MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — Dauphin Island was selected as one of 13 ‘best hidden beaches across the U.S.’ in a Fodor’s Travel report, a travel guide.
Among the 13 beaches highlighted, Dauphin Island was the only beach in Alabama and one of three in the southeast including Crescent Beach in Sarasota, Fla. and Shell Key Preserve in St. Petersburg Fla.
Fodor’s Travel is a “trusted resource offering expert travel advice for every stage of a traveler’s trip,” for over 80 years, according to the company website.
Dauphin Island, just 45 minutes outside of Mobile, is home to just “1,300-something permanent residents,” making for a significant difference in numbers of families on the beach in comparison to more popular beach spots in Alabama including Orange Beach and Gulf Shores.
Dauphin Island was also named the ‘Sunset Capital of Alabama,’ in 2013 by the Alabama Tourism Department. You can find this honor on billboards as you make your way into the island.
Dauphin Island offers three public beach accesses along with several things to do while on the island. The Mobile Bay Ferry runs from 8 a.m. until dark and takes people and their vehicles back and forth from Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan. The cost is $6 per person and vehicles are priced based on length. Here is a look at the ferry schedule.
Here is a list of some of the attractions and restaurants on Dauphin Island:
- Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab
- Fort Gaines
- Several deep sea fishing trips, charters
- Full list of things to do on the island
- Captain Snapper’s
- Foxy’s Waffle Bar and Sugar Den
- Dockside Seafood
- Pelican Pub
- Full list of restaurants on the island
You can find what is going on around the island on their website. The island holds a free family movie night every Thursday and Friday throughout the Summer.
The island also has several shops including Beach Planet, a store that offers any and all things you’ll need for a successful beach trip including clothes and souvenirs. You can also find a full list of stores on the website. The island is home to five churches.
Here is a look at all 13 beaches recognized in the Fodor’s Travel report:
- Haskell’s Beach (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
- Gray’s Beach (Honolulu, Hawaii)
- Amsterdam Beach Preserve (Montauk, NY)
- Cape Charles (Cape Charles, Va.)
- Shell Key Reserve (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
- San Jose Island (Port Arkansas, Texas)
- Oxnard’s Hollywood Beach (Oxnard, Calif.)
- Chatham Lighthouse Beach (Cape Cod, Mass.)
- Padre Island National Seashore (Corpus Christi, Texas)
- Crescent Beach (Sarasota Fla.)
- Dauphin Island (Mobile, Ala.)
- Daufuskie Island (Hilton Head, SC)
- Ocracoke Island (Ocracoke, NC)
