The Most Beautiful Places to Visit in South Texas

From stunning beaches to one of the most desolate national parks, find inner peace without traveling (too) far.

Have y’ all heard ? Texas is pretty beautiful , and in peculiar , our southern half ( which lies just south of San Marcos , and is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and Rio Grande ) is no - joke gorgeous . There ’s the367 miles of coastline , for starters ; plus all variety of other instinctive wonders , including but not limit to prehistorical limestone caverns and flow cliffside river . Not to be trump , we ’ve nonplus some man - made relic that are infrangible beauts , too . Have you peeped those epic compound missions dating back to the 1700s ? All of this to say , the southside of the Lone Star is totally worth explore . Here are the most visually sensational places to see out .

Galveston Island

GalvestonDon’t knock it ‘ til you seek it . Houston ’s favoritebarrier islandrocks both a gorgeous , 70 - blockhistoric Strand Districtand 30 + miles ofsalty sands . East Beach is where most of the action lie , while the nearby Stewart Beach is a bit tamer for those looking for an untouched cut of blissfulness by the piss . Want even more tranquil time ? becharm a ferryboat over to Bolivar Peninsula to find the pristine sands ofCrystal Beach .

Port Aransas

Mustang IslandOn the north goal of Mustang Island , Port A ’s a fun place to pass some time . It ’s also a beautiful place to spend some time , with 18 miles of unruffled shoreline and enough Gulf Coast magic spell to warm the soul . Do that , then hop on ajettyover to the 21 air mile of undisturbed sand on the in private - ownedSan Jose Island , which is home to some of the best birding and brine fishing in the Lone Star .

Rockport Beach

RockportThird Coast beach do n’t get nearly enough cred . subject in item : this mile - farseeing dime art object , with calm , quartz glass - clear surf and a crescent of near - virgin sands . Set in Aransas Bay , Rockport Beach just so happens to be the state ’s first Blue Wave beach , a Clean Beaches Coalition enfranchisement that ensures the shores are robust and healthy . At sundown , a breezy stroll down the 1,500 feet fire up wharf that jet out into the water is basically the definition of romance .

Guadalupe River State Park

New BraunfelsYou may not fully appreciate it as you ’re tubing down the river slap a bag of Franzia , but the Guadalupe River is pretty damn gorgeous . Lined with bald cypress , sycamore , and pecan trees and rugged limestone bluffs , and course over four natural rapids , the twisty stretch of weewee is the star of the show at this state common . Kayak , flock , metro , or just plop yourself in to get a slice of the repose - back Hill Country life .

San Antonio Missions

It ’s not all natural dish in the Lone Star . There ’s a rationality San Antonio ’s Spanish colonial mission are tourer attraction , and that ’s because they are square - up gorgeous . You ’ll find four breathtaking beauty — Concepción , San José , San Juan , and Espada — sittin ’ pretty at the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park , and a 5th , the Alamo , a little upstream . With predominate wall and arch dating back to the other 1700s , there ’s no better home in Texas to act out your GoT fantasies . And since you ’ve alreadyroad spark over there , you may as well check out San Antonio , too .

South Padre Island

With white George Sand and the clear emerald water system in the state , South Padre Island is the crown jewel of Texas beachfronts . On the southernmost tip of the only island in Texas is another rarity , a geographical mile - long , unspoiled beach atIsla Blanca Park . The developing preserve is perhaps the best berth to huckster a collapsible shelter and reflect on all of the damage you did atClayton’sthe night before .

Santa Elena Canyon Rio Grande

Big Bend is n’t messing around when it call itself big ( the parking area named itself , plain ) . At over 800,000 acres , it ’s one of the largest home parks in the entire body politic . prosperous for you , it ’s also one of the most barren , with only around 450,000 visitors per year … compare that to Yellowstone ’s 4.8 million visitant and you get it . It does n’t get more scenic , or more serene , than the Santa Elena Canyon , the enormous meandering vale that split up the US and Mexico . flow with the weewee of the Rio Grande River and faced with 1,000 feet cliffs , you ’ll need to separate out the selfie stick for this one .

Garner State Park

ConcanAlmost three Roman mile of the Frio River cascade straight through this 1,774 - acre United States Department of State park . ICYMI , the spring - fed Frio River is named for its moth-eaten temps , making it a prime billet to get away the scald Texas heat . The lush landscape surrounding the limestone drop , deep canyons , and clear flow grows undisturbed , providing a natural beauty that is also a premier bit to escape today ’s overly manicured world .

Cave Without a Name

BoerneFifty Swedish mile outside San Antonio , the Cave Without a Name literally has no name . A statewide contest was held to name it in 1940 , and after one tiddler evoke that the limestone cave " was too beautiful to have a name , " its lack of a sobriquet was born . The cave was first find in the early twentieth century , when a small farm animate being got trapped in a sink . year later during Prohibition , a moonshine distillery pose up workshop ( can we start a petition to bring that back ? ) . In 1975 , cavers map out over 2.7 miles of cavern , just over a fourth part of a stat mi of which are open for tour today , with six immense rooms bursting with stalactite , stalagmites , and helictites for your take in pleasure .

Devils River State Natural Area

Located in the remote southwestern slice of the state , the 94 - mile Devils River flows southwestward through the desert before emptying into Lake Amistad . It ’s remote location makes it one of the most pristine river in Texas , and its lack of access points make it one of the hardest to visit . If you do discover your way there , you ’ll be treated to exorbitant limestone ridges dot with juniper and mesquit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , flowing fresh water rapid , and Dolan Falls , a 15 foot waterfall that is not unresolved to the public , so you really should n’t be there .

Boca Chica Beach

BrownsvilleWhile we ’ve install that South Padre is quite purty , it ’s also known for a piece of an insanely rowdy , Spring Break - ish crowd . Just detached from the island , though , there is a glimmer of closing off — this eight - mile , untouched strip of Baroness Dudevant that is protected as part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge . The desolate beach in the deep Texas south feel a million miles away from it all , produce it just where you require to camp , fish , snorkel , and full-strength - up gelidity without the noise of the modