Nice place, we had a happy weekend together, I will be back at the nearest time , To enjoy the sea…read moreair

Amazing beach where you can drive your car almost into the waves!!! Exceptionally clean and…read moreleveled. Loved the sunrise there!!!

It's $15 to park here. On the closer area, there are porter potty's, showers and food trucks…read more The ticket guy told us at first we were not allowed to drive on the beach without a permit or handicap license. But it turns out you can on the further side. You have to cross the narrow wooden bridge to get to that side. Any car can go from jeeps to Teslas to small sedans. It's a nice place to bring snacks and tailgate. I hear usually the water is pretty dirty but it seemed okay this time.

I'm here during the shoulder season before the real summer craziness starts, which is why the beach…read moreis desolate in the afternoon. When springtime ends and summer begins, this is one of the more popular places to go as it is at the end of Broadway and near the Galveston Jetty. Flat, smooth and hard-packed, there's good reason why people want to be at this beach. There is paid parking nearby and you will want to read any postings to ensure you don't get a ticket. A number of inexpensive and moderately-priced hotels are nearby. [Review 882 of 2024 - 637 in Texas - 21911 overall]

Galveston Island State Park is a great spot to relax and enjoy nature. The scenery is beautiful…read morewith both beach and bay views, making it perfect for a peaceful getaway. It's a nice place for walking, fishing, or just soaking in the outdoors. The park is well kept and has a calm atmosphere that makes it easy to unwind. Overall, it's a great place to visit if you're looking to escape the city and spend some time outside.

Maybe it was just because of the hot summer weather, but this state park was not enjoyable for the…read morehiking or wildlife. It is nice the beach has good changing facilities, restrooms, and outdoor showers though. I came on a hot summer day, and the beach definitely felt cleaner than the other public beach areas in Galveston. The park has limited hiking trails, and they have paddling trails as well, although I didn't see any kayak or canoe rentals. We didn't really see any notable wildlife in the park, and I was looking forward to seeing some cool birds as advertised. We tried to do the Clapper Rail Trail, and once we parked near the trailhead, we were swarmed by mosquitoes. We didn't see anyone else out at the trails, so I'm not sure if this is just the offseason, but it would have been good to be told this information at the entrance as it seemed like this is a state park that is more of a relax at the beach type of vibe.

This is one of my favorite beaches to visit while in Galveston. It's just about a minute or two…read morewalk from the seawall. It's a lovely and well-maintained private beach with available umbrella and chair rentails should you decide you need or want one. Always a lovely experience.

I was staying at a hotel across from Porretto Beach on the off season. Granted, was the mid-high…read more80s in late November. I never really get down to east side of Galveston. But so glad I did! My hotel was right across the street from the beach. It took just a couple minutes to walk from the Seawall to the actual ocean. When I say that we were the only ones there, I absolutely mean it. I think it was the best experience I've ever had coming to Galveston. No loud music, no loud families just calm and quiet. The only people that were around were fishing on the jetty. I was able to catch some rays, play in the sand, dip in the water, and walk the beach without a living soul to bother me. Ha! I am not sure what it's like in the summer, but if you have a chance to go to this end of the beach during the off-season, it is absolutely heaven!! Heads up - no restrooms....at least during the off season. Not sure about the rest.

There is something about listening to the waves crash against the sand that is relaxing even if the…read morewater is brownish. Galveston beach has multiple sections. We tried the East beach first but there was flat fee to park. Since it was about to rain I didn't want to pay. We ended up at the beach closest to the pier. There was plenty of hourly pay to park beach street parking. We were able to easily rent 2 chairs and an umbrella. It was a nice relaxing time.

Since moving to Texas...specifically Galveston, the first thing people say is, coming from Florida?…read moreyou must miss the beach. Honestly? I don't, because I don't compare the two. If you come here expecting Florida's clear water, you might miss what makes Galveston special. The water can appear brown at times, but that's due to natural sediment shifting with the tides, not because it's dirty. Once you understand that your whole perspective changes. What I've come to love is the experience. Walking along the Seawall, day or night, there's always something happening. Different energy, different crowds, different moods depending on the season. It never feels the same twice. Galveston's seawall beaches isn't about perfection, it's about presence. And when you meet it that way, it's actually really beautiful.

Ok let's get the yucky part out of the way 3 stars for the…read moredebris and garbage everywhere - that's being generous. There are garbage cans, but overflowing and the curious birds have clearly gone dumpster diving. Broken travel gazebos are at nearly all cans - we counted 20!! I would think a pretty community like this would have garbage service more often. The beach is narrow, but goes for miles! Whats cool is it's dog/family friendly. The surf was a little rough but the wind had picked up. Still could play/swim in water.It's a decent beach for shell hunting, hanging out, having a BBQ with friends and people watching. . It was very diverse yet had a community feel to it. People were very friendly, most everyone waved when we drove by! I forgot to Mention you CAN drive and park on this beach! A permit is required and can be purchased at a local store. We stopped, walked the beach, struck up A conversation with some awesome Texans who were dog lovers. Someone had created some dunes to ride on and There were a few people with ATV's having a blast! This beach gets 5 stars for people watching and friendliness. Also almost everyone had some sort of flag on their vehicle - whether ATV/ROV or a car ( which I find it really weird someone takes their BMW to the beach, but hey whatever). It was much nicer than west end Galveston beach and not insanely packed like east end Galveston. TIP: there are two routes to access beach. 1. The Galveston Ferry - which can take up to 2 hours waiting in lines - but only a 15 min ride to peninsula 2. You can drive around to access on east end - after waiting 2 solid hours to access ferry - we realized we could have gone the 'long way' and been there quicker, plus had sites to see en-route.

We love the convenience of being able to park on the beach! Bathrooms are nearby and easily…read moreaccessible. But watch your step! We've been going to this beach, multiple times a year, for the last 10+ years. On our recent visit July 2026, my entire crew were stung by jellyfish! We even saw a few in the water, less than 10 ft from the shore line, after we were stung. I've never seen them here before. Words to the wise...pack vinegar in your beach bag. Flush with seawater, not fresh water.

Are they bringing back the pocket beaches? There used to be three. Not sure if it would work in…read moretoday's world. So many fond memories of the pocket beaches from mid 80s to early 90s. Mostly #3, but quite a few good times at #2. #1 usually had too many shoebies. We stayed at the Holiday Inn, which was terrible. The Tipsy Turtle is adjacent and was closed. Nice walkover wooden bridge. Showers and restrooms. We had a good time here. Try it. Have fun. Be prepared.

I like coming to this pocket park. I use to bring my daughters here when they were still in school…read moreand had a day off. The park has showers and restrooms which is a huge plus. They have a restaurant here now as well; Tipsy Turtle Seaside Bar & Grill. The patio for Tipsy Turtle is nice and quite large. You can order food and drinkie- drinks and take them onto the beach.

Pirates Beach is my favorite beach on Galveston Island. It's private and doesn't allow vehicles,…read morewhich makes the beach more family friendly and safe.

Great place to rent a beach house. We use Sand and Sea…read moreproperties to rent beach houses. They have several in pirates' beach to choice from. Pirates' beach has no driving on the beach; so it makes it almost private. They subdivision is so peaceful and serene. We will continue to rent here until we buy a place of our own.