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Dauphin Island Beach Rentals

Although most visitors plan their Alabama Gulf Coast vacation during summer, our slice of coastal paradise provides a fantastic destination year-round. Plan a winter trip along the Alabama Gulf Coast to Dauphin Island and experience the perks of visiting during the off-season. Explore island attractions without the crowds, enjoy the mild winter weather, watch the annual bird migration, and enjoy special off-season rates. Book your winter escape with Boardwalk Realty and find the perfect beach rental for your getaway. 

Mild Winter Weather

Dauphin Island offers mild winter weather, with average daily highs in the mid-60s and average daily lows in the mid-40s. This means you’ll rarely see snow on Dauphin Island, but you will see rainy days during this time of year. Since summers are hot and humid, winter provides an opportune time to explore the great outdoors!

Fewer Crowds

Enjoy Dauphin Island without the summer crowds. With fewer crowds, you can enjoy secluded beach days, better accommodation rates, less wait times at our local restaurants, and more peaceful nature experiences. 

Activities for All Interests

Besides swimming, you can experience everything you love about Dauphin Island during the wintertime:

  • Winter is the best time to watch Dauphin Island’s waterfowl, seabirds, and shorebirds. Find the best birdwatching spots on the island and download this checklist for a complete list of species.
  • Walk to the beach from your vacation rental and stroll along the shoreline looking for seashells. Then, find a comfortable spot in the sand and watch the sunset dip below the horizon.
  • Visit the Cedar Point Fishing Pier just north of the bridge to Dauphin Island and cast your line in the water for winter fishing.
  • Explore popular attractions open year-round, like the Alabama Aquarium and Historic Fort Gaines
  • Take the Mobile Bay Ferry and spend a day exploring the neighboring towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Discounted Accommodations

Winter is the perfect time to save money on Boardwalk Realty’s Dauphin Island vacation rentals. We offer a special Snowbird Monthly Rental Program from October through March, where you can reserve our properties for a full calendar month. Contact our office at 877-861-3992 for more information on our snowbird rentals. Check out our specials for last-minute property discounts, and book your Alabama winter getaway on Dauphin Island today!

Reserve a Dauphin Island beach rental with Boardwalk Realty and stay steps away from our beautiful white sand beaches. Pack snacks, beach chairs, and coolers in your vacation home, then head to the beach for endless fun in the sun. Spend your days swimming, suntanning, watching the sunset, beachcombing, and building sand castles. Whether you are looking for a dog-friendly beach to bring your four-legged friends or a family-friendly beach with convenient amenities, there is a Dauphin Island beach for everyone!

Dauphin Island Beaches

Dauphin Island offers three beaches across our 14-mile island: West End Beach, Middle Beach, and East End Beach. Before heading to the beaches, familiarize yourself with the parking regulations and beach rules. Then, check beach conditions from the Dauphin Island Public Safety page for updated beach flags and rip currents information.

Middle Beach

Middle Beach, also known as Dauphin Island Public Beach, is a great option for families and pets to hang out for the day. Access the beach at 1509 Bienville Blvd, next to the Dauphin Island Elementary School, and enjoy sightseeing from the Dauphin Island Pier, walks on the beach with your dog, and swimming with the family. 

West Beach

If you want a beach with family-friendly amenities, we recommend visiting West Beach at the end of Bienville Blvd at 3000 Bienville. Here, you can enjoy convenient amenities like food vendors, beach chair rentals, and restrooms. Stick around for the Summer Family Movie Nights and Summer Sunset Concert Series and enjoy entertainment at the beach. Keep in mind absolutely no pets, glass, grills, fires, or overnight camping are allowed on West Beach. 

East Beach

East Beach is located at the easternmost end of Bienville Blvd, just past Fort Gaines. Take the family here and enjoy a day of swimming, beachcombing, kite flying, and wildlife watching.  Nearby, you can enjoy fishing on Mobile Bay at the East End Landing pier

Dauphin Island Beachfront Vacation Homes

Spend your days on our white sand beaches and immerse yourself in Dauphin Island’s natural and cultural history. Book one of our Gulf Front vacation rentals and easily access our beaches from your vacation home. From our two-bedroom Foresight home to our six-bedroom Bama Breeze property, we have beachfront homes for groups of all sizes!

Get off the beaten path this summer and visit Dauphin Island, a hidden gem on the Alabama Gulf Coast. If you’ve never visited the Gulf Coast, you may ask yourself, “Where is Dauphin Island?” Boardwalk Realty is here to put our island paradise on the map by providing visitors with an inside look into where we are located, how to get here, and what to do when you arrive. Book your vacation home on Dauphin Island and visit the Southernmost point in Alabama to discover pristine beaches, incredible birdwatching, rich history, and exceptional fishing!

Where is Dauphin Island?

Dauphin Island is located at the southernmost point of Alabama on the Gulf Coast, just three miles south of Mobile Bay. It is part of Mobile County and is just 37 miles from the town of Mobile. The island is also surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico to the south and the Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay to the north. 

How to Get Here

Getting to Dauphin Island is easy via the Dauphin Island bridge or the Mobile Bay Ferry:

  • If you are traveling from Mobile, Montgomery, or Birmingham, we recommend accessing the island via I-65. If traveling from the west, I-10 is the route to follow. Get to the island from the Gordon Persons Bridge, the sole road connecting to the mainland.
  • If you are traveling from the east, the best way to access our island is via the Mobile Bay Ferry. Save travel time and get across Mobile Bay in just 40 minutes! The ferry offers daily transportation to and from Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan, weather permitting.

