8 Most Beautiful Small Towns on the Gulf Coast to Visit in 2024
The Gulf Coast is home to a diverse array of beautiful towns spanning across the southern edge of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texes. This region boasts stunning imagery of natural beauty, from lush forests and vibrant flowers to towering mountains, pristine beaches, and rolling tides. Whether in search of hidden gems, close-knit communities, or relaxing retreats, the Gulf Coast has a perfect home away from home for every traveler.
Matagorda, Texas
Texas’ 3rd oldest town, Matagorda, is located near the mouth of the Colorado River on the upper Texan coastline. Known for its abundant wildlife, soft sandy beaches, and world-class fishing, hunting and birding, Matagorda is a popular tourist destination. Primarily a fishing town, Both commercial and recreational fishing are the top industries. During the summer season, the town undergoes a metamorphosis as visitors flock to enjoy the sun-soaked beachfront. Functioning on relaxed “island time,” the locals are incredibly welcoming year-round and community-oriented during the off season. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, including swimming, beachcombing, fishing, birdwatching, and boating. The community hosts the Matagorda Surf and Turf Festival every March to emphasize conservation efforts and support the upkeep of the beach and bay quality.
Matagorda Bay Nature Park offers public day-use pavilions and boardwalks that cross over the dunes. For those looking to stay, the park also is home to waterfront campsites teeming with wildlife. Owned and operated by the Lower Colorado River Authority, the park also offers a 9-hole mini golf course that has signs sharing notable facts about the area. The oldest building in Matagorda, Samuel Rhoads Fisher’s house, built in 1832, still stands as a testament to the towns long history. Fisher, the Texan Representative who signed the Declaration of Independence, is buried in Matagorda’s Cemetery.
Port Isabel, Texas
Port Isabel is located on the Laguna Madre Bay shoreline at the southernmost part of the Texan Gulf Coast. The town features a beautiful town square, highlighted by Port Isabel’s magnificent Historic Lighthouse, a Texas Historical Commission State Historic Site, and the only Texan Lighthouse on the gulf coast open to the public. The lighthouse is accompanied by a Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage, which serves as a Visitors Center housing artifacts and memorabilia. The site frequently hosts annual events such as the Lighthouse Establishment Cinema, Lighthouse Market Day and Queen Isabella Market Day.
In the same complex visitors can find the Treasures of the Gulf Museum and the Port Isabel Historical Museum. The unique Treasures of the Gulf Museum brings visitors to discover 16th century shipwrecks, centered around the tale of three Spanish ships that wrecked on the nearby Padre Island in 1554. The Port Isabel Historical Museum, characterized by the fish mural decorating the Champion building it resides in, features two floors that explore the history of the Laguna Madre region.
Eco tours are available, offering tourists a hands on experience with the local wildlife of Port Isabel. On the tour a variety of sea creatures are pulled from the water and placed into touch tanks, allowing visitors to learn about and engage with the creatures before being released back into the water.
Grand Isle, Louisiana
Grand Isle seated on Louisiana’s only barrier island, is a thriving seaside community facing the Gulf of Mexico. Known as a source of inspiration for 19th-century fiction authors, the island also serves as a critical environmental defense against the storms that frequently batter the gulf coast. The barrier island protects the marshes and estuaries, and acts as a natural conservation for the habitats and local wildlife. Grand Isle State Park features a mile of beachfront, including a 400-foot-long public fishing pier. Whether hiking the trails, fishing, boating, or soaking up the sun and sand, there’s an activity for everyone in grand Isle.
Fort Livingston, a 19th century coastal defense fort on Grand Terre Island, is technically a part of Grand Isle. Once inhabited by pirates, the government established the seaside defense in 1834 and it remained active until 1972, when it was abandoned after suffering extensive hurricane damage. The fort ruins have survived almost 200 years of storms and only be reached by boat. Those looking to explore can access many rooms in the two-story stone remains.
Elmers Island Wildlife Refuge adds unique features to this beautiful island, such as saltwater marshes, natural and restored coastal dunes, a tidal zone, and a back bay surrounded by mangrove and marsh habitats. The refuge not only is a place of research and conservation of natural resources and habitats, but also offers recreation and educational opportunities about the area.
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi a city nestled along the shores of the Mississippi Sound on the Gulf Coast, is the most populated location on this list. A favorite destination for beachgoers for decade, Biloxi suffered a brief disruption in tourism as it recovered from Hurricane Katrina. Today, Biloxi is flourishing again, boasting stunning white sand beaches and southern hospitality. Rich in maritime history, the Biloxi Lighthouse is a central attraction, right along Biloxi Beach. The Biloxi Lighthouse was one of the first cast-iron lighthouses in the South, and has maintained its visage as an iconic signature landmark, symbolizing the communities resilience post-Katrina. Deeded to the city in 1968, the lighthouse was opened to the public for tours.
Biloxi is also known for its casinos, including the Beau Rivage Casino with is breathtaking architecture and decor. Another notable site is Beauvoir, the historic home of Jefferson Davis, the ex-confederate president. Beauvoir features a rotating gallery in its museum accompanied by a soldiers exhibit and President Davis exhibit. The grounds also are home to gardens, nature trails, and a cemetery.
Nature enthusiasts flock to Deer Island Coastal Preserve, found right across the Biloxi Channel, provides a wonderful habitat for local pelicans and loggerhead turtles. The island, home to ten types of endangered species, is a fantastic place to explore by boat, canoe or paddle board.
