow water marsh around the island in a kayak. Visitors can also surf fish for speckled trout year-round or luck into a redfish during the fall and winter months, but don't miss the island's Tarpon Rodeo in July.
Set out on the two-mile Grand Isle Birding Trail, which includes five bird-watching sites located throughout Louisiana landscapes of oak and hackberry forests, salt marshes and tidal ponds. The annual Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival in April corresponds with the area's peak bird migration. Grand Isle State Park on the island's eastern end makes for great camping and picnicking.
Texas: Galveston Island
Texas offers up the biggest and best in Gulf Coast island getaways with 32 miles of beach along with numerous resorts, restaurants and shopping, and a 2,000-acre state park, all found on Galveston Island. When it comes to beaches, Seawall Urban Park is the island's central hot spot for shopping, eating, sidewalk strolling, sightseeing and people watching. For a healthy dose of partying and live music, your best bet is to head to East Beach's boardwalk and pavilion. And if you're looking for some family-friendly sun and surf, head to Stewart Beach.
Museums abound on Galveston Island, including the Lone Star Flight Museum and Texas Seaport Museum. Take the kids to Moody Gardens for endless entertainment, including a giant aquarium, a rainforest pyramid, 3D and 4D theaters, ropes courses and loads of fun. Then check out Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark and the Gulf Coast's biggest family attraction-Pleasure Pier.
Nature enthusiasts will appreciate Galveston Island's birding, dolphin watching, and fishing opportunities. Galveston Island State Park offers up a quieter perspective with swimming, hiking, kayak tours, picnicking and camping in one of the 66 campsites (most of which face the beach). And the beaches here are easily some of the very best in the Gulf.
While there's nothing wrong with a trip to the Virgin Islands and no one would scoff at the thought of a getaway in the Dominican Republic, our local islands are worth another look. So before you pack your flip-flops and sunscreen this year, see what the Gulf Coast has to offer and consider staying local for your island vacation.