What to Do

Now that you know how to get here, you may be wondering what to do when you arrive:

  • Relax at 7 miles of pristine sugar white sand beaches of Dauphin Island.
  • Visit the Audubon Bird Sanctuary and experience some of the best birdwatching in Alabama.
  • Discover the island’s rich history at Historic Fort Gaines, a crucial site for the South during the Civil War.
  • Visit the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Alabama Aquarium and learn all about the marine life of Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico through visual and interactive exhibits. 

Book Dauphin Island Vacation Homes

Now that you know where Dauphin Island is located, it’s time to plan your beach getaway with Boardwalk Realty. Browse our collection of Dauphin Island vacation rentals and find the perfect basecamp for your group. Explore everything our island has to offer and immerse yourself in the small-town charm of Dauphin Island. If you need assistance finding the right property, don’t hesitate to reach out at 877-861-3992!

Book one of Boardwalk Realty’s Boat Dock properties and explore the waterways around Dauphin Island during your stay. Reserve a Dauphin Island boat rental and chart your own adventure in the Mississippi Sound, Mobile Bay, or Gulf waters. Launch your boat from your vacation rental and spend your time on the water fishing, wildlife watching, swimming, and watching the sunset. Experience the Alabama Coast with us and make unforgettable memories on the water this summer!

Dauphin Island Boat Dock Properties

Boardwalk Realty offers ten vacation rentals with boat docks on the island, offering easy access to the surrounding waterways. Launch your boat from the dock and have a perfect summer day on the water, fishing, swimming, and sightseeing. Take advantage of additional amenities like fish cleaning stations, outdoor showers, swim ladders, and deck areas. Please note that the boat and jet ski lifts visible in the pictures are unavailable for guest use.

Dauphin Island Boat Rentals

Head to the Dauphin Island Marina and reserve a boat rental for the duration of your stay. They offer six, eight, and ten-passenger pontoon rentals. Gather your family for a day on the water and check out these activities:

Fishing

Dauphin Island is a paradise for anglers. North of the island, Mobile Bay offers fantastic inshore fishing. Cast your line for white trout, ground mullet, and flounder in the bay. South of the island, you can access the Gulf for some epic deep-sea fishing. Target species like red snapper, amberjack, and king mackerel.  

Wildlife Watching

Dauphin Island provides a critical habitat for an array of wildlife species. During your boating adventures, keep your eyes peeled for birds flying over your head and dolphin pods playing in the bay. 

Sightseeing

Cruise along the coast of Dauphin Island and enjoy some sightseeing past the Indian Shell Mounds, historic Fort Gaines, and Sand Island Lighthouse. Bring a picnic and find a spot on the water to watch a scenic sunset.

Explore Dauphin Island with Boardwalk Realty 

Whether you are traveling by boat or need to reserve a Dauphin Island boat rental, Boardwalk Realty offers the perfect basecamp with our Boat Dock properties. Stay at Sunset Key and enjoy convenient access to the Mississippi Sound, or choose Dues Paid and access the Mississippi Sound, Mobile Bay, and Gulf Waters from your vacation home. If you need assistance finding the best boat dock property, please contact us at 1-877-861-3992. 

Located at the Southernmost point of Alabama, Dauphin Island offers the perfect destination for summer fun. Book your getaway with Boardwalk Realty and easily access the top Dauphin Island tourist attractions found along our 14-mile island. Head to the island’s east end and spend the day exploring historic Fort Gaines, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and the Audubon Bird Sanctuary. Or visit the pristine East, Middle, or West end beaches for a day of fun in the sun. Whether you seek a relaxing beach getaway or an adventurous family vacation, we have something for everyone!

1. Historic Fort Gaines

Historic Fort Gaines was built in 1821 and is best known for its contributions to the Battle of Mobile Bay during the Civil War. This preserved fort has original cannons, a blacksmith shop, kitchens, a museum, a gift shop, and tunnels for visitors to explore. Take a self-guided tour and learn about the fascinating history through signs, exhibits, and artifacts. 

2. Dauphin Island Sea Lab Alabama Aquarium

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab is Alabama’s leading marine science research and education center. The Sea Lab operates the Alabama Aquarium, where you can stroll through exhibits and interactive displays highlighting the four key habitats of coastal Alabama. Discover the 10,000-square-foot Exhibit Hall, explore the Living Marsh Boardwalk, and attend an educational Boardwalk Talk at one of Dauphin Island’s top tourist attractions! 

3. Audubon Bird Sanctuary

Dauphin Island is located in a Globally Important Bird Area and is one of the best places in the country for bird watching! Visit the Audubon Bird Sanctuary and look for hundreds of bird species as you stroll through 164 acres of trails winding through pines, live oaks, swamps, and beaches. Use the local bird sighting checklist for helpful info about birding on Dauphin Island! 

4. Dauphin Island Beaches

Play at the Dauphin Island beaches during your getaway and relax along our Gulf Coast beaches’ soft, sugar-white sand. Head to one of three public beaches- East Beach, Middle Beach, or West End Beach for fishing, swimming, and watersports. Check out all the local beach access points to find where to park during your visit. Stay in one of our Gulf Front vacation rentals and access the beach steps from your rental home. 

5. Indian Shell Mound Park

Indian Shell Mound Park is on the National Register of Historic Places. It features shell mounds dating back to the Mississippi period (1100-1550). Over centuries, this shell mound was used as a gathering site for indigenous people, where they came together to harvest fish and exchange goods. Learn about the history of indigenous people on Dauphin Island here!

Dauphin Island Alabama Beach Rentals

Plan a visit to the Alabama Gulf Coast and discover the top Dauphin Island tourist attractions during your visit with Boardwalk Realty. Reserve one of our Gulf Front vacation rentals on Dauphin Island and stay steps away from our beautiful white sand beaches. If you need assistance finding the best rental, please call us at 1-877-861-3992. 

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