5 Texas beaches to dip your toes in the sand during the sticky, hot summer days to come

Ella Gonzales

Need to beat the summer heat? Texas has a coast full of beaches worth exploring.

From North Texas, a trip to the gulf of Mexico is about a five hour road trip. But you cannot beat the price. For a family of five, a weeklong trip to the coast could cost as low as $2,500. All you need to worry about is gas, a place to stay, and spending money while you’re there.

Galveston, Rockport Beach, Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, and South Padre Island are the beach towns worth visiting in Texas. Galveston, the closest to us in North Texas, is a leisurely drive of four hours and 45 minutes.

Galveston is also where many Texans leave for cruises. If you are wanting to take a trip out of Texas, check out what cruises you can take out of the Port of Galveston to destinations in Mexico.

For those who are looking for a low-key road trip, here is what you should know about when best to travel to these Texas beach locations:

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A haul of fresh shrimp from commercial fisherman Buddy Guindon’s boat in Galveston Oct. 6, 2019. After a day on the beach, a shrimp boil would be fun way to end the day in this coastal town.
A haul of fresh shrimp from commercial fisherman Buddy Guindon’s boat in Galveston Oct. 6, 2019. After a day on the beach, a shrimp boil would be fun way to end the day in this coastal town.

Galveston

Distance: 315 miles, four hours and 45 minutes

Average Housing Cost: $1,000-$1,500 for a family of five

Known for: all of it’s 17 beaches

Rockport Beach

Distance: 377 miles, five hours and 50 minutes

Average Housing Cost: $2,000 for a family of five

Known for: It’s coastline is certified as a “blue wave beach,” which means clean beaches with powdery sand.

Steve McCray, a serviceman from San Antonio, used his holiday to go fishing. Many Texans spent their Thanksgiving Day on a fishing pier along the causeway in Corpus Christi Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. The Red Dot Fishing Pier was hopping with anglers trying their luck for speckled trout.
Steve McCray, a serviceman from San Antonio, used his holiday to go fishing. Many Texans spent their Thanksgiving Day on a fishing pier along the causeway in Corpus Christi Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. The Red Dot Fishing Pier was hopping with anglers trying their luck for speckled trout.

Corpus Christi

Distance: 384 miles, five hours and 54 minutes

Average Cost: $1,500 to $2,000 for a family of five

Known for: Windier weather makes for great outdoor activities and water sports

A couple on bicycles take a snapshot of themselves on the sand. Many Texans spent their Thanksgiving Day on the beach in Port Aransas Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023.
A couple on bicycles take a snapshot of themselves on the sand. Many Texans spent their Thanksgiving Day on the beach in Port Aransas Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023.

Port Aransas

Distance: 385 miles, six hours and 34 minutes

Average Cost: $2,000 to $2,500 for a family of five

Known for: Fishing capital of Texas, because of it’s large fish as well as it’s beaches

Gulls, gulls, gulls! But not a lot of people on South Padre Island in the fall.
Gulls, gulls, gulls! But not a lot of people on South Padre Island in the fall.

South Padre Island

Distance: 537 miles, eight hours and 8 minutes

Average Cost: $2,500 for a family of five

Known for: Calm and beautiful beaches that are perfect for swimming. Claims to be the sand castle capital of the world.

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