18 Fabulous Beaches in Texas

Given the fact that there are over 350 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico, it’s a given that there are loads of beaches in Texas!

We aren’t talking just a simple spot of sand by the sea either; we are talking long stretches of sandy shores hugging the ocean.

Of course, these beaches are some of the best places to visit in Texas.

These Texas beaches are also fabulous romantic getaways in Texas.

Here you can enjoy jet skiing, kayaking, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, and diving before checking out everything the local town has to offer.

Let’s dive in and look at some of the best beaches in Texas!

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Padre Island National Seashore

Padre Island National Seashore is located about 30 minutes southeast of Corpus Christi.

Offering over 70 miles of gorgeous sandy beaches, Padre Island National Seashore is the perfect beach to escape city life’s hustle and bustle.

As the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world, this beautiful Texas beach offers visitors the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Gulf of Mexico and the Laguna Madre, one of the world’s saltiest lagoons.

In addition to the usual beachcombing activities that beachgoers love, you can also catch a glimpse of Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Sanctuary.

If you’re lucky, you might even witness a baby sea turtle release while visiting this barrier island!

Padre Island National Seashore is one of the prettiest beaches in Texas and a nature lover’s paradise!

Read Next: 45 Fabulous Things To Do In Austin

Boca Chica Beach

There are numerous beautiful Texas beaches on South Padre Island, but none seem as special as Boca Chica Beach.

Boca Chica Beach is never too crowded, always clean, and just a nice, relaxing place.

Boca Chica Beach has escaped development just east of Brownsville in Boca Chica State Park. There are a few stilt houses in the area, but overall, you will feel like you are on a deserted island.

The water here is great for snorkeling, swimming, and fishing, all of the things you want to do on a quiet beach.

Boca Chica Beach is one of the best Texas beaches, for sure.

Texas Crystal Beach

Crystal beach-one of the beaches in Texas

Crystal Beach is definitely one of the best beaches in Texas.

Its location on the Bolivar Peninsula separates Galveston Bay from the Gulf of Mexico.

Accessible by ferry from Galveston Island, Crystal Beach is the perfect beach to enjoy fishing or build a sandcastle.

If you are a bird lover, then Crystal Beach should definitely be on your Texas bucket list, as over 100 species of migratory birds make their way to the peninsula yearly.

This makes Texas Crystal Beach perfect for bird-watching!

Also, this is one of the best beaches in Texas for beach camping. You can get a permit to camp on the beach and build your campfire in the sand!

Check Out This Galveston Ghost Tour!

Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach is a favorite beach for many Texans as it is within easy driving distance from Houston, Texas.

The major draw to Surfside Beach is that it is considered one of the cleanest beaches in Texas.

A day at Surfside Beach could include horseback riding, walking the beach, or driving on the sandy shore.

If you don’t want to drive your car on the beach, don’t worry, Surfside Beach offers free parking close to the beach entrance.

Surfside Beach is known for its deep water. This means that surfing, windsurfing, and kayaking are great water sports to try in Surfside Beach.

Take note, though; there are few services on this beach, so keep that in mind prior to your visit.

Rockport Beach

Now, if you want to talk about clean beaches in Texas, you must talk about Rockport Beach. Rockport Beach is the first Texas beach recognized as a Blue Wave Beach by the Clean Beaches Coalition.

This recognition means that Rockport Beach is the cleanest beach in Texas.

This crescent-shaped beach, located in Aransas Bay, also offers loads of amenities for visitors.

Rockport Beach has picnic tables, volleyball courts, and a great fishing pier.

A 3/4-mile-long walking path also runs along the Little Bay Shores.

Of course, as a designated bird sanctuary, Rockport Beach is also one of the best beaches for bird-watching.

You can enjoy a day basking in the Texas sun before you watch the sunset over the water in the evening.

South Padre Island

We have already mentioned beaches in Padre, but we would be amiss if we left South Padre Island off our list of the best beaches in Texas.

South Padre Island is a tourist hot spot, especially during Spring Break!

When you consider all that South Padre Island has to offer, it makes total sense.

This is definitely a popular beach for Spring Breakers. I guess they love the vast sandy beaches, beachfront restaurants, and the great bar scene South Padre offers.

Families make this one of their Texas road trips in the summer months to enjoy a day out at the beach.

The fact that you can take dolphin cruises and book deep-sea fishing trips from Padre Island also helps to make it one of the great Texas beaches.

Mustang Island State Park

One visit to Mustang Island State Park, and you will agree that this is one of the best beaches in Texas.

Mustang Island is just one of the Texas beaches that speaks to your soul.

Whether you fall in love with the miles of beach, the Texas Gulf waves, or the feeling of solace you will achieve here, you will definitely fall in love with Mustang Island State Park.

Located just east of Corpus Christi, this is one of the best Texas beaches for overnight camping.

During your visit to Mustang Island, check out the 20 miles of shallow water canals that make the perfect waterways for paddling your kayak.

