Things to Do With a Day in Bayou La Batre, Alabama

While visiting Mobile, Alabama, for an extended stay, we knew we had to take the short trip down to Bayou La Batre. It was only about a half-hour from where we were staying, so it was an obvious get. 

For those unaware of why we’d make the effort, Bayou La Batre actually has a few claims to fame, starting with its link to Forrest Gump.

I’ll get into all of that and the things we found special about Bayou La Batre in this detailed guide to the fishing village.

What is Bayou La Batre famous for?

Bayou La Batre is most well-known for being featured in the 1994 film Forrest Gump. It was both the hometown of shrimper Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue and the eventual home of Forrest himself when he became a shrimp boat captain in his own right.

In these parts, this Mobile County city is more famous for being the “Seafood Capital of Alabama.” You’ll see signage all around to that effect, and we can attest that it sure is delicious. This is especially true if you visit during crawfish season. 

Note: Winter and spring are great times to visit for mild temperatures and juicy crawfish. Just prepare to work for it. You’re entering a peel ‘n eat situation!

I’m not done yet, though.

Bayou La Batre was also used as a ship-building site by Disney Studios during the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Back in 2005, the Steiner Shipyard was asked by Disney to build what would become the Black Pearl. 

Well, sort of. They built a prop that would float on top of a 96-foot-long utility boat, but what a prop it was,

The ship-like structure sailed right out of the bayou and out to the Caribbean for the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and whatever the third one was. 

There were so many!

What does Bayou La Batre mean?

The fishing town is called Bayou La Batre thanks to its French roots. It was originally known as “Riviere d’Erbane,” then “Riviere la Batterie” after a battery was installed there by the French, and then Bayou La Batre, a play on that second name. 

Things to Do in Bayou La Batre

Travel to Bayou La Batre is about discovery. It isn’t big on what most tourists are looking for in the way of attractions, but give it some time, and you’ll get a taste not only of what it once was but why folks still call it home.

READ MORE: Planning a road trip in this part of the country? Use my guide to the American South to help you plan.

Cruise over the J.A. Wintzell Memorial Bridge.

You’ll drive over this bridge to check out the fishing boats on the other side, joining the thousands of other vehicles that make the same trip day-to-day.

If you’re unlucky, you may be stopped for a bit of a wait to allow boats to pass underneath, but this isn’t a common occurrence. 

This one may be noted as “Bayou La Batre Bridge” on your Google maps, by the way. It’s the same thing.

READ MORE: Love an impressive bridge? Test your nerve on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.

Go fishing in Bayou La Batre.

Bayou boat tours and fishing charters are a popular option for all of you would-be fishing (or shrimp) captains out there. 

I’m all kinds of open-minded when it comes to top things to do in places I’m visiting, but I get terrible seasickness, too. We weren’t prepared for this to be on our agenda — I’m talking meds and my seasickness patches — but don’t let me stop you.

Fishing is the lifeblood here, after all. The local shrimp boats are a great way to dig into that history.

Admire Bayou La Batre’s fishing boats.

One of the best things to do in Bayou La Batre isn’t really something you DO, really. It’s what you can observe while you’re there. This town is full of excellent photo opportunities of what makes the place run: its fishing industry.

Note: It’s such a big deal that the local parish, St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, does an annual Blessing of the Fleet to ensure a bountiful harvest for the fishermen and women here.

The majority of our time was spent driving around town and looking for photo spots of Bayou La Batre’s fishing culture. Well, this was second to eating the seafood in Bayou La Batre. That definitely took up a good chunk of the afternoon.

I’ll admit it can be a challenge to just pull over in some areas of town and snap away to your heart’s content.

The ideas I had in my brain of simply “strolling around” and taking photos of colorful fishing boats just didn’t happen. The infrastructure isn’t there, and that includes sidewalks and public parking.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Pull over for a minute or two where you can and really take it all in. In some ways, Bayou La Batre seems like a town time forgot. It’s a different world down here. 

Shuck some oysters at Murder Point Oysters.

Murder Point Oysters really plays up the true-crime connection it suggests in its name. 

It’s actually a nod to a dispute between two local families over an oyster lease in what was at that time known as Myrtle Point.

A member of one of the families beat up a member of the other family, then placed the beaten but still breathing body in a rocking chair, then SHOT HIM on his own front porch. Yup. It was a deadly oyster dispute.

From that point forward, Myrtle Point became known as Murder Point.

Fun fact: The oysters you’ll indulge in here are only deadly if you’re allergic to shellfish.

This place is a shuck-your-own kinda place, which was a learning experience for everyone involved. Brian did a great job, though, and said the oysters were fresh and delicious. (Those boogers of the sea just aren’t my thing!)

Indulge in more seafood at Bayou Seafood Company.

You can’t visit this town without sampling Bayou La Batre seafood, and Bayou La Batre shrimp are second only to crawfish when the water bugs are in season.

The Bayou Seafood Company on Wintzell Avenue is the best place to go for whatever is fresh and in season, and in our case, it was crawfish.

We got a large platter of the stuff. While I’m not a huge fan of sucking the brains out of things, the spice was right on our crawfish plate. It came with yummy sausage, potato, and corn to round things out.

We split a fried shrimp po’boy, too, which was also great. 

This place felt hyper-local, and I’d highly recommend it as your lunch spot of choice while in Bayou La Batre.

Staying longer? Check out a few more Bayou La Batre restaurants:

• Catalina Restaurant: This one may show up as the Catalina Bayou on your maps, but it’s one and the same. The eatery serves up whatever the fresh catch of that day is with comfort sides like baked beans and turnip greens.
• Lighthouse Restaurant: This local favorite is actually in nearby Irvington, but I won’t hold that against it. The seafood dinners are the draw here, from whole fish platters to crab claws. Order whatever is fresh that day for lunch or dinner.
• Captain Frank’s Smoke Shack: Get your barbecue fix at this modest spot. The sampler is literally “a little bit of everything,” so that’s probably what you should go with.

Events in Bayou La Batre

If you time things right on your first visit, the Bayou La Batre Chamber of Commerce promotes events throughout the year that highlight the town’s maritime spirit:

• The Taste of the Bayou in Irvington, an Alabama town just north of Bayou La Batre, is a food event that celebrates Alabama seafood and cuisine.
• Hooked on the Bayou is another annual seafood event featuring coastal specialties.
• The Bayou Kayak Classic is an annual angling competition with a focus not only on sporting principles out on the water but on local conservation efforts, too. 

All of these events sound like excellent ways to embrace the local way of life down here and support the community while you’re at it.

Visiting Dauphin Island

We were able to fit in a visit to Bayou La Batre and Dauphin Island on the same day.

You’ll pass over the Dauphin Island Bridge, a spectacle of engineering, to get there. The first attractions you’ll come across are the Cedar Point Fishing Pier, or Dauphin Island Pier, and the Dauphin Island Marina.

Dauphin Island is known for its white sandy beaches and slow-paced Gulf Coast living, but we wanted a dose of local history. We started at Fort Gaines, a pet-friendly historical site offering panoramic views of the beach below.

Read more about the refrain “Damn the torpedoes!” while you’re here and check out the original cannons used in the Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War.

Fun fact: If you have more time and love a good fort, you can take a ferry from Dauphin Island to Fort Morgan on Mobile Point. We’ve been to both, and they make for nice bookends to tell the story of battles on the bay. Interested in a ferry trip? Check out more info from the Mobile Bay Ferry.

With more time, here are a few more nice stops on Dauphin Island:

• Little Red School House Community Complex: If you want to book any tours, you’ll start here, the island’s welcome center.
• Cadillac Square: Dauphin Island is spoiled for parks, but Cadillac Square may be its loveliest. It’s lined with the oaks you’ll come to love in the region.
• Audubon Bird Sanctuary: This one is a big deal among birders across the country, as it’s one of the top sights to view annual migrations in North America.
• Public Beach: We initially started at Dauphin Island East End Beach, but it was undergoing some storm damage repair. Public Beach was an excellent alternative.

Where to Stay Near Bayou La Batre

There aren’t any accommodations to book in Bayou La Batre proper, and I’m not about to send you to a campground on Dauphin Island.

Mobile County has all kinds of options within a short drive of the fishing town, though, particularly as you approach Mobile. Fairhope is another charming option, but it’s a longer drive from Bayou La Batre. Gulf Shores is about an hour-and-a-half drive, too.

Browse the map below for some options in Mobile, our preferred choice:

Bayou La Batre has been through a lot.

Bayou La Batre has been dramatically affected by hurricanes, with Hurricane Katrina leaving a lasting mark on the community and its fishing economy.

Storm surges in the area during Katrina reached over 15 feet, with many boats pushed onto shore and ruined beyond repair. Their local public library was destroyed. Homes were abandoned.

Many left at that time, a trend all along this region of the United States. The seafood industry was devastated, and tourism to the area declined.

The evidence is still there as you drive through. What was once quite the picturesque American fishing town is now a grittier landscape. As the town exists in a high-risk hurricane zone, those who remain live under a constant threat of hurricane damage.

Nevertheless, they persist, and that’s a beautiful thing. It’s all worth a visit to Bayou La Batre by intrepid travelers like yourselves.