Travel The South's Best The Best Waterfront Town In Every Southern State 2024 By Lisa Cericola Lisa Cericola Lisa Cericola has been on staff at Southern Living since 2015. As Deputy Editor, Lisa manages the food and travel departments and edits those sections of each issue, as well as digital content. Previously, she was the features editor at Food Network Magazine and has more than 15 years of experience writing, editing, and managing photo shoots for print and digital lifestyle brands. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 6, 2024 Close Photo: Ali Majdfar / Getty Images When the time comes to plan a vacation, the water always beckons. Whether you’re looking for a beach town with broad sandy beaches and excellent places to watch the sunset, a riverside community with mountain views and the thrill of whitewater rafting, or a lakeside retreat with all-inclusive resorts offering opportunities for boating, fishing, and relaxing, the South has awaterfront town for you. Spanning every landscape in the region, these waterfront towns not only have great recreation and scenic waterside spots, they’re also welcoming communities with excellent local restaurants (for filling up on local catch), boutiques (for souvenirs from your trip), and inns (for turning in after a day spent enjoying the water). Some of these spots are bustling cities, some are tiny towns with big personalities. Each has its own charms, history, and outdoor adventures. Ready to plan your next vacation? Set your sights on the South's Best waterfront towns, as voted on by our readers, for fun in the sun, plenty of fresh seafood, and a trip you'll remember for years to come. South's Best Voting Process An online survey was conducted by third-party agency Proof Insights among Southern Living consumers, asking them to rate their favorite places across the South for the South's Best Awards 2024. The survey was fielded from July 12 to August 23, 2023, and had over 20,000 respondents. 01 of 15 Alabama: Orange Beach/Gulf Shores Jim McKinley/Getty Images When you ask an Alabamian where they like to spend their beach vacations, 9 times out of 10 they’re going to point you towards Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. These next-door beach towns are a quintessential summer destination, with all the Gulf-caught seafood you can eat served alongside ice-cold bushwhackers, the legendary beach beverage made famous by the Flora-Bama. Explore Orange Beach/Gulf Shores 02 of 15 Arkansas: Hot Springs Robbie Caponetto A water town in more ways than one, Hot Springs is famous for the national park of the same name, which contains springs bubbling with steaming water that has moved through the earth for thousands of years. The bathhouses that once offered access to that water lie along a historic row that always thrumming with visitors. The area is also home to Lake Ouachita, Lake Hamilton, Lake Catherine, and the Ouachita River, all of which are popular for recreation and weekends on the water. Explore Hot Springs 03 of 15 Florida: St. Augustine ROBBIE CAPONETTO Florida has a bevy of great beach towns, and St. Augustine has been voted the best of them all. That’s because of the sheer variety of attractions to be found in this historic town. Cultural sites and natural wonders abound alongside stretches of sand and plenty of nearby Atlantic beachfront as well as access to the Tolomato River, Matanzas River, and Salt Run. Explore St. Augustine 04 of 15 Georgia: St. Simons Island Peter Frank Edwards The barrier islands found along the Georgia coast are known as the Golden Isles because of the sunlight-hued marshes that greet visitors when they approach the coast. You’ll find a great many interesting spots here, including the St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum and Christ Church Episcopal Church, as well as beaches, a fishing pier, and several shopping hubs. Explore St. Simons Island 05 of 15 Kentucky: Newport Visit Cincy Located along the Ohio River at the border of Kentucky and Ohio, Newport is a small town with a lot to recommend it. Local restaurants, art galleries, and hotels are all within a stone’s throw of the river, and both the Newport Aquarium and the Licking River (which intersects the Ohio) offer more ways to enjoy the waterside life. Explore Newport 06 of 15 Louisiana: New Orleans Camille Barnett North of New Orleans is the massive sprawl of Lake Pontchartrain, east of New Orleans is Lake Borgne, and the Mississippi River curves through the south side of the city. Waterways crisscross this