Watch the sun set as your toes plow through the white sand beaches. See seagulls scamper about the surf as boats sail by in the distance. This is Gulfport, Mississippi, known not only for its prime position on the Gulf of Mexico, but also for its plentiful recreation options, from gambling to golfing.
Luck Be a Lady
- Island View Casino Resort is Gulfport's lone casino, offering plenty of gambling and dining opportunities. The casino floor has nearly 2,000 slots and video poker machines -- the 2014 "American Casino Guide" dubs it one of the best gulf casinos for Jacks or Better video poker games -- as well as several dozen table games. Restaurants include a buffet, grill, coffee shop and Carter Green Steakhouse, featuring a broad selection of surf and turf. The resort pool has several cabanas available for rent, surrounded by lush foliage.
Sand and Surf
- The 62 miles of shoreline along the Mississippi gulf coast includes 26 miles of beaches. The best beaches are just west of Gulfport in Pass Christian and Long Beach, and barrier islands limit the size of the waves to make the waters relatively gentle and kid-friendly. From Gulfport Small Craft Harbor, you can take a ferry to West Ship Island and tour Fort Massachusetts, built around 1858. "USA Today" named the beach here one of the best in the United States in 2012. You may catch a glimpse of dolphins on the one-hour trip to the island.
Hook a Big One
- The waters in this area are suited for several types of fishing trips, from freshwater to brackish water to saltwater. More than 200 species of fish fill those waters, including everything from bass to shark. Head to the streams and rivers that feed the Back Bay, or hire a charter to fish in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Companies such as Captain Ron's Charters at Gulfport Harbor and Fins & Grins Charter Service, which launches in neighboring Biloxi, set out on partial and full-day charters, providing the equipment you'll need to catch your prize fish.
Fore!
- You can play golf almost year-round in short sleeves and shorts here. The temperate climate has drawn famed designers including Jack Nicklaus and Jerry Pate to create nearly 20 golf courses in the Gulfport area. Among the public courses available within the city limits is Bayou Vista Golf Course, with plenty of water hazards to up the challenge of the par 70 layout, and Great Southern Golf Club, one of the oldest courses in the region that was designed by Donald Ross and built in 1908.
