Despite being home to plenty of trendy dining locations and bustling nightlife – Houston is also situated right on the southeastern curve of Texas, which means that it’s located close to the Gulf of Mexico!
In other words? There are plenty of stunning beaches dotted all around the surrounding areas of Houston, and we’re here to talk you through all of them.
From beaches ideal for enjoying a surf all the way to beaches that have white sand and turquoise waters – you’ll find all kinds of beaches on this list.
Just keep on reading to discover 11 of the most beautiful beaches worth visiting in the surrounding areas of Houston!
Offering beautiful white sand and glistening waters, Lighthouse Beach is one of the best beaches that you can visit near the Houston area, and will take you around 2 hours to get there by car.
The perfect day out if you’re planning a vacation to Houston, Lighthouse Beach is a relatively short drive away and is the perfect beach to head to if you’re in the mood to have some fun by the ocean.
Besides being a great sport for sunbathing and swimming, Lighthouse Beach is home to plenty of water trails that you will be able to walk through.
Here, you’ll be met with a variety of different wildlife including a multitude of bird species including loons and even adorable pelicans.
Not only that, but ideal for families with young children, Lighthouse Beach also features plenty of entertainment for littles ones including play areas, splash pads, shallow swimming pools and plenty of other things.
On top of all that, this beach also provides RV owners the ability to park up and spend the night at this beach, as it is also home to one of Texas’ most popular RV beach campsites!
If you’re interested, however, you’ll need to make sure that you book ahead as there’s only a limited number of RV spots available.
If you’re already familiar with the various beaches outside Houston, then we’re sure that you might have already heard of Galveston Island State Park!
Galveston is one of the most beautiful and vibrant beaches in Texas, and is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike that are looking for fun, excitement and plenty of thriving activities!
Here at Galveston Island State Park, you’ll find crashing waves, a thriving boardwalk and beautiful pastel stilt homes.
Besides all of that, Galveston Island State Park also comes complete with the famous Galveston Island State Park Pleasure Pier which offers a range of different attractions that you will be able to enjoy with friends, family or even your special someone.
So, what can you do at this Pleasure Pier?
Well, you’ll easily be able to spend hours at this Pleasure Pier doing everything from eating cotton candy (and other fair-friendly snacks), as well as having fun on all of the various rides and attractions, too!
If you’re feeling daring, you could soar above the waves on one of the many roller coaster rides at this pier, or even try your luck on one of the many slot machines.
This Pleasure Pier even has a fortune teller that you can pay a visit to if you’re in the mood to learn more about your fortune.
As a side note, Galveston County in itself also features plenty of other Gulf beaches worth paying a visit to, as well as plenty of fun activities to try such as golfing, boating, kayaking and so much more.
If you’re planning a trip down to the Houston area, Galveston is a great day out!
In the mood to head to the beach for the day that won’t take too long to get to? If you are, then you don’t need to look any further than Porretto Beach.
Offering a guaranteed hassle-free experience, Porretto Beach offers convenient on-the-sand parking which means that you will be able to drive right down to the beach and park up!
We really like this, as it means that you won’t need to worry about transporting heavy beach bags, chairs or other belongings down to the beach.
Along with offering a hassle-free experience ideal for families, friends and more – Porretto Beach also offers plenty of activities that you will be able to spend the day enjoying, including seasonal events and plenty of water activities all throughout the year, too!
In particular, Porretto Beach has built up quite the reputation for being one of the best beaches to go to if you want to enjoy volleyball!
Among all of the other activities going on, Porretto Beach is a popular destination for volleyball players, and you’ll often be able to catch a competition going on.
If you’re planning on paying a visit to Porretto Beach next time that you head down to the Houston area, we recommend that you try and catch one of Porretto Beach’s infamous beach bonfires.
These bonfires are held all year round and are a great way to meet new people, enjoy a vibrant atmosphere and even toast some yummy marshmallows!
Next up? We have Sylvan Beach! A true paradise that’s not too far from the Houston area – it will only take you around 40 minutes to get to this treasure trove of a beach.
Unlike the other beaches that we have listed in this guide, Sylvan Beach is unique because it is one of the only beaches close to the Houston area that is entirely man made.
Due to this, it means that the sand at this beach is super soft and perfectly white – which will make it feel as though you are on a paradise island the moment you set foot on it!
Besides being absolutely stunning and offering some beautiful views of the ocean, we think that you might be also pretty pleased to learn that this beach also features picnic tables, a playground as well as a pavilion just perfect for the hot days when you want to escape the heat!
Are you a surfer on the search for the perfect beach that will allow you to cut up a few waves?
If you are, then trust us when we say that McFaddin Beach is totally worth paying a visit during your time in Houston!
The perfect beach to visit if you’re in the mood to escape to quiet and open waters that will allow you to put your surf skills to the test, McFaddin Beach is known for offering 20 miles of sandy beach that gives way to crashing waves perfect for experienced surfers.
If you’re interested in paying a visit to this beach during your time in Houston – keep in mind that you will need to travel around 2 hours to get there.
However, if you’re a surfer and you want to catch some big waves, you won’t regret traveling down to this beach.
