No matter if this is your first time in our little slice of paradise on the Alabama Gulf Coast, or you’ve been coming down your whole life, we want you to have a great time! Here are a few tips to see the island from a locals’ vantagepoint and enjoy your vacation to the fullest:

Rent a boat and hit the water

When you drive over the Perdido Pass bridge you can see tons of boats hanging out at the islands on any given sunny day. Robinson Island & Bird Island Park is only accessible by boat and has some of the clearest water in the area. You can bring your  family, lunch, floats and make a day lounging and floating in the shallow, calm water. You can also venture out and ride down Ole River, over to Josephine to Pirates Cove, and just around Orange Beach. There are many fun restaurants to stop to get a drink and a snack such as Flora Bama Yacht Club, Tacky Jacks, Oso, Playa, and many more! Be sure to read up on boating in the area and abide all local laws.

Eat Out at Lunch or Happy Hour

I know, I know…the beach is the main reason you’re here in the first place..BUT…we have a tip for you! Hit the beach early and enjoy the morning outdoors and then take a break midday to get cleaned up to venture off the beach and to have a yummy lunch. There probably won’t be a wait if you’re dining when everyone else is still on the beach and your service will be much faster. Same theory applies for the time between 3-4pm at most restaurants and you can snag some happy hour deals. After your meal out, you can head back to the condo and hit the beach again and you will have avoided some of the strongest sun rays of the day. Now, you won’t be too burned to stay out there until the golden hour…the most gorgeous time of day! The best part of taking a break midday is that you don’t have to rush back to the condo to get showered and rush out for dinner. You can order in food to the condo, have a charcuterie and appetizer dinner with cocktails, or even swing by Rouse’s or a seafood market to pick up some steamed shrimp and fixings.

Leave the high heels and dress shoes at home

You’re on island time, so leave those heels at home especially if you’re going to places like the Flora-Bama with a lot of stairs or walking on docks. Not only will you stick out as a tourist,, it can be dangerous and you risk twisting an ankle on uneven wood or dock decking. Cute wedges or low heels are perfectly acceptable for a nice meal out like at Big Fish, Voyagers, or Fisher’s Upstairs when you’re having a nice meal out though so feel free to get all dolled up.

Rent bicycles or a golf cart

Locals know that the best mode of land transportation is not a car but a bike or golf cart! You can ride through the walking trails throughout the area, cruise through neighborhoods, and get from point A to point B with ease. Call Infinity Bicycles to rent a beach cruiser or Gulf Coast Rental Co. to rent a golf cart. (They have a lot of other awesome rental items available too such as baby items, strollers, beach toys, beach chairs, etc.).

Wear sunscreen and re-apply!

This goes without saying, but apply sunscreen, and reapply, reapply, and then reapply again! Nothing ruins a vacation faster than getting burned on the first day. The sun on the Gulf Coast is strong and the water and sugar white sand amplifies it. The locals will be snickering at you when you walk in toasted like a lobster, not to mention the unnecessary pain you’ll be in if you don’t heed our warning. If you do get too much sun, be sure to take a couple pain relievers to help with the inflammation and apply aloe. Stick to a swim shirt or coverup the following day and stay under an umbrella or canopy if possible..