We just returned from Orange Beach with another family. There were 4 adults and 4 kids sharing one condo. Everyone agreed that it was a great vacation. Coming from the Northeast, not many people know about the beaches in AL. We went during our April break and the place had just emptied out from their spring break. Our week was nice and quiet. We stayed at The Caribe. It is across the street from the beach. But we picked it because it has 8 pools, waterslides, and a lazy river. It also has putty greens, bocce and tennis. It was great for the kids to go and hang out. on their own. When we wanted, we just went across the street to the beach (in a shuttle they provide) and hung out there.

Our condo was beautiful. Although it had 4 bedrooms, none had twin beds so kids had to share beds which they complained about. But the place was really spacious and everyone could "escape" somewhere if necessary.

If you stay at the Caribe, get a unit that doesn't face the parking lot. The trash collector came every morning and made a lot of noise. So if you aren't an early riser, you would be there.

We rented thru Meyer Real Estate. They were really good and even called to do a customer care call to make sure all was well. They are open 24 hours so someone is always available. But renting thru them, we weren't allowed to use the fitness room unless we wanted to pay extra.

Pensacola, FL is only 20 mins away. We went to the air museum which was nice. We also went to downtown Historic Pensacola which was really disappointing. We left shortly after getting there. Definately not worth the trip.

The Wharf area was nice. We went there a couple of times. We had dinner at Ginny Lane's which was great. Everyone loved their food, even the pickiest eater who claimed they had the best Mac and cheese he ever ate.

Overall, I would highly recommend a trip there. It is a great family beach destination.

We just returned from the Caribe for a Spring Break trip. The resort is beautiful and our particular condo (1016B) was lovely. The grounds, tennis courts, etc. were great. However, a huge problem for us and all the other people staying there was that the outdoor pools are not heated and were too cold to swim in at this time of year. People were crowding in the indoor pools and the outdoor hot tubs but were staying out of the outdoor pools and lazy river since the water was just too cold this early in the Spring and had not been heated by the sun/atmosphere enough to make them comfortable for swimming. Virtually no one dared go in them. It was so frustrating. To be fair, we knew beforehand that the Caribe doesn't have heated pools, but just didn't realize how much this was going to matter. The days we were there were in the mid-70's and sunny and yet the pools weren't used. Due to this reason, we can't recommend anyone who enjoys swimming in outdoor pools to go to the Caribe (or any other place in the area that doesn't heat their pools) at this time of year. In the summer, it would've been fine- just not early Spring. I think that if the Caribe wants to increase their Spring Break bookings, this would be something they should consider!

Wonderful, clean condo. Awesome for a family reunion! We have two young boys and it was the best for our family. We loved the swimming pools, lazy river, and the inside pool because when it did rain they had somewhere to go swimming! It was the best vacation for our family! We hope to go there every year! Very clean too!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in one of Caribe's penthouse condos (vrbo #124617). The moment we entered our condo, we were speechless. We were immediately impressed by the upscale decor and large rooms. The high-end kitchen made cooking a pleasant adventure. The dinner table could have easily sat 8, maybe even 10. The wet bar with its wine chiller and separate ice machine added a very nice and much appreciated adult touch to the family vacation. The laundry room was, of course, indispensible, and it contained little extras like sand toys and floats. Sunset views from our balcony were spectacular.
There are several pools, many heated, both indoor and outdoor. The outdoor pools are all so large that they never seemed crowded, and there were always plenty of chairs available. The kids loved the slides and tubes at the pools. Our favorite was the (heated) lazy river. Again, it never seemed crowded, and there were more than enough innertubes. Only the indoor pools had closing times, so we never had to worry about missing out on that one last swim. My favorite way to start the day was a trip around the lazy river, which I could enjoy however early I got up. All of the outdoor pools have either a zero-entry level or a 6in. deep level with several small fountains, all great for the little ones to play in.
There are boat docks for those who bring or rent boats. Each building has a grill by its docks. There is an outdoor, enclosed toddler playground which was never overrun by bigger kids. The health spa has a wide variety of exercise equipment, and each treadmill, stairclimber, and stationary bike had its own tv. Assigned parking meant never having to search (our space was right outside the elevator entrance). The gated entry had a guard present at all times, and all condos have interior entrances. There is also a deli, a game room, and a shuttle to the beach, but we were so busy enjoying the pools, playground, lazy river, kitchen, wet bar, and views that we never used these extras.
It seemed that most of the other vacationers were families, but we were never bothered by wild, loud kids running loose. I actually experienced a father make his teen son apologize for running into the elevator ahead of my toddler and me. Knowing that the resort attracts polite families who have control of their kids is definitely a plus!
Our only complaint was that music was piped into the pool areas early in the morning, and it was loud enough that we could hear it even on the top floor balcony. At that time of day, all we wanted to hear was waves and birds.
My kids, ages 1-20, have declared Caribe as the best vacation spot we've ever been to; and I'd certainly have to agree with them!