Fairhope, Alabama
Located on the eastern shoreline atop the bluffs overlooking Mobile Bay, Fairhope is a town reknowned for its tree-lined streets, temperate climate, peaceful scenic parks and a variety of blooming flora that transforms each season. Fairhope features a thriving arts and culture district, riddled with historic buildings, galleries, studios and events. A home to potters for hundreds of years, the Eastern Shore Art Center houses five galleries featuring a variety of art in various mediums by local, regional and national artists. The Center also offers a wide list of programs and courses for all ages.
The Fairhope Museum of History exhibits permanent displays that provide glimpses into the towns past, including cottages and bungalows, local pottery, sculpture exhibits and even a town jail. For those looking to explore Fairhope’s natural beauty, Weeks Bay Reserve offers an educational visitors center with live animals and informative exhibits on the local wildlife. The reserve features a wheelchair accessible boardwalk that winds through the marshes, leading to an observation platform overlooking the bay. The reserve also has a variety of family-friendly hikes and nature trails within its 9,317 acres of hardwoods forests, marshes and bog habitats.
Alys Beach, Florida
Often considered Mykonos’ twin for its whitewashed buildings and geometric rooftops, Alys Beach is a seaside retreat that has been thoughtfully designed by architects to capture the essence of peaceful beauty and relaxation. With white stucco walls, exclusive white sand beaches contrasted by cerulean waters, and miles of nature trails, Alys Beach is a retreat that emphasizes peace of mind and contentment. Home to meticulously selected luxurious amenities and inspired designs, Alys Beach is a wholesome package for a relaxing vacation experience.
Caliza Pool is nestled on the towns edge and offers a sanctuary for relaxation with its extraordinary oval pool surrounded by shaded verandas. The rooftop terrace overlooks the town and offers panoramic views of the gulf. For families, there is also a shaded, shallow family pool with playful fountain spouts for children and draped awnings to escape the sun. Zuma Wellness Center offers a range of fitness classes, including yoga, spin and suspension training in quiet grounds. The center also feature steam rooms, massage therapy programs, and a lap pool. Zuma specializes in treatments that promote restoration and balance, revitalizing patrons physical and mental states. The outdoor facilities feature tennis and pickleball courts, an activity lawn, and shaded pavilions with seating. Zuma Wellness Center is dedicated to providing premier health programs, focusing on the well-being of both body and mind.
Rosemary Beach, Florida
Nestled on the Emerald Coast of Florida’s panhandle, Rosemary Beach is a charming town designed to look like a Dutch village, complete with cobblestone streets and colorful porticos topped with scalloped awnings and wooden balconies. Named after the native rosemary herb species that can be found throughout the town, Rosemary Beach features year-round mild temperatures, a quaint town center and lively arts scene featuring outdoor concerts, theater productions and gallery displays.
The 107-acre Gulf-front development boasts white sand beaches, tennis courts, dune walkovers, pools and museums. Designed reinvigorate a sense of commiunity and provide an sense of convenience, the neighborhoods are connected by a network of footpaths, pedestrian lanes and boardwalks, ensuring that nothing is within a five-minute walk. Each home in the community is custom-built and designed, finished with wood siding, cedar or shingle stucco, and metal of shingle shake roofing all painted in rich natural tones.
Rosemary Beach exudes a fairytale-like ambiance with a unique climate found in only a few places around the world. The town boasts a variety of flora and fauna ecosystems and offers an opportunity to explore rare coastal dune lakes. Visitors can expereince the magic of various butterfly species in the Butterfly Garden at the heart of the town. The Longleaf Pine Reserve, which protects the areas plant and animal species, is open to the public for guided tours or solo adventures.
Boca Grande, Florida
Boca Grande is a small residential community on Gasparilla Island known for its picturesque European-inspired Victorian architecture, passion for fishing, and surrounding undeveloped islands. In downtown, Banyan Tree Alley is the most notable feature on the island, showcasing 31 nearly century-old banyan trees that have weathered countless storms, high winds, salt spray, hurricanes and tropical storms. Boca Grande is home to miles of white sand beaches and offers a variety of activities such as fishing, snorkeling, swimming and beachcombing.
Visitors can explore the restored Gasparilla Island Lighthouse, also known locally as the range light or Port Boca Lighthouse. Originally reassembled and installed on Gasparilla Island by the US Lighthouse Service, the tower was painted white, and a Fresnel lens was installed and lit. Today, the lens is maintained by the Light Keepers of Gasparilla Island Light Station. The lighthouse is unique for being the only rear range to work in two states, and was deemed eligible by the Keeper of the National Register in 2014.
Gasparilla Island State Park is a proclaimed angler’s paradise, known for the prized fish that inhabit its waters. The park is a excellent location for swimming, snorkeling and fishing, as well as picnicking and shelling. The Boca Grande Rail Trail offers a 5-mile path along the length of the island, providing breathtaking views of the Gulf waters and a wide variety of plants, animals and birds within its 35 acres of natural habitat .
Each town along the Gulf Coast presents its own unique blend of natural beauty, local character, and blissful communities, promising unforgettable memories for any traveler. Through exploring these idyllic gems, its easy to discover that the Gulf Coast isn’t just a destination, but a way of life- an invitation to embrace relaxation, immerse in natural beauty, and create memories that will last a lifetime. The Gulf Coast welcomes anyone to its slice of coastal paradise, where every journey is unforgettable.