If you answered yes to that question, then you’ll be making the right decision to pay a visit to East Beach next time that you decide to take a trip down to Houston, Texas!
Here at East Beach, you will be able to live it up and have some fun as this beach has built up quite the reputation for being a popular party and festival destination.
Along with that, this beach comes complete with public restrooms, a pavilion with electrical outlets and even showers!
If you’re looking for a beach that will allow you to live it up and enjoy a variety of events all throughout the year, then trust us when we say that you won’t regret visiting this beach!
If you’re on the search for a beach that is going to offer plenty of excitement and wildlife all around – then you’ll be making a great choice to head to the Sea Rim State Park!
Truly the place to be if you want to experience some wildlife in their natural habitat, the Sea Rim State Park is absolutely huge, and consists of more than 4,141 acres of beach to explore.
Once here, you will be able to discover a variety of different species of wildlife including huge water birds, crabs, water spiders and even gators!
Besides that, the Sea Rim State Park is a great place to enjoy some stunning views of the coastline, too.
Why? Well, if you take a trip down to Sea Rim State Park, you will be able to enjoy a multitude of canoe and kayak routes as well as plenty of hiking trails, too.
If you’re open to traveling over an hour to a beach near the Houston area – then we recommend checking out Matagorda Beach!
This beautiful beach is absolutely gorgeous and worth the 1 hour and 45 minute drive.
This Matagorda Beach is currently home to over 55 miles of breathtaking Gulf of Mexico shoreline!
Offering plenty of access to the beach, 23 out of these 55 miles can be accessed from land, although do keep in mind that there are currently around 35 miles of this beach that can only be accessed via a boat.
As for what you will be able to do there?
Boasting stunning white sand and plenty of turquoise water – Matagorda Beach is the place to be if you want to spend the day tanning it up, swimming in clear waters and feeling as though you have just escaped to a paradise retreat!
Not only that, but along with being able to spend the day tanning it up and swimming in the ocean, you will also have the chance to discover seashells, dollars and Spanish coins!
Much of this beach remains untouched throughout the year, which means that you will have the ability to uncover some hidden treasures within the sand.
Plus, unlike some of the other beaches that we have mentioned in this list – you will also have the ability to spend the night at this beach, too!
Offering camping facilities, you can book a camping slot in advance and spend the night under the stars, listening to the crashing waves of the ocean!
Another stunning beach worth making the trip to is Stewart Beach! Even though it is situated a little outside of the Houston area, it’s definitely worth making the visit to.
Offering the balance of a relaxed beach and a bustling tourist location – Stewart Beach is located right in the middle of Galveston, and is one of the most popular beaches in the State.
At the time of writing this guide, Stewart Beach is currently recognized as being one of the best beaches for families in the country, although you’ll be able to enjoy this beach just as well with friends or your special someone.
Offering plenty of convenience, Stewart Beach comes complete with plenty of amenities including showers, beach volleyball courts, a children’s playground and even restrooms!
If all that wasn’t impressive enough, we think that you might also be pretty pleased to learn that this beach also comes complete with trained lifeguards that stay on duty all day.
Thanks to this, it means that you will be able to enjoy a dip in the ocean with the complete peace of mind that you are going to be watched over while you are at Stewart Beach.
As a side note, please keep in mind that this beach is only open between March-October and it is closed for the season outside of these months.
In addition to this, if you are planning on making the trip down to Stewart Beach by driving – you are going to need to pay a fee of $15 for parking for the day.
Last but certainly not least, the final beach that we have to recommend to you in the Houston area is Surfside beach!
This beautiful beach is known for its secluded atmosphere and relaxed ambience that make it the ideal place to unwind and relax.
Thanks to the fact that this beach is one of the lesser-known beaches in the surrounding Houston area, it means that you’ll be able to enjoy this beach without the crowds.
However, if you are thinking about paying a visit here – we recommend that you try and get there earlier in the morning as this beach can get a little busy during the warmer months.
If you weren’t already aware, Surfside Beach is located in Brazoria County and currently has a population of over 600 people.
If you’d like to get there, you’ll be able to get there by foot, and once there you will be able to enjoy a white sandy beach that stretches as far as the eye can see!
Wrapping Up
There we have it! We’ve made it to the end of this guide.
Now that you have taken the time to read through all of the above, we hope that we have been able to help you learn a little bit more about some of the best beaches that can be found in the surrounding areas of Houston, Texas (see also “Best Beaches In Austin And The Surrounding Area“).
Before you go, why don’t you consider giving this page a bookmark?
That way, if you ever find yourself needing to come back and refresh your memory on some of the very best beaches that can be found near Houston, Texas – you’ll know exactly where to find this page!
Thank you for taking the time to read through this guide, and goodbye for now.
Hi, my name is Alex Kallen and I love to travel. Ever since I could afford the ticket, I hopped on a plane and never looked back. I’ve made a living writing travel guides and blogging my experience all over the world.
I want to encourage and inspire others to travel around the US like I am. There’s no need to go on vacation overseas when there is an amazing land of opportunity right on your doorstep. Enjoy my website, I hope to see you out here one day.
