How Dangerous Spring Break Cities Have Made Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Popular Among Students

OBA Staff • February 26, 2025

College students now look for safe beaches for spring break

Spring Break on the Gulf Coast

Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores and Orange Beach started their "Safe Spring Break" rules many years ago and the plan appears to have paid off among college students. Historic spring break party beaches are now telling students they do not want them to visit. Locations like Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Panama City have now adopted many of the rules that the Alabama beach towns introduced almost a decade ago.


In recent years, college spring breakers have seen violence and illegals drugs cause death and physical damage to many of their cohorts. The annual getaways to Mexico, Belize and even some U.S. beaches have become inundated with problems that can ruin trips or scar a student's life.


Now those students are looking to stay closer to home and abide by the 'no drinking on the beach' rules implemented by Gulf Shores in 2016. Throughout the SEC and other conference colleges the students are choosing to spend spring break in a more relaxing atmosphere.


In 2025, the City Councils of both beach towns have again signaled enforcement of the "No Drinking Alcohol, No Drugs and No Drones" on local beaches. But due to other beach town's lack of safety and recent enforcement of the same rules, college students are now selecting lower Alabama beaches for their spring break excursions.


They have the famous beach bars like Flora-Bama and the Hangout for live music and entertainment. There are plenty of affordable restaurants with waterfront views. Spring breakers also find over 10,000 lodging units at affordable. Non-summer, pricing. Students can also take a break from the beach and enjoy all of the amenities of The Wharf during their excursions.


It may have taken a few years to prove the local city councils were wise in their spring break laws, but they have been vindicated with other beach towns now following their standards. The vast majority of students have begun selecting safety since the white sands and emerald waters are the same.


MIAMI BREAKING UP WITH SPRING BREAK

Share this article w/ Friends...

Foley's New Public Library
By Guy Busby July 25, 2026
Foley, Ala. — (OBA) — Foley is getting a much larger, more feature-rich public library at a new location on East Orange Avenue. The new facility will offer residents twice the space of the current building and bring a wide range of new services and programs to the community. A grand opening celebration is planned in A
Aerial View of CHaRM Recycling Facility In Orange Beach
By OBA Staff July 25, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — The Solid Waste Disposal Authority of Baldwin County has opened a new Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials in Orange Beach. The facility is the third CHaRM location the authority has launched since August 2025 and is also the largest of the three currently operating in the county. The open
Gulf Amberjack
By OBA Staff, from David Rainer’s Outdoor Alabama Article July 25, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — A new multi-year scientific study has found that the Gulf of America holds roughly twice as many greater amberjack as federal fisheries managers have estimated. The research, which used the same methods developed for the landmark Great Red Snapper Count, involved 11 institutions across the
Pat McClellan making Mac Davis laugh at the Flora-Bama on Nov. 9, 2019
By K. Cooper July 24, 2026
Perdido Key, Fla. — (OBA) — Pat McClellan, co-owner of the Flora-Bama and one of the Gulf Coast's most recognizable names, passed away peacefully in his sleep Wednesday evening. McClellan came to the Gulf Coast after a decorated career in the U.S. Navy and the hospitality industry. He is remembered not only as a busi
A Work of Art of Orange Beach winner of the 2026 Blue Marlin Grand Championship
By OBA Staff July 24, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — A Work of Art of Orange Beach won the 2026 Blue Marlin Grand Championship at The Wharf. The team became the first three-time winner in tournament history and caught the event’s heaviest blue marlin. The victory came during a tournament that set records for both fleet size and prize money.
Downtown Foley
By OBA Staff July 24, 2026
Foley, Ala. — (OBA) — Foley Main Street has launched a new community giving initiative, the "Friends of Downtown Foley" program. The effort allows residents and supporters to directly invest in the artistic and cultural growth of the city's historic downtown district. The program was created by the Foley Main Street C
Gulf of America Jeep Fest 2026
By R. Peevy July 24, 2026
Gulf Shores, Ala. — (OBA) — Drive around the South, especially near the coast, and you will notice a special group of drivers who enjoy taking off their tops, some who greet you with special waves, and others who even have funny little ducks across their dash. For the Jeep enthusiast, the spirit of adventure is never c
Gulf Shores Police Cruiser
By OBA Staff July 23, 2026
Gulf Shores, Ala. — (OBA) — Gulf Shores police officers arrested eight people Wednesday after an armed robbery at a home in the 5500 block of Lemon Tree Lane. The suspects—six adults and two juvenile males—face multiple felony charges. Officers located the suspect vehicle within one minute of responding to the call. N
Makos on Main
By K. Cooper July 23, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Orange Beach City Schools invites students, staff, and the community to celebrate the start of the school year at the annual Makos on Main Parade. The event will be held at The Wharf in Orange Beach and is free and open to the public. Students from Pre-K through 12th grade will march toget
Orange Beach Officers secure a boat that got loose during T.S. Bertha
By K. Cooper July 23, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — An Orange Beach resident, Maria Hawkins, found more than she expected while checking their property Wednesday morning after Tropical Storm Bertha. A boat had washed up near their dock overnight. Hawkins spotted it after waking up and stepping outside to survey the damage. What followed was
Show More