About Surfside Beach
Located approximately 60 miles south of Houston, Surfside Beach is a relaxing beach town nestled between the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal Waterway with over 21 miles of shoreline. This relatively unknown beach town has a great deal of activities for visitors hoping to relax and go on adventures in Texas.
Things to do at Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach is divided into public, pedestrian beaches and private beaches for cars with beach permits. The pedestrian beach is located between Welk Street and Thunder Street with free parking located at both edges. The private beaches begin from Welk Street and continue to the north. In addition, there are picnic tables and barbecue grills at both Jetty and Stahlman Parks. As you might have guessed, there are a variety of water related activities to do at Surfside Beach, including surfing, crabbing, jet skiing, and boat rentals are popular as well. There’s also a crabbing pier at the north end of town which is highly popular with visitors.
Surfside Beach also has a variety of dining options ranging from budget foods to high end dining. A good budget dining option includes Castaways Bar and Grill (burgers are the popular dining option) and a good mid-range dining option is Red Snapper Inn (house specialties include Red Snapper a La Grec and crab stuffed jalapenos). Some additional highlights at Surfside Beach include two fishing piers (Sam’s Pier and San Luis Pass Fishing Pier); diving at the beautiful Gulf of Mexico “Flower Gardens” reef; watching the fall migration of Monarch butterflies; visiting Sea Center Texas ($13 million state of the art hatchery and Visitor Center which includes a 50,000 gallon saltwater aquarium and is completely free); visiting the Brazosport Museum of Natural Science (a museum featuring that largest sea shell collection in the southern United States); and playing at various golf courses including the Riverside Country Club, Columbia Lakes Resort, and Freeport Municipal Golf Course.
Day Trips near Surfside Beach
Due to its proximity to Houston and Galveston, these two cities are typically the most popular day trip destinations for visitors. Galveston is the most historic island in Texas, and makes a great day trip adventure. You can experience the island through historical tours as well as visiting the Galveston State Park and taking the Dolphin Cruise of Galveston Bay. Plan to spend an hour driving each way, and be sure to bring your swimsuit so you can experience a different beach!
An hour north of Surfside Beach is the largest city in Texas, Houston. Visitors can take a day trip and visit some of Houston’s historic sites like the Space Center Museum, the Johnson Space Center, and Minute Maid Park.
Surfside Beach Accommodations
Visitors at Surfside Beach can take advantage of the various accommodation options available that range from small one bedroom vacation rentals to multi-story vacation homes. You can even camp out at the beach with a car permit. However, a vacation rental is your best option in order to maximize beach time and feel like you’ve really gotten away.
Transportation in Surfside Beach
The nearest airport to Surfside Beach in Houston in which it is recommended that visitors rent a vehicle. Another popular route is from Galveston in which visitors head south to the toll bridge. The beach itself makes for a great walkable area but restaurants and other shopping centers are just spread out enough that having a car makes sense or renting a bicycle.
