Looking for a good beach that's a bit off the radar. We did surfside beach and it was great, but way too many people. The sand was perfect though ( for texas beaches anyways).

I really like Padre but it was pretty busy. Now we would walk down the beach aways and there were areas where there was no one. Not sure how easy it would be to park and get there but we stayed at the Courtyard which is towards the end. Maybe an 8 minute walk from there it was pretty bare.

Crystal Beach is pretty chill. You can drive your vehicle on it too

We went to White Cap Beach just south of Port A. The kids loved the sand, awesome to drive on to just need the pass. The waves were pretty rough but we had a blast!

Depends on what flavor chill you like.

Matagorda, if you have 4WD. Just go down a mile or so and there is no crowd. Can have very nice water and nice fluffy sand. I can't stress 4WD enough here.

wildmen09 said:

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We went to White Cap Beach just south of Port A. The kids loved the sand, awesome to drive on to just need the pass. The waves were pretty rough but we had a blast!

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Three minutes from my house...

We go down a little further and turn by the horse barn so we're south of Bob Hall (well...while it's still there).

COSCAG67 said:

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I have little kids so my flavor is fewer drunken idiots dropping f bombs and speeding up and down the beach.

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Besides the weeks around SB, South Padre is pretty low-key. No vehicles on the beach and a lot of families.

AggieKO said:

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lawless89 said:

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BmtAg96 said:

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Crystal Beach is pretty chill. You can drive your vehicle on it too

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Crystal beach is the opposite of chill.

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Parents have a place there so we go very often. Can confirm, opposite of chill

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So glad someone else said this. I grew up going to that beach. Can't ever imagine recommending it to someone.

Sounds to me like you are headed to Matagorda beach!

txags92 said:

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Take a 4WD a few miles south of the 4WD only signs on the Padre Island National Seashore and you will have the beach to yourself most of the time.

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And make SURE it's 4WD because you won't have cell service the second you hit PINS...

I'd say padre during the week. Drive north past all the hotels.

South Padre Island

Great beach, but not worth the extra drive to get there if all he is looking for is a quiet beach. North Padre fits the bill and is alot closer to most of Texas.

I've never been to padre… does the sand / water have the same appearance as the rest of the texas beaches, or is padre any better?

txags92 said:

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Great beach, but not worth the extra drive to get there if all he is looking for is a quiet beach. North Padre fits the bill and is alot closer to most of Texas.

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I don't know; we hit N Padre annually (was at Gulfstream two weeks ago) and yes it is better than the nonsense you encounter further up the coast but it still does not compare to S Padre. As you pointed out though, one should consider whether or not the extra drive is worth it.

The water is still not crystal blue like the caribbean, but it is significantly clearer the further south you go along the coast. North padre is way better than anything around galveston/surfside/bolivar, but south padre is a little better.

As far as traffic on the beach, if you get a mile or two beyond the 4wd only signs on PINS, you are not going to have to deal with hardly anybody else unless you are there on a holiday weekend. We were there memorial day weekend a few years back and we went to about 15 miles south of the signs and had nobody within a quarter mile in either direction.

COSCAG67 said:

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I've never been to padre… does the sand / water have the same appearance as the rest of the texas beaches, or is padre any better?

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I think the water clarity and sand is significantly superior to most other Texas beaches. Sand is a lot lighter and finer than Galveston.

Typically you don't have to worry about large surf or undertow which is something to consider with kids. You can also walk a long way out from the beach before it gets too deep.

Having said that, it's not nearly as spectacular as the Florida panhandle beaches.

Expect it to be the best in Texas but don't expect the white sand or water like Destin.

txags92 said:

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The water is still not crystal blue like the caribbean, but it is significantly clearer the further south you go along the coast. North padre is way better than anything around galveston/surfside/bolivar, but south padre is a little better.

As far as traffic on the beach, if you get a mile or two beyond the 4wd only signs on PINS, you are not going to have to deal with hardly anybody else unless you are there on a holiday weekend. We were there memorial day weekend a few years back and we went to about 15 miles south of the signs and had nobody within a quarter mile in either direction.

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JFC...during covid, this wasn't the case. We drove 10 miles down PINS numerous times and there were still lots of people. Prior to covid that wasn't the case.

It's been awhile since we've headed down there though so maybe it's slowing down.

Still a lot of folks on N Padre now, though.

You need a 4star Jeep or will normal 4wd 1/2 ton work?

I think some of that was because the beaches within municipal limits were being closed due to power hungry idiot politicians. I haven't been down there post Covid, but I would be surprised if it is that crowded now with everything open.

To be honest it depends on the conditions. When we did that trip a few years ago, I went 15miles down in a 2wd Tacoma and had no issues. If it has been dry and the tide is up forcing you to drive in the unpacked sand, I would want a serious 4wd rig with good tread on it. As long as the tide is not up from a strong onshore wind or tropical system, any 4wd and typical recovery gear will get you out as long as you aren't doing something stupid like trying to drive back through the dunes.

Family and I went to SPI once from College Station. I think it was 7 hours.

I can be in Panama City Beach in 11 hours. Destin is a bit closer. Gulf Shores even closer. I'll gladly drive east on I-10 a few hours extra than go back to SPI. So much depends on where in Texas you live.

With all of that said, earlier this summer we took the RV down to Port Aransas and had a great time. 5.5 hours.

Not the best photo but def the best beaches in Texas. It is pretty clear. And like someone else said you can go out a ways before it gets deep.

txags92 said:

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I think some of that was because the beaches within municipal limits were being closed due to power hungry idiot politicians. I haven't been down there post Covid, but I would be surprised if it is that crowded now with everything open.

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Do NOT get me...or anyone else on the island...started on Canales. She screwed EVERYTHING up.

But, I think a lot of it was that everywhere else was closed, combined with lots of people working remotely. We had someone from Austin stay in our condo for several months just to get away from the restrictions there...she was working remotely, so why not with a Gulf view....

I HOPE it's more sane now...

Like I said...it's been a while since I've hit PINS.

BmtAg96 said:

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Crystal Beach is pretty chill. You can drive your vehicle on it too

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Which is the worst thing about Texas beaches. Actually, the people might be the worst thing. It's close. To me it's worth the 8 hour drive to visit Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, Alabama. Cleaner beaches, cleaner water. No idiot bros speeding down the beach. No thugs.

lawless89 said:

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BmtAg96 said:

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Crystal Beach is pretty chill. You can drive your vehicle on it too

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Crystal beach is the opposite of chill.

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username checks out

https://www.seagullcondos.com/live-surf-cam/

During week very few people.

JMac03 said:

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AggieKO said:

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lawless89 said:

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BmtAg96 said:

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Crystal Beach is pretty chill. You can drive your vehicle on it too

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Crystal beach is the opposite of chill.

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Parents have a place there so we go very often. Can confirm, opposite of chill

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So glad someone else said this. I grew up going to that beach. Can't ever imagine recommending it to someone.

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Don't get me wrong I love going down there with friends and fishing and chilling on the beach. But as someone mentioned above, it's definitely not a family beach. More of a day drinking/party beach.