The 18 miles of sandy shoreline on the Texas coast will surely be the perfect escape in South Texas for you!

Matagorda Bay Nature Park

Matagorday Bay one of the beaches in Texas

Matagorda Bay Nature Park is one of the best beaches in Texas for nature lovers.

This is thanks to the unique location of Matagorda Bay Nature Park. Sharing both the Gulf of Mexico and the Colorado River, Matagorda Bay Nature Park offers visitors a unique Texas beach.

This Texas beach offers shifting sand dunes and one of the best bird-watching areas in the country.

Matagorda Bay also offers guests several amenities to enjoy. These include campsites, shaded picnic tables, and a kayak rental shop.

The Redfish Hall that is on-site is perfect for a Lone Star State beach wedding, birthday, or family reunion.

San Jose Island

Hop on a Port Aransas ferry to the pristine San Jose Island.

San Jose Island is a privately owned island used as a wildlife sanctuary. The public part of the island has one of the prettiest beaches in Texas that is perfect for an afternoon of strolling or relaxing.

Offering 21 miles of shoreline, San Jose Island is a great place to comb the beach for shells.

No matter what you choose to do with your time on San Jose Island, we think you will agree that this is one of the best beaches in Texas!

Magnolia Beach

The small town of Magnolia Beach offers visitors an 8-mile quiet and peaceful stretch of sand.

Magnolia Beach is a great place to enjoy a day at one of the great Texas beaches.

Amenities include barbecue grills, a playground area, picnic tables, and a volleyball court.

Magnolia Beach is the perfect place to look for hermit crabs, enjoy some time in the surf fishing, or build the perfect sand castle.

Nearby, you can use the public boat launch or the small fishing pier.

When you’re tired of being at the beach, you can hit up the gambling boats that are a short drive from Magnolia Beach.

Port Aransas Beach

Port Aransas Beach is one of the best beaches in Texas for a great family beach vacation.

The 18 miles of sand in the small town of Port Aransas is the perfect place for snapping some pictures with your list of perfect beach quotes.

This Port Aransas beach is perfect for body surfing, hiking the sand dunes, swimming, snorkeling, or playing beach volleyball.

The town of Port Aransas offers some great beach bars, boutique shops, and great restaurants for you to explore.

Port Aransas also offers some fun museums and a good winery!

Take note that Port Aransas and Port Aransas Beach are super popular during both Spring Break and the summer months. So, keep that in mind when planning your beach getaway to Port Aransas.

Honestly, there are lots of great beaches in Port Aransas to explore!

Stewart Beach

During your time on Galveston Island, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Stewart Beach.

Unlike several other beaches in Texas, Stewart Beach offers visitors many great amenities to enjoy during their visit.

In our opinion, the best is that Stewart Beach rents beach chairs and umbrellas. This means you can enjoy a day at the beach without lugging some extra stuff.

Combining that with the fact that there are trained lifeguards on Stewart Beach makes it easy to see why this Galveston Island beach is one of the best beaches in Texas.

After enjoying a day of fun and sun on the beach, you can use the showers and bathrooms to clean up before heading to one of the fun restaurants on the island’s north end.

Lighthouse Beach

Lighthouse Beach is a popular beach in Port Lavaca, a small town on the Texas Gulf coast.

While adults enjoy swimming in Lavaca Bay, parents will happily let their kids splash around on the beach’s splash pad.

If you are a bird lover, then you will be happy to know that Lighthouse Beach is another of the Texas beaches that is also a bird sanctuary.

Of course, this is also one of the best beaches in Texas for loads of other great beach activities, making this one of the jewels of the Lone Star State.

Jamaica Beach

Jamaica Beach is known as one of the best beaches in Texas for clear water.

Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t the turquoise water you see in Cancun or the Riviera Maya, but it is clear, especially for Texas beach water. LOL!

Another of the fun beaches on Galveston Island, Jamaica Beach, is far enough removed to be a little less crowded than some of the other beaches in the area.

After finding the perfect vacation rental on Jamaica Beach, head out to the beach itself to enjoy some windsurfing, fishing, or swimming.

South Packery Channel Beach

You will find South Packery Channel Beach (also known as South Packery Jetty Beach) located between Mustang Island and Padre Island.

You can usually count on South Packery to be less crowded than some other Texas beaches. This makes it a great place for a family day out on the beach.

People love to fish at the beach off the jetty. It is common for fishermen to catch trout, grouper, or kingfish at this Texas beach.

Of course, you can enjoy all of the normal beach activities during your visit. Have fun snorkeling, windsurfing, or just relaxing on the beach.

Malaquite Beach

If you are in the market for a Texas beach that guarantees a peaceful and relaxing day at the beach, then head to Malaquite Beach.

Since this is one of the Texas beaches you are not allowed to drive on, Malaquite Beach is one of the best beaches in Texas for a family day out.

