20 Fabulous Beaches in Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas, and, of course, that includes the Texas coastline and the beaches in Texas!

Thanks to the 350 miles of Gulf of Mexico coastline, there are loads of Texas beaches to explore!

These stretches of sandy shores are perfect for a day out on the beach.

I mean, imagine digging your toes in the sand at one of the best beaches in Texas as the warm gulf winds blow on your face.

These beaches offer guests the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, windsurfing, fishing, and swimming.

As some of the best places to visit in Texas, we know you are going to love visiting these beaches.

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Boca Chica Beach

Located on South Padre Island, in Boca Chica State Park, Boca Chica Beach is one of the prettiest beaches in Texas.

This Texas beach is a favorite of both visitors and locals. I guess that can be attributed to the fact that Boca Chica Beach is rarely crowded.

Spending the day at Boca Chica Beach will allow you to feel like you have been transported far away.

Take time to enjoy the day swimming, snorkeling, fishing, building sandcastles, or just napping in the Texas sun.

No matter what you choose to do while visiting this Texas beach, you are sure to enjoy your day!

Padre Island National Seashore

Head about 30 minutes southeast of Corpus Christi, and you will find one of the best Texas beaches, the Padre Island National Seashore.

The miles of shoreline are attributed to the fact that the Padre Island National Seashore is the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world.

One side of the island offers visitors the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, and the other side is home to the Laguna Madre.

This Texas beach is perfect for a day of fun in the sun.

You can enjoy a day full of beach activities including kayaking, windsurfing, flying kites, or swimming in the Gulf waters.

Grab a kayak and explore the world’s saltiest lagoon when you check out the waterways in the Laguna Madre.

The Padre Island National Seashore is truly a nature lover’s paradise!

If you are lucky, you might catch a baby sea turtle being released thanks to the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle sanctuary.

This is truly one of the unique barrier islands, and one of the prettiest beaches in Texas to boot!

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South Padre Island

Really, all the beaches on South Padre Island have earned a spot on our list of the best beaches in Texas.

The beaches of South Padre Island have always been popular for Spring Breakers.

College kids always have this on their list of Texas road trips for Spring Break.

The abundance of beach bars, beachfront restaurants, and miles of sandy beaches ensure that South Padre Island is one of the best beaches in Texas for Spring Break!

Families also love South Padre Island, but they tend to make the trip to these Texas beaches in the summer.

In addition to all of the beach activities, Padre Island also offers families some other great attractions including Schlitterbahn Water Park.

Kids (and kids at heart) also love to take fishing charters and dolphin cruises during their Padre Island vacation.

All of this makes it easy to see why Padre is on the list of great Texas beaches.

Mustang Island State Park

You can’t have a list of the best beaches in Texas and not include Mustang Island State Park.

When you combine the miles of soft sandy beaches with all of the great things you can do on Mustang Island, you will quickly see why.

A day at Mustang Island State Park can be as busy or as relaxing as you would like.

The fact that this Texas beach is located just east of Corpus Christi means that it is one of the easy weekend getaways in Texas.

Mustang Island allows visitors the opportunity to enjoy some overnight camping on the beach, perfect for a night of making s’mores!

You can enjoy walking the sandy shores or grab your kayak and explore the 20 miles of canals in this South Texas state park.

No matter what you choose to do, definitely include this island on your list of best beaches in Texas!

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Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach is the perfect Texas beach if you want a fun and active beach to spend the day at.

While there aren’t a lot of amenities offered at Surfside Beach, the fact that it is a short drive from Houston, and offers free parking keeps people returning to this part of the Texas coast.

Considered one of the cleanest beaches in Texas, Surfside beach is a great place to enjoy swimming in the Gulf of Mexico or try your hand at some windsurfing.

Many people love that they can drive their care right onto Surfside Beach, and you will see several people using their vehicles as a place to hang out for the day.

Beach goers often spent the day beach combing for sea shells, building sand castles, even doing some horseback riding!

After visiting, it is easy to see why Surfside Beach is one of the favorite beaches in Texas!

Stewart Beach

While there are many great beaches in Galveston Island, a favorite of locals and visitors is definitely Stewart Beach.

This could be partly due to the fact that Stewart Beach offers several amenities to ensure that you have a nice trip to the beach.

Amenities at Stewart Beach include beach chairs and umbrellas for rent, saving you the trouble and energy of having to haul those to the beach yourself.

Parents love that this Texas beach has trained lifeguards on site, and the fact that their are restrooms and showers to use doesn’t hurt either.

After a fun day at Stewart Beach, be sure to check out all that Galveston has to offer, including the restaurants at the island’s north end!

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Port Aransas Beach

One of the best beaches in Texas for families is Port Aransas Beach.

Offering families 18 miles of sandy shore means that families can have plenty of room to spread out and find their perfect beach spot in Port Aransas.

Port Aransas beach is the perfect beach to spend the day. You can hike the sand dunes, do some body surfing, or enjoy the day just relaxing on the beach.

Spring break and summer are both popular times for visitors to come to Port Aransas.

The small Texas town of Port Aransas see an insurgence during these times of the year.

If you look at all the town of Port Aransas has to offer, then it makes complete sense.

In addition to Port Aransas Beach, Port Aransas also has some fabulous restaurants, great beach bars, a good winery, and some fun boutique shops.

Texas Crystal Beach

Set on the Bolivar Peninsula, separating the Galveston Bay from the Gulf of Mexico, is one of the best beaches in Texas, Texas Crystal Beach.

Bird lovers and nature enthusiasts will love visiting Crystal Beach. The fact that the beach is only accessible by ferry from Galveston Island means that it is often not crowded.

Since the island sees over 100 species of migratory birds every year, the peninsula is an excellent bird watching location.

Campers will be happy to know that Crystal Beach is fabulous for beach camping.

Visitors can get a permit to enjoy camping and campfires right on the beach.

One visit to this Texas beach will have you falling in love with the beaches in Texas!

Read Next: 24 Awesome Things to do in Port Aransas

Rockport Beach

The crescent-shaped jewel of a beach in the Aransas Bay, Rockport Beach, keeps visitors returning year after year.

The fact that Rockport Beach is one of the cleanest beaches in Texas probably attributes to this.

Rockport Beach was names as a Blue Wave Beach from the Clean Beaches Coalition, meaning this is definitely a clean beach!

A day at Rockport Beach give you access to volleyball courts, a walking path, fishing pier, and picnic tables.

In addition to all of this, Rockport Beach is also a designated bird sanctuary, making it one of the best Texas beaches for bird watching.

South Packery Channel Beach

South Packery Channel Beach, also known as South Packery Jetty Beach, is a great beach if you are looking for a beach that is less crowded that other Texas beaches.

Located between Mustang Island and Padre Island means that South Packery provides a beautiful setting for a day out at the beach.

Fishermen love to visit this area as it is known to be a great fishing spot.

Anglers are said to reel in kingfish, trout, and grouper while fishing from the jetties here.

If fishing isn’t your thing, then you can try wind surfing, paddle boarding, boogie boarding, or snorkeling.

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North Beach (formerly Corpus Christi Beach)

While people often overlook the beaches in Corpus Christi, they really shouldn’t.

One such beach directly in town is North Beach, formerly know as Corpus Christi Beach.

North Beach offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy a day at the beach.

You can swim, build sandcastles, fly kites, or just enjoy a day lounging in the Texas sun at this Corpus Christi beach.

North Beach is also a great area to book a day out on the ocean, whether that be a dolphin cruise or a fishing trip.

The view of the Harbor Bridge adds an extra little something to the scenery of the day also!

After a fun day on the beach, then you are close enough to town to enjoy some of the attractions that Corpus Christi has to offer.

