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 Baffin Bay.
• South Barrier Coast - from Baffin Bay in the south near Kingsville 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

• Beaumont
• China
• Corpus Christi
• Galveston
• Houston
• Rockport
• Port Lavaca
• Lake Jackson
• Port Arthur
• Palacios

Other destinations

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

Itineraries

• 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.