Do check out our list of essential beaches for 2025!

In This Feature:

The Best Texas Beaches for a Summer Getaway

From Galveston down to South Padre Island, the Texas coastline is filled with beach fun, lots of history, and miles of sand.

07/30/2025 By Sofia Gonzalez and Houstonia Staff

The Local's Guide to Galveston Island

Where to find the least-touristy beaches, cheapest beachfront views, and the Gulf Coast-iest gumbo.

06/14/2017 By Peter Holley

South Padre Island Is the Perfect Family Getaway—11 Months of the Year

Padre’s waters are the closest to blue in all of Texas, its sands closest to white.

06/14/2017 By John Lomax

Port Aransas: The Classic Seaside Town That Takes All Comers

And with more hotel rooms than residents, there’s something for every budget in this quirky coastal village.

06/14/2017 By Michael Hardy

The Eccentric Appeal of Bolivar Peninsula

Along this spit of sand, everyone drives on the beaches—even environmentalists on their way to the shorebird sanctuary.

07/01/2013 By Robb Walsh

Rockport: The Rare Beach Town That Occasionally Dresses for Dinner

Get to know the creative coastal community which once claimed to have more artists per capita than Paris.

06/14/2017 By Michael Hardy

Beach Umbrellas: A Primer

A good umbrella can be hard to find.

06/14/2017 By Jeff Balke

Danger Averted!

Solutions to the most common hazards of a day at the beach

07/05/2013 By John Lomax

Ask Dr. Beach

Beachcombing 101

07/01/2013 Photography by Peter Holley