07/14/2026
Off the bat, a few tips: If someone tells you to visit Riviera Beach, don’t; the beach doesn’t exist. If there are dunes on any beach you visit, do not walk on them, no matter how smooth and irresistible they look. It’ll cost you up to $500 in fines. If a beach in Texas doesn’t explicitly state that you can swim, it’s probably meant for fishing. Fishing reigns supreme. And be warned: Some of the beaches farther down the coast are easier to navigate with four-wheel drive.
In her quest to create a Texas route that hit multiple beaches over a long weekend (think the Pacific Coast Highway, but with managed expectations), Lauren Castro found that "you can indeed make a beach hop happen in Texas if you have pure intentions in your heart . . . Each beach had its own weird personality. Some I didn’t even swim in; others provided more than I could’ve ever imagined."
📸: Lauren Castro
