When those blistering summer temperatures reach the 90s, it draws residents and holidaymakers to Texas’s many miles of pristine beaches. Nothing seems more alluring than the clear, calm waters of the Gulf coast. But which beach has the best to offer, and do they have white sand beaches?
The Gulf Coast of Texas has many lovely beaches to enjoy. Boca Chica, Crystal Beach, Matagorda Bay, McGee Beach, Mustang Island, Padre Island, Rockport Beach, San Jose Island, Sea Rim State Park, Surfside Beach, and Sylvan Beach Park are just a few Texas beaches with the prettiest white sand.
With their crystal-clear warm waters, Texas beaches have a lot to offer surfing, fishing, kayaking, camping, volleyball, crabbing, strolling on famous boardwalks, or just enjoying the windswept national seashores while birdwatching; there is something for everyone. Here are the best white sand beaches in Texas to enjoy. Let’s find out where they are!
Miles of Pristine White Sand Beaches in Texas
You will be surprised to know that the Gulf Coast of Texas has some of the prettiest beaches. The miles of pristine white sand beaches that Texas offers attract many people searching for a place to cool down and relax when the summer temperatures rise.
Texas is famously known for many things, but not everyone knows that it has some of the most stunning beaches in the United States. The 400 miles of pristine coastline feature some of the best beaches with the finest white beach sand.
The Whitest Sandy Beaches in Texas
Boca Chica Beach
Across the Rio Grande, just north of Mexico, lies Boca Chica, a quiet, laid-back Texas beach that offers beautiful undisturbed views of the Gulf of Mexico. This lovely eight-mile-long stretch of beach with its soft white sand beach is not as crowded as most other beaches in the area.
Enjoy the day surfing, swimming, fishing, kiteboarding, and snorkeling. Boca Chica’s white sand beach is the perfect place to relax while reading a book. Although SpaceX’s launching pad is nearby, the beach remains quiet and secluded. The tranquil and relaxed area is excellent for enjoying the slower pleasures of life.
Boca Chica doesn’t have the extravagant activities other beach towns have, but it makes up for this threefold with its classic beach setting and surrounding nature.
Crystal Beach
Crystal Beach sits just south of Sea Rim on the Bolivar Peninsula. This lovely white sand beach features seven miles of pristine white sand, perfect for a beach holiday.
The gentle waves at Crystal Beach are a favorite for beginner surfers who need a perfect surf spot to learn the trade tricks. Kids love building sandcastles and swimming at Crystal beach, and summertime features many festivals and concerts to enjoy.
Crystal Beach also allows campers and campfires directly on the beach if camping is your style. You can drive your vehicle onto the sand, but a $10 fee per vehicle applies.
Crystal Beach is a lovely family-friendly beach where you can hunt for seashells, launch sailboats, walk the long beach, or go bird watching. Over 100 species of migratory birds stopover on the peninsula each year. Head over to Bolivar and grab a bite to eat or shop after a beach day.
Magnolia Beach
Southeast of Alamo Beach lies Magnolia Beach, a small beach town on the coast of Lavaca Bay. The 8-mile-long white sand beach is smaller than most Texan beaches but features the best views.
This lovely white sand beach is quiet and peaceful, perfect for a family fun day away from the Hustle and Bustle. Magnolia Beach offers not only pristine white sand but also a kid’s playground, covered picnic areas and grills, and a volleyball court to enjoy.
Magnolia Beach is easily accessible by car and usually filled with fisher’s surf fishing. This beach is perfect for crabbing, birdwatching, swimming, and fishing. It has a small pier from where you can cast off, a public boat launch, and the nearby marina sells bait. Book a deep-sea fishing charter at the marina to take you to deeper waters. If fishing is not your thing, you can grab a delicious lunch at the marina.
Matagorda Bay
Matagorda Bay offers 2 miles of white sand beach and 2 miles of Colorado River frontage all in one. The impressive 1,600-acre Matagorda Bay Nature Park is a breathtaking beach to visit with beautiful dunes and coastal marshes.
Matagorda Bay is an excellent place for birdwatching, with thousands of birds that migrate through the area. Some people prefer to visit Matagorda Bay because horseback riding on that beach is a beautiful experience.
If you like to camp out, there are many campsites all over where you can pitch a tent. Book an event at the Redfish Hall for weddings, birthdays, or family gatherings. Matagorda Bay is a family-friendly beach with a small shop, picnic areas with grills, and kayak rental.
McGee Beach Corpus Christi
At Corpus Christi, you will find McGee Beach, where you can dip your feet into the white sand. McGee Beach stretches 157-acres along Corpus Christi Bay. This spectacular beach has the finest white sand and clear blue ocean water in Texas.
McGee Beach has the best views of the bay and is perfect for swimming. Kids and beginner surfers love this beach because it has calm waters with medium waves.
You can rent any equipment for the multiple watersport activities on this beach. Fishing is another excellent activity that visitors to McGee Beach enjoy. Cast off from the jetty or take a long walk along the beach as you please.
If you like camping, McGee Beach has s 75 well-organized campsites on the beach. One of the most popular attractions on McGee Beach is the 1,240-foot-long Horace Caldwell Pier.
The Pier sells bait and tackle and is an excellent spot for fishing. Along the beach, you will find picnic tables and sites with cabanas. McGee Beach has miles of fine sand, perfect for long beach walks, snorkeling, swimming, and volleyball.
Mustang Island
Mustang Island would be the answer if you wondered which beach has the whitest sand in Texas. Mustang Island sits on the southeastern coast, just east of Corpus Christi in Texas, on five miles of the purest white sand.
Mustang Island’s beach has the best scenic views overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Camping, fishing, hiking, snorkeling, kitesurfing, and kayaking are all outdoor activities visitors love to do on this beach.
Some people also go to Mustang Island to do beachcombing and treasure hunting. This lovely beach is a great place to immerse yourself in adventurous outdoor activities found only on this gorgeous beach.
Rent a paddleboard and head out to the Mustang Island Paddling Trail to view thousands of coastal birds personally. Mustang Island has some of the best shallow-water fishing in Texas if you prefer fishing to birdwatching.
If you are a camper, you will be happy to know camping is a favorite activity at Mustang Island State Beach. The 5-mile-long beach is filled with campers and tents on lovely warm days. If you don’t like staying in a tent, but like a little more upscale, you can always stay at Mustang’s RV park, featuring showers and full-service hookups.
Padre Island
South and North Padre islands both have beautiful white sand beaches and Malaquite Beach. The barrier island that hosts these beaches are the longest stretch of an undeveloped barrier island in the U.S. The calm waters of these beaches beckon beginner surfers and swimmers alike.
Padre Island is a popular place for boating, and launching a boat is very easy. Fishing is another favorite outdoor activity you can enjoy at these pristine beaches.
Padre Island lies 30 miles southeast of Corpus Christi and stretches 70 miles with pure white sand beaches, tidal flats, and natural dunes for everyone to explore.
The soft white beaches are ideal for kayaking, camping, swimming, surfing, fishing, and hiking.
Padre Island features unique local wildlife that nature lovers will love. Wildlife conservation efforts from local park rangers can be observed through interpretive programs and sea turtle hatchling releases.
The untouched natural coastline of Padre Island features emerald clear water and miles of white beaches to enjoy.
On South Padre Island, you can find more than 300 species of birds. Birdwatchers come from afar to view and enjoy the natural habitats this island offers wildlife. The Kemp’s Ridley Sea turtle hatchlings are a sight to behold making their way into the surf.
There is so much to do at Padre Island that you will never run out of activities to enjoy. Swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, biking, and hiking are all outdoor activities you can enjoy at Padre Island National Seashore.
Rockport Beach
Rockport Beach is famous for its calm waters and white sand beach. This spectacular beach with fine white sand offers 65 shaded picnic areas with grills, kids’ playgrounds, swings, volleyball courts, and a ยพ-mile-long hiking trail along the Little Bay shores.
Rockport Beach is a protected bird sanctuary, and birdwatchers come from many miles away to see the local and migratory birds that frequent the area.
You can fish anywhere at Rockport Beach except at the boat dock and saltwater pool. The 800-foot Pier offers the best fishing spot. Rockport Beach is a favorite for watersport enthusiasts that like to jet ski there in the hot summer months.
Rockport Beach does not allow vehicles onto the beach. If you are looking for a beach with a reputation of being the cleanest beach in Texas, look no further, Rockport Beach is Blue Wave Beach, certified by the Clean Beaches Coalition as the cleanest beach in the state.
San Jose Island
San Jose Island hosts 21 miles of undisturbed white sand beaches and lies just north of Corpus Christi. You can only reach San Jose Island by ferry from Port Aransas.
San Jose Island has more than 300 native bird species and around native fish 600 species that will please every nature lover. Swimming, surfing, and fishing at San Jose Island are other ways to enjoy this island’s lovely nature. The white sand beach also has the most exquisite shells to collect for those who love beachcombing. This beautiful island is a favorite of many visitors.
Sea Rim State Park
On the northeast side of Texas, close to Louisiana, sits Sea Rim State Park with an immaculate white sand beach. This lovely state park has a unique five-mile-long white sand beach to explore. Sea Rim State Park protects vast stretches of wetlands and two inland lakes. If you are lucky, you can spot a few alligators roaming among cypress trees in the area.
The Gambusia Nature Trail features the best hiking trail to the wetlands, where you can spot fish swimming in the marshes. If you are comfortable in a canoe, you can cruise through the wetlands to view the wetlands from an alligator’s-eye view.
Surfside Beach
At Surfside Beach, you get not only a white sand beach but also the best waves, perfect for surfers of any skill level.
Surfside Beach is just south of Freeport, southwest of Houston, Texas. Surfside Beach has surfable swells year-round, but if you prefer other outdoor activities, you can fish, swim, kayak, snorkel, crab, and beach comb for shells; Surfside Beach boasts more than 600 kinds of shells on its pure white beach.
Sylvan Beach Park
Sylvan Beach Park is another one of Texas’s white sand beaches near Houston. This lovely beach is near beautiful Galveston Bay, which has plenty of playgrounds, restrooms, picnic spots, grills, and grassy areas to enjoy. The long Pier offers excellent fishing spots for those who love to fish.
This seaweed-free beach has everything you need for a perfect day on the beach. Sylvan Beach Park is one of the best family-friendly beaches to visit in Texas.
The calm waters at Sylvan Beach Park are excellent for beginner surfers and young swimmers. Take a long walk on this beautiful white sand beach, one of the best in Texas.
Conclusion
Texas has many fantastic white sand beaches with stunning views and great outdoor activities. The warm coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico are a favorite of many visitors to the state.
The beaches at Boca Chica, Crystal Beach, Matagorda Bay, McGee Beach, Mustang Island, Padre Island, Rockport Beach, San Jose Island, Sea Rim State Park, Surfside Beach, and Sylvan Beach Park are some of the most spectacular beaches in Texas that have the whitest sand. We hope you enjoyed this article and chose to visit any one of these beaches.
Sources
- https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/travel/best-beaches-in-texas-pictures
- https://seaspiration.com/texas-beach-vacation-tips/white-sand-beaches-in-texas/
- https://boatcrunch.com/white-sand-beaches-in-texas/
- https://vacationidea.com/texas/best-texas-beaches.html
- https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-beaches-in-texas/