Some favorite attractions include the Texas State Aquarium, the USS Lexington, and the Selena Museum.

San Jose Island

Another island on our list that requires a ferry ride to get to is San José Island.

Located close to the town of Port Aransas, San Jose Island is a ranch turned wildlife sanctuary.

The island is privately owned, so don’t be surprised when you can’t access the entire area.

Visitors do have access to one of the prettiest beaches in Texas that is the perfect place to spend a relaxing afternoon on the beach.

You can enjoy walking the 21 miles of shoreline during your time on San Jose Island.

After one visit to this island, we think that you will agree that this is one of the best beaches in Texas!

Matagorda Bay Nature Park

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

Matagorda Bay Nature Park offers great bird watching opportunities in the beautiful shifting sand dunes.

Combine that with the gorgeous views that Matagorda Bay Nature Park offers and you can easily see why this is one of the best beaches around.

The unique location of Matagorda Bay Nature Park means that visitors can enjoy both the Gulf of Mexico and the Colorado River.

Amenities at Matagorda Bay include shaded picnic tables, a kayak rental shop, campsites, and more.

One visit and you will understand why this is one of the best beaches in the Lone Star State.

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Magnolia Beach

A day at Magnolia Beach’s 8-mile stretch of sand allows visitors to quickly understand why this is one of the great Texas beaches.

Arriving at Magnolia Beach, you will immediately notice that there are picnic tables, a volleyball court, and barbecue grills for you to enjoy.

The peaceful stretch of sandy beach is a great place to look for sea shells or hermit crabs, or enjoy some time just relaxing.

If you want to launch your boat, then you are in luck as there is a marina with a public boat launch and fishing pier nearby.

After a day at the beach, enjoy a night out by visiting the gambling boats that are a short drive away.

Lighthouse Beach

The small Texas town of Port Lavaca is where you will find Lighthouse Beach.

Named after the lighthouse that is close by, Lighthouse Beach is a one of the best beaches in Texas for families.

This is attributed to the kids splash pad that allows kids to enjoy a safe time playing in the water.

Of course, adults can still enjoy swimming or fishing in the Lavaca Bay during their visit.

Another draw to Lighthouse Beach is the bird watching.

As a bird sanctuary on the Texas Gulf, Lighthouse Beach offers a quiet beach for birds to enjoy.

It is easy to see why this is such a popular beach in the Lone Star State.

Jamaica Beach

Head to Jamaica Beach is you want to see one of the best beaches in Texas for clear water.

Granted, the water is not totally clear like you will find in the Caribbean, but it is clear by Texas standards.

As another one of the beaches on Galveston Island, Jamaica Beach has so much to offer visitors.

You can try your hand at surf fishing, build sand castles, or comb the seashore of the beach for seashells.

Jamaica Beach is often the cleanest beach in the area as well since it doesn’t get as crowded as some of the other beaches in this area.

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McGee Beach

Located in Corpus Christi Bay, McGee Beach is a great stretch of beach running alongside of the seawall on Galveston Island.

The calm waters of McGee Beach makes it a favorite of families.

When you combine the calm waters with the variety of rentals that are offered at McGee Beach, this beach makes for an easy day on the water.

The central location on the island also means that you can easily visit this beach anytime!

Malaquite Beach

The draw for so many people to come to Malaquite Beach is he fact that this beach virtually guarantees visitors a relaxing day.

Malaquite Beach is the perfect place to fly a kite, build a sandcastle, or spend the day swimming in the ocean.

Families will find Malaquite to be one of the best beaches in Texas thanks to all of this and the beautiful Texas scenery that will surround you while you are here.

Alamo Beach

Another popular beach in Port Lavaca is Alamo Beach.

The best way to enjoy Alamo is to find a vacation rental in this area.

That will allow you to spend the day on the beach enjoying the sun and surf.

This is truly is one of the prettiest beaches in Port Lavaca and a great place to enjoy the day!

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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.