Travel & Outdoors
February 13, 2024
An Adventurous Week of “Yes” on South Padre Island
Nearly everything my teenage son wanted to do during our beach vacation required a waiver.
Beaches
Travel & Outdoors
November 13, 2023
The Sand Dunes of South Padre Island Have a Mind of Their Own
Drive up State Park Road 100 long enough and the beach comes to meet you.
Parks & Recs
October 24, 2023
Taking It Slow at Goose Island State Park
I marveled at the thousand-year-old Big Tree and stargazed with a pod of pelicans.
Travel & Outdoors
September 12, 2023
Rockport Is the Quintessential Texas Beach Town
With a vibrant festival scene, a funky downtown, and great birding, it offers more than just sand and surf.
Sponsored
August 30, 2023
“Where History and Creativity Collide”: 10 Reasons to Visit Pensacola, Florida for Foo Foo Fest
A 12-day cultural celebration that coincides with amazing weather and helps showcase all of the artful offerings that Pensacola has to offer.
Food & Drink
August 4, 2023
South Padre Island’s Hottest Beach Snack Is Steaming Corn
Eloteros trawl the north end of the island in converted vans and buses slinging variations of elotes in this (sometimes) fruitless, fun job.
Parks & Recs
August 2, 2023
We Found Texas’s Best Beachcombing Spot in Matagorda
The seaside town is also a great place to catch redfish, watch dolphins, and stay in a snazzy new bungalow.
News & Politics
July 25, 2023
A New Report About Human Waste and Texas Beaches Is More Than Just Gross
Human waste on Texas coastlines is a beach.
Critters
May 10, 2022
Five Texas Jellyfish—and Relatives—to Know
Brush up on (but not against!) these five gelata common to the Gulf of Mexico.
Critters
May 10, 2022
Jellyfish in the Gulf Are as Mysterious as They Are Painful
These translucent, stinging creatures are full of secrets.
News & Politics
April 22, 2022
Texas Beaches May Be Filthier Than We Realize
A&M researchers say more-robust testing is needed to understand just how much human feces ends up in Gulf waters.
Travel & Outdoors
March 31, 2022
Escape to Indianola, a True Ghost Town on Matagorda Bay
This far-flung spot has a rich history, excellent fishing, free beach camping, and no crowds.
Parks & Recs
August 20, 2020
Where to Go Swimming Now in Texas
A handy guide to which of our beaches, lakes, rivers, creeks, swimming holes, and swimming pools are and aren’t open.
The Texanist
June 23, 2018
The Texanist: Is It Legal to Build a Bonfire on the Beach?
An Amarillo man wants to make sure that his Mustang Island getaway won't go up in smoke.
Travel & Outdoors
June 16, 2016
How To Beat the Texas Heat
Where to go to cool off this summer.
The Daily Post
January 22, 2016
Port Aransas May Ban Booze on the Beach for Spring Break
Bummer, bro.
The Daily Post
July 22, 2014
Does Texas Really Have the Fourth Best Beaches in the Country?
Real estate blog Estately.com placed Texas at number four in its "top ten beach states" list. Is this summer bearing that out?
Travel & Outdoors
May 8, 2013
15 Best Spots on the Coast
From Boca Chica to Sabine Lake, the Texas coast is still home to pristine, natural, secluded spots where you can while away the summer far from the madding crowds. Come along as we explore the hidden beaches, bays, and trails that you always knew were out there.
Energy
April 16, 2013
It’s Oil for the Best
One expert explains how the BP spill could be Texas’s greatest boon.
January 21, 2013
Cleaner Beaches Thanks to the Drought?
Were cleaner beaches in 2011 an unexpected upside to the drought?
Travel & Outdoors
January 20, 2013
Habeas Corpus
The rap on Corpus Christi is that there’s no there there—but a case can be made that it’s a great weekend destination.
Travel & Outdoors
January 20, 2013
Shore ’Nuff
The best beaches in Texas for—among other summertime pursuits—shelling, strolling, birding, fishing, treasure hunting, turtle herding, solitude, and surfing, dude.
Travel & Outdoors
May 31, 2004
Coasting
Since I was a kid growing up on polluted Galveston Bay, I’ve held a grudge against the watery edge of Texas—but no more. Protected wetlands! Pelicans and turtles! Historic buildings! Edible oysters! And that’s not the half shell of it.
Travel & Outdoors
May 31, 1998
The Wild Coast
The birds of High Island. The wilderness of Matagorda Island. The untamed beach of Boca Chica. These and other hidden treasures await you-if you know where to look.
Travel & Outdoors
July 31, 1996
To Dive For
For breathtaking snorkeling in subterranean rivers and caverns, take the road out of Cancún and head for the Yucatán rain forest.
Travel & Outdoors
June 1, 1995
The Beach Is Back . . .
. . . but can it last? That’s what Galveston officials are wondering as they put the finishing touches on a nearly $6 million renourishment project—just in time for hurricane season.
Travel & Outdoors
May 31, 1995
The Shore Thing
Our complete guide to a great vacation on South Padre Island: the best spot for tanning, who serves the freshest seafood, how to rent scuba gear, where to see the prettiest sunset, and more.
Hunting & Fishing
August 31, 1994
Idyll Pleasures
Welcome to Puerto Escondido, where you can ride magnificent waves, hook a sailfish, or do absolutely nothing.
Critters
September 1, 1987
Shark!
Three shark attacks on the Texas coast this summer are making swimmers edgy and chambers of commerce ask one question: what’s going on out there?
Being Texan
July 31, 1987
Texas Primer: The Tar Ball
There’s one place where you can still find plenty of oil in Texas: the beach.
Travel & Outdoors
February 1, 1986
A Caribbean Escape
From luxury class to no-plumbing primitive, the Technicolor tropics of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula offer end-of-the-world delights. And it’s practically in our back yard.
Travel & Outdoors
September 1, 1984
Blissed Out on the Beach of Love
At a slightly wacky hotel in southern Mexico, you can lose your inhibitions and find a little romance.
Travel & Outdoors
June 1, 1983
Funky Riviera
Discover another side of the Texas coast—its peerless beachcombing, legendary beer joints, odd birds (feathered and otherwise), and lovable year-round scruffiness.
Travel & Outdoors
August 1, 1979
Down to the Sea in Buses
Grab your beach towel and bathing suit, but leave your car in the garage.
Business
August 1, 1978
Trouble in Paradise
Resort hotels and luxury condominiums line the shore of South Padre, yet foot by foot, day by day, the island is washing away.
News & Politics
July 31, 1976
The Party’s Over
The Lord giveth the beach and the developer taketh away.
Travel & Outdoors
September 30, 1973
A Grand Tour by the Gulf
October is the month to pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and head to the sea.