section of Louisiana and bring with them rich fishing and boating culture as well as daily opportunities to hop a jazz cruise, airboat, or steamboat to see the sights. (Though if you’d like to stay on land, you can always grab a bench by the water and watch the boats pass by.) Explore New Orleans 07 of 15 Maryland: St. Michaels ymn/Getty Images The Eastern Shore of Maryland has a deep history powered by the water that surrounds it. Its fishing villages, like St Michaels, have thrived thanks to the resources of the Chesapeake Bay and are now destinations filled with natural beauty as well as opportunities for sailing and enjoying freshly caught seafood, including the crabs for which the area is famous. Explore St Michaels 08 of 15 Mississippi: Biloxi Eddie Robinson Biloxi, a town situated along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, has a few claims to fame, including its pockets of sand, like Biloxi Beach, and historic landmarks, like Biloxi Lighthouse, which looks out on the Mississippi Sound. Don’t miss a visit to the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum to learn more about the waters in this corner of Mississippi. Explore Biloxi 09 of 15 North Carolina: Wrightsville Beach Courtesy of Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau North Carolina has no shortage of great beach towns, and this one has some of the most excellent stretches of coastline in the state. Wide shores and multiple long piers welcome beachgoers and those hoping to cast a line for plenty of fun in the sun. It’s also a great spot for surfing and taking to the water by booking a fishing charter or sunset sail. Explore Wrightsville Beach 10 of 15 Oklahoma: Broken Bow Courtesy of McCurtain County Tourism Authority Located along the lake of the same name, Broken Bow has a bevy of opportunities to enjoy the water. Islands and beaches perfect for exploring and lounging beckon visitors, and the boat access points invite sailing and fishing for resident species like largemouth bass, spotted bass, walleye, and white bass. Next door, Beavers Bend State Park and Nature Center surrounds a meander of Mountain Fork River as it curves through the forest. Explore Broken Bow 11 of 15 South Carolina: Hilton Head Island Peter Frank Edwards Kayak the waterways, book a fishing excursion, or take a serene walk on the beach as the sun goes down—there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy the water in Hilton Head Island. According to their travel bureau, “Hilton Head Island is a wonderland of white-sand beaches, tidal creeks, towering live oaks, and winding pathways.” One visit, and you’ll feel the magic too. Explore Hilton Head Island 12 of 15 Tennessee: Gatlinburg Jonathan Ross/Getty Images Tennessee’s favorite resort town is also its favorite waterfront town. Located along the Pigeon River, Gatlinburg has plenty of attractions for families to enjoy. Several whitewater rafting companies take trips along the river, and the indoor WildBear Falls Water Park also invites families to have fun in the splash zone. Explore Gatlinburg 13 of 15 Texas: Galveston Wynn Meyers The Lone Star State’s favorite coastal town is none other than Galveston, an island spot with 32 miles of Gulf shoreline and beautiful beaches like Stewart Beach and East Beach. Galveston Beach features one of the area’s fishing piers as well as a string of great seafood restaurants, while farther afield, Galveston Island State Park has plenty of room to roam, swim, camp, and hike. Explore Galveston 14 of 15 Virginia: Virginia Beach Virginia Tourism Corporation This city lies where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, and much of its appeal can be traced to its waters, which offer opportunities to fish, sail, and explore the beachfront—a sandy expanse with a popular 3-mile boardwalk. There, you’ll find bike rentals, ice cream shops, and cafes ideal for people watching and taking in beach breezes. Explore Virginia Beach 15 of 15 West Virginia: Harpers Ferry Ali Majdfar / Getty Images Two rivers border Harpers Ferry, a charming small town located between the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Trails and scenic drives offer panoramic views of the waters, and historic sites throughout town also offer insight into the town’s rich history. According to the National Park Service, “When visiting Harpers Ferry today, one can see how the Shenandoah and Potomac gracefully come together, flowing eastward to the Chesapeake Bay.” Explore Harpers Ferry Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit