With 62 miles of shoreline, it’s impossible not to find a place to put your toes in the sand. The best part: It’s here that you’ll find some of the most secluded beaches in America – with soft white sand and mild water. A few favorites include the quiet Pass Christian, where the beach butts up against palatial Southern mansions. Or head to the relaxing and secluded beaches in Ocean Springs, ideal for a romantic picnic and stunning sunset views. Bay St. Louis offers a beach with plenty of space to roam, where beachgoers can go from sipping umbrella drinks at a beach bar, to enjoying the sugar-white sand in just a matter of minutes. 

Who knew that you could island hop in Mississippi? That’s just another one of the area’s secrets. A chain of barrier islands limits the amount of waves, creating warm and calm waters. Just 12 miles offshore from Gulfport, accessible by public ferry, Ship Island offers stunning waters, best spent shelling, swimming, or sunbathing. Or, pack a picnic and take a private boat to hop to Horn Island, Cat Island, Deer Island, and Petit Bois Island. 

Move over big cities. Coastal Mississippi is truly one of the finest places to immerse yourself in art and culture. Dotted throughout the region, you’ll find the esteemed Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art (don’t miss the single-day pottery classes), the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center, Shearwater Pottery, and so much more. The region is also home to smaller galleries, pottery shops, and monthly art walks.

Combine true southern hospitality with good food, and you have a marriage made in Coastal Mississippi. And with such a strong fishing community,  it makes sense that the Gulf-to-table cuisine is top notch. Visitors can join in with cooking classes, shrimping trips, and boating to an oyster farm. Here, everything from sustainable fine dining experiences to beachside shakes pepper the coast. You’ll find wine bars among dive bars, and boutique sweets to coffee shops. (Pro tip: Don’t miss the best biscuits in the South at the Greenhouse on Porter.)

It might be a surprise, but this part of the country offers a robust gaming scene. Here, casinos are open 24 hours a day, and offer everything from table games, slots, and sportsbook. And it’s here that you’ll enjoy some of the best concerts in the south. Essentially, you could spend an entire weekend in one of the 12 world-class casino resorts that boast everything from spas to restaurants, swimming pools, shopping, and – of course – gaming.  

Thanks to a temperate year-round climate, fishing in Coastal Mississippi can be done any month of the year – in a variety of locations like reefs, island bays, rivers, and fish marsh. Here, you’ll reel in speckled trout, redfish, cobia, red snapper, black drum, and more. The seafood industry plays a robust role on the Secret Coast, producing 60% of the nation’s shrimp and contributing to the domestic offering of oysters through the Mississippi Oyster Gardening Program (don’t miss those, either).

Coastal Mississippi is one of those places that always seems to be celebrating. This means that there's never a bad time to visit. Come during the annual Pirates Day in the Bay, the Peterson Arts & Crafts Festival, and Crusin’ the Coast, plus art walks and food festivals. There’s even a Dolly Should Fest to celebrate all things Dolly Parton.

One of the best ways to experience Coastal Mississippi is from the water. And there are so many ways to do just that. Coastal Mississippi’s blueways – from the Mississippi Sound and Wolf River bayous to the marshlands of Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Pascagoula River – can be explored by canoe, kayak, or even stand-up paddleboards. Perhaps a sailing charter is more your speed. Feeling more leisurely? Have dinner on a sunset boat cruise and sip champagne under the stars. 

In true Southern hospitality, Coastal Mississippi plays the perfect host with incredible accommodations. There are grand casino resorts, stately mansions, homey bed and breakfasts, and some of the finest boutique hotels. A few favorite properties include the White House Hotel, Bay Town Inn (don’t miss the included breakfast), The Roost, and The Beatnik. 

Along with those 60-plus miles of airy outdoor shoreline, Coastal Mississippi has introduced the Coastal Mississippi Promise initiative. In order to #VisitMSResponsibly, the region is drawing from recommendations developed by the CDC, the Mississippi State Department of Health, and U.S. Travel Association guidelines. This promise ensures that visitors can book a trip to Coastal Mississippi, with health and safety at the top of mind.