Orange Beach in coastal southern Alabama has 32 miles of shoreline, lined with a variety hot spots for travelers. The waves from the Gulf of Mexico are calmer and warmer than ocean waves, making it opportune for year-round swimming. Because swimming is a relaxing and low-stress exercise that anyone can handle, including children and women who are pregnant, you can plan a vacation to Orange Beach for the whole family.
Tour the Public Beaches
Spend a day sampling some of the most popular public spots in Orange Beach. Driving east on US highway 182, first stop at Romar Beach. This up-and-coming beach is often one of the least crowded, but it does not yet have bathrooms or outdoor showers. Next, you'll find a more crowded beach, at the intersection of highways 182 and 161, along a strip of popular hotels and condominiums. Here, you can socialize while swimming and getting a tan. All the way East is Perdido pass, a jetty that separates Alabama Point from Florida Point. This is the largest of the public beaches, with more than 6,00 feet of coastline; you could spend the whole day here. Free parking is available at all three beaches.
Access Exclusive Private Beaches
Booking the right accommodations can get you access to some of the most intimate sections of beach in the city, many of which have added luxuries and safety features such as private lifeguards and roped off shallow areas for children. You can rent a family-sized house and have dinners at a private picnic pavilion on the beach. Or, for a completely different experience, you can stay at The Holiday Inn Express near The Wharf in Gulf Shores which has a beachfront hot tub and swimming pools.
Swim with Dolphins
Alabama's local laws prohibit swimming with wild animals, but if you would like to swim with dolphins during your visit to Orange Beach, there is a way. Just across Perdido Pass from Alabama Point is Perdido Key, Florida. There, you can choose from several dolphin experiences by going to Visitflorida.com. The average price for a single-person dolphin encounter is $110. Swimming with dolphins is thought by many to be therapeutic.
Stop by the Sports Complex
On days when the weather seems too cold to swim at the beach, the Aquatics Center at the Orange Beach Sports Complex provides an alternative. The center has a junior Olympic-sized swimming pool, a wading pool with a waterfall and an 11-foot diving well. And if you're missing your usual exercise classes while on vacation, the center offers strength and resistance water aerobics classes from April through October. Each class has a fee of $3.00 and is taught by a trained lifeguard. The classes mix free swimming with foam dumbbells, inflatable fins and flotation belts, so it never seems boring or repetitive.
Warning
In association with the 2010 oil spill, the city's Parks and Recreation Department announced a precautionary swim advisory. Beach conditions differ throughout the coast, and are indicated by colored flags. Two red flags signify that a beach is closed to the public, and one red flag represents highly hazardous conditions. For further questions about specific beach openings and warnings, contact the Orange Beach Parks and Recreation Department at (251) 981-6039.
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