Texas' Gulf Coast stretches for hundreds of miles, from the Louisiana border to Brownsville on the Rio Grande. The beaches are excellent, and oil-rich cities like Houston make for fun nightlife, too.

Regions

Rio Grande Valley from the Mexican border at Brownsville up to the Mansfield Channel.

South Barrier Coast from the Mansfield Channel in the south near Raymondville past the Corpus Christi area and up to Port Lavaca.

North Barrier Coast heavily developed coastal areas from Point Comfort in the south to Galveston Bay east of Bay City. Includes the sprawling Houston Metropolitan Area.

Bayous marshy land from Galveston Bay east to the Louisiana border.

Cities

• 1 Beaumont
• 2 China
• 3 Corpus Christi
• 4 Galveston
• 5 Houston
• 6 Rockport
• 7 Port Lavaca
• 8 Port Arthur
• 9 Palacios

Other destinations

• 1 South Padre Island - Resort town on Padre Island. Very popular spring break destination for university students.
• 2 Port Aransas - Town on the northern tip of Mustang Island.
• 3 Crystal Beach - Just a ferry ride from Galveston Island
• 4 Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

Itineraries

• 5 A Taste of Coastal Texas , from Houston along the coast to Corpus Christi.

Stay safe

Hurricanes frequently occur in the summer months. Check for local weather updates while in the area.