Beach 'n Bay

Tour Mobile Bay on an old-fashioned schooner. Take an eco-tour and see alligators. Walk the deck of the USS Alabama. Learn about insect-catching plants. Build a sandcastle on the beach.

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Arrive in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach. Take a nature tour on a boat and go exploring, identifying shrimp, blue crabs, oysters, and a variety of birds and fish. Dolphins are often sighted. Then head off to the beach for a stroll on the sugar-white sand of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach. You might want to feed the seagulls on the boardwalk at the public beach or bicycle on the trails at the state park. That night visit any number of popular establishments including the Flora-Bama, located on the Florida-Alabama state line and recently named the number one beach bar in America.

Arrive in Fairhope to tour nearby Weeks Bay. A guide will show you this beautiful bog and its four species of pitcher plants, which capture insects in their throats. With advance booking, take your group on a 2 1/2 hour cruise on an old-fashioned schooner. This 72-foot-long double-masted wooden ship can carry up to 49 passengers and departs from either side of Mobile Bay.

Travel to Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort and explore the Mobile- Tensaw Delta from the Delta Explorer, a large pontoon boat that is great for tour groups. For your more adventuresome groups, pre-arrange a canoe trip with one of the outfitters in the region. Alabama’s delta is host to many rare and exotic plants, animals and fish. Swamp tours are available near Mobile for small groups. In Mobile, tour the USS Alabama Battleship, one of the area’s most popular attractions.

Cruise from Mobile. Your group can leave from Mobile on a cruise ship. Cruises of 4 and 5 days are offered year ‘round. Before or after the cruise, spend time in Mobile, a city founded in 1702 as the first capital of the Louisiana Territory and birthplace of America’s Mardi Gras. Call ahead to check on hours, fees and reservations.