The Gulf’s Secret Beach Town: Discover Untouched Shores & Affordable Stays This Summer

The Gulf may be known more for its controversial name choice that changed at the drop of a hat, but whatever you want to call the body of water lying below Texas and stretching to some of Florida's most renowned beaches still beholds secret locations that seems like only locals know.

We at Travel Off Path consider ourselves experts at giving life to hidden gems (apologies to the locals!).

With some help from Austin Monthly, the capital of Texas's go-to news source for all the latest happenings, we're helping guide their beloved residents on where to venture off to this summer to escape Austin's dreadful humidity…and the possible serial killer on the loose! 😱

Though, being so close to the major hub of Houston, anyone can easily reach this hush-hush beach town nestled between Galveston and the Louisiana state line, offering seemingly untouched shores and affordable stays, including one name-brand resort with a twist!

Crystal Beach: The Gulf's Unsung Hero

Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of America, or simply “The Gulf”, the fact is not many vacationers opt for Crystal Beach as their summer beach getaway.

But, how you can visit a place you don't know exists? Crystal Beach doesn't receive a lot of hype as Texas beaches are notoriously shunned by tourists in favor of Florida's Caribbean-esque waters, and even fellow Gulfer Mississippi's newfound popularity.

As a born and raised Texan, many of us from the Lone Star State will attest that any beach is better than Galveston, arguably the most well known beach in Texas, although Corpus Christi and South Padre might have something to say about that…

Crystal Beach is rarely, if ever, in the conversation except for the few in the know, which are likely tourists who made a wrong turn to Galveston and realized how awesome this slice of paradise along the 27-mile stretch on the Bolivar Peninsula and never turned back to Galveston's murky waters and literal dirty-diaper beaches (I know because I've stepped on one barefoot. Yay.)

By Ferry, Flight, Or Road Trip – Just Get Here!

Legend has it Galveston offers a ferry to Bolivar Peninsula because they know how disappointing visitors will be.

Okay, I exaggerated a little…

The truth is the Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry is often used for locals as a shortcut since it carries vehicles too. That's why you'll still need to rent a car from either of Houston's airports if you're not road tripping here as the ferry arrives miles away from Crystal Beach.

Plus, Crystal Beach's own tourism board encourages getting some sand on the tires, stating, ‘Vehicles are allowed to drive on, park and enjoy all 27 miles of coastal waters‘.

That being said, Crystal Beach is the ultimate endcap to an epic summer road trip, especially if have own/rent an RV as your hotel room on wheels.

While we'll get into Crystal Beach's affordable stays in a jiffy, Camp Margaritaville Resort Crystal Beach is worthy of its own paragraph.

I mean, who knew Margaritaville had RV resorts?

Here, you'll find many of the same amenities as it's truly a resort just blocks from the beach. Think swim-up bars, live music, fire pits, tiki bar, perfectly concocted margaritas, a massive pool, and so much more.

How Nice Are Crystal Beach's Shores?

Crystal Beach is as pretty as a Texas Gulf beach can be. You shouldn't expect Siesta Key-level blue waters, but there's no denying it's much prettier than nearby Galveston.

Experience miles and miles of undeveloped coastline, where you'll see far more spread out stilt homes than flashy resorts and cozy beachside stays.

As many towns across the South will soon again have a record-setting number of tourists flocking their beaches, Crystal Beach embraces their lack of crowds as part of the appeal.

Otherwise, they would have to change their rules about driving on the beach so it wouldn't become a real-life game of GTA.

Crystal Beach's popular activities, besides beachside tailgates, are:

• Bonfires
• Shelling
• Fishing (bring your catch to Stingaree Restaurant & Marina and they'll cook it for you!)
• Jet-skiing

Affordable Stays

Not everyone will lug their RV across Houston's 26-lane highways, so Margaritaville may be out of the question.

The good news is Crystal Beach offers a wide range of affordable accommodations for such an under-hyped hideaway.

Your next best bet is Crystal Palace Resort for just $175 per night in July, just 3 minutes away from the beach to cool off from the beaming Texas sun.

Another great option with even better reviews and lower prices is The 409 Bolivar Beach Hotel for $114 this summer where one recent guests stated ‘There wasn’t a day I was dissatisfied'.

Circling back to Crystal Beach's unmissable stilt homes, there are a plethora of vacation rentals lining the entire peninsula and won't break the bank.

In fact, our prior Crystal Beach article covered that very topic as HomeToGo named this Gulf gem as a top beach destination.