Nice Texas beaches

[ChristieP]

Since Texas is downstream from the Mississippi River delta, our beaches won't have the white sugar sand and turquoise water like Florida beaches. And yes, it is a working coastline with fishing, oil and gas drilling, shipping, etc.

[Westerntraveler]

I prefer Corpus and Port A beaches

[Trainwreck20]

To be honest, there aren't any 'world class' beaches in Texas when you are talking about sand and water; however, I really like several sections of the coast for a variety of reasons (SPI, Port A., and West End of Galveston).
- They are so much less expensive. I have been to beaches all along the gulf coast that are beautiful, but you end up paying for it if you stay there for a few days.
- Florida beaches (at least, Gulf Side) don't have the waves that Texas beaches have, which can be fun. Sometimes the lack of wave-crashing in Florida is a bit disconcerting.
- The large predator sharks don't think much of the beaches in Texas! The turbidity and warmth keep most of them away, so while they aren't totally lacking, you are much less likely to run into a Great White along the gulf coast (especially lower GC) than almost any area with great beaches.

[lonestar2007]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

you are much less likely to run into a Great White along the gulf coast (especially lower GC) than almost any area with great beaches.

And that's a major plus right there!

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Since Texas is downstream from the Mississippi River delta, our beaches won't have the white sugar sand and turquoise water like Florida beaches. And yes, it is a working coastline with fishing, oil and gas drilling, shipping, etc.

The silt off our coast is mainly of Texas origin - Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, etc. all dump copious amounts of silt. We are actually upstream of the Mississippi outfall, so while a bit might work its way here in a round about way, I think the gulf stream moves most of it west that does not get carried out to deep water.

[Yn0hTnA]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

The silt off our coast is mainly of Texas origin - Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, etc. all dump copious amounts of silt. We are actually upstream of the Mississippi outfall, so while a bit might work its way here in a round about way, I think the gulf stream moves most of it west that does not get carried out to deep water.

No, the main offender is the Mississippi; the other Texas rivers do dump silt, but not to the extent that the Mississippi does. All the rivers you named are empty at points south of Galveston, yet the southern beaches of Texas are clearer than the northern beaches. Furthermore, many beaches with clear water have rivers emptying right near them; Florida has many rivers running right through blackwater swamps, yet the beaches they empty at are clear, or at least not as murky as the water off places on the Texas coast. The longest river in the world, the Nile, empties into the Med at Egypt, yet the beaches around the Nile Delta are not murky. In fact, majority of Texas's rivers don't even empty directly into the ocean, instead emptying into estuaries/bays, where the sediment should be filtered decently before going out to the ocean.

The reason the Mississippi is able to dirty the Texas coast like it is right now is because the delta ecosystem of Louisiana is eroding, due to construction of a levee on the river that straight-jackets the water channel to one direction. This causes all the sediment, which should be building up the delta ecosystem in Louisiana, to instead be wasted out in the Gulf, where the currents then take it to the Texas coast. A healthy delta ecosystem can filter even the muddiest of rivers quite effectively, as the landscapes are constructed by river sediment. For instance, the Nile River can be quite silty at times, but before entering Egypt, it goes through a swampy region in Sudan known as the Sudd; the inland wetlands filter the sediment effectively, allowing the river to remain relatively clear on its way to the Med, meaning the beaches are clear. However, the Mississippi Delta is not very healthy; Louisiana's wetlands are eroding at a very fast pace, due to starvation of sediment.

Really, this murky water situation on the Texas coast is completely man-made; the water would naturally be Destin clear, or at least much clearer than it is now, if not for the actions of mankind, from re-routing the river, causing sediment to be wasted clouding Texas's beaches, to enhanced release of nutrients into the Gulf from Midwestern corn farmers, causing algae blooms that lead to large Gulf of Mexico deadzones.

[bu2]

South Padre is nice. The water is warm, the beach is clean and its not over-developed.

Its not the Caribbean with clear water or Destin with white sand and often clear water, but the lack of development is a plus. And again, the water is warm, which you can't say about the Atlantic, Pacific or even Destin in March.

[wintersbone]

Pensicola or navaree fl.

[ScoPro]

SPI is our beach destination choice - what's not to like about it, except for the 6 hour drive from Austin?

[AliefPropOwner]

Copacabana and Ipanema in Rio are #1 bar none !