Beaches in Texas boast rich, turquoise waters and brilliant white sand. Texan beaches like Galveston and South Padre Island are major tourist hotspots and host all sorts of recreational activities like swimming and surfing. People looking for a quieter place to swim should visit Port Aransas.
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Blue LagoonWhy You Need To Go: This lagoon in East Texas has the most striking turquoise waters that look like they were taken from a tropical island and transported to the middle of Texas! This spot caters to scuba divers but has spots for swimming along the shore.
Rockport Beach is Texas' first and only Blue Wave Beach, meaning it is incredibly clean and free of litter. Rockport Beach also has fishing piers, playgrounds, and even an area to protect migratory birds, giving you and your family plenty of options while you are visiting.
Fecal contamination comes from urban runoff, sewage overflows and manure from industrial livestock production. Roughly half of U.S. beaches tested had potentially unsafe contamination levels in 2022.
Corpus beaches are nicer than Galveston, but still not exactly the Riviera. Galveston offers more in terms of off- the-beach attractions such as restaurants. To get to Galveston you'll have to contend with the absolutely horrid traffic around Houston.
So, although Texas as a whole experiences mild winter weather, its southernmost beaches retain their high temperatures year-round. This includes Boca Chica Beach and South Padre Island, whose temperatures rarely dip below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Gulf waters are tested annually and South Padre Island regularly rates among the safest, cleanest water. The water is clearer, warmer, and calmer than other beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. Labeled among “the cleanest water in the country.” All of South Padre Island's city beaches are easily accessible on foot.
That's because South Padre, or SPI, delivers with wide sandy beaches, sparkling blue water and a mixture of fun activities for kids of all ages. But there's more to SPI than beach revelry. Kiteboarding is a favorite pastime and several sports outfitters offer deep-sea fishing trips and dolphin-watching excursions.
However, if you want to find larger quantities, you can try the Bolivar Peninsula to the east or Sargent's beach to the west. It will be mostly “craft grade” glass with lots of greens, browns and whites, but you can sometimes find some nice pieces.
South Padre Island, Port Aransas, Bay Area Houston, Galveston Island, Beaumont and Port Arthur are just some of the finest Texas beaches that offer year-round swimming and surfing, boating, kayaking and water sports, and fantastic fishing and birding.