Spend the day throwing frisbees, enjoying a beach barbecue, or building sandcastles.

Malaquite Beach is also one of the prettiest beaches in Texas, so be sure to bring your camera to capture the perfect pictures of your day.

North Beach (formerly Corpus Christi Beach)

Not only is Corpus Christi one of the best small towns in Texas, but it also boasts some of the best beaches in Texas.

While people often make their way to the beaches surrounding Corpus Christi, they fail to visit the beaches right in the heart of town.

North Beach, formerly called Corpus Christi Beach, is a great beach that is close to loads of other Corpus Christi attractions.

At North Beach, you can swim, enjoy the shoreline, and book a boat for a day on the ocean.

When you are tired and ready to leave Corpus Christi Beach, you can easily head to local attractions like the USS Lexington and the Texas State Aquarium.

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Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight:

We love using CheapOAir, Kayak, and Kiwi to search for the best flight prices. We love using these search engines because they search the web for airlines worldwide to ensure you get the best deal! In addition to flights, you can also find great hotel prices on Kayak and Kiwi.

Book Your Vacation Package:

If you want to book an entire vacation package, we suggest using Expedia. We love how easy Expedia is to use, and we always find good deals on entire vacation packages on their site.

Another great site for vacation packages is BookVIP. BookVIP offers super cheap vacation packages to incredible destinations. You are sure to save money using their site!

For full guided vacations, including hotels, some meals, transportation, and guides, then we book with Trafalgar. Trafalgar is a trusted tour company that will meet all your needs while ensuring a great experience.

Trip.com allows you to book flights, hotels, train tickets, rental cars, airport transfers, tours, and more all on one site. Owned by the parent company that also owns Skyscanner, this is a trusted resource for travel booking and a great “one-stop shop.”

Book Your Accommodations:

We always begin our search by checking out honest reviews on TripAdvisor hotels. This allows us to narrow our search for specific properties once we are ready to book. Of course, you can also book directly on the TripAdvisor site!

There are several accommodation sites that we like to use. One of our favorites is Booking.com because it offers a wide variety of hotels and guesthouses at a good price.

Another “go-to” hotel booking site for us is Hotels.com. We love their loyalty program that allows you to earn free nights, and their “secret prices” for members are fabulous deals!

HotelsCombined is another cool site. They allow you to compare all the top travel sites with one search to ensure you find the best deal out there. Kayak works in this way as well.

If you want a luxurious all-inclusive vacation, consider checking out the Sandals/Beaches properties. Sandals properties are for couples only and Beaches are for families. We have visited Sandals in the past and absolutely love the attention to detail and the service they provide.

Tour Companies We Trust:

We love taking guided tours when visiting new places. Our go-to tour companies are Viator.com and Get Your Guide. Both of these companies have been in business for years and provide excellent customer service. You can trust booking tours from their sites for sure!

For a guided city tour, check out City Sightseeing and BigBus Tours. These bus tours are so much fun and easy to hop on and hop off at top attractions in cities around the world.

CityPass is a great way to save money when visiting large cities. CityPass allows you to get free admission to major attractions once you buy their pass. The savings add up quickly with this pass, often saving 50% with combined admissions.

Another great pass to save money in larger cities is the Sightseeing Pass. This pass allows you to save valuable time and money by combining admissions to major attractions. They also have a handy app that keeps everything you need at your fingertips.

Looking to Save Time and Money?

Check out our resource page for all of our favorite vendors. These companies help us to save time and money on our travels!

Michelle Snell founder of That Texas Couple and Totally Texas Travel

About The Author

Michelle Snell is a travel writer, history buff, wine lover, and enthusiast of different cultures. Michelle enjoys bringing places to life through her informative writing style on her blogs, That Texas Couple and Totally Texas Travel. Her practical tips and suggestions help make travel dreams a reality while immersing her readers in the history, culture, and food of a region. She is happiest sipping wine in Italy or chilling on a beach with her husband, Marty.

April

Sunday 27th of February 2022

This write-up is super helpful especially for anyone considering a break from the snowy North! Had my eye on a trip to Galveston but have not gone yet- Great tips !

thattexascouple

Monday 28th of February 2022

Yes! Galveston is such a fun trip! You should book it now to escape that snow!

Bea

Thanks for sharing so much detail. I had never really considered Texas as a beach destination!

I know, a lot of people don't, but it really is!

Farrah

I don't know why I never think of Texas + beaches together, but clearly, I need to go visit someday! So many pretty ones to visit!

Yes, Texas has miles of coastline!

Francesca

Such a great list! I would love to visit the magnolia beach one, it sounds like paradise! On the other side I would love to go to the Stewart beach for the luna park! Thanks for sharing.

Those are great ones! Thanks for reading and commenting!

Catherine

Saturday 26th of February 2022

I've never visited the Gulf of Mexico but totally want to see all these beaches in Texas. I especially like the ones where my kids could play in splash pads too.

Yes! Your kids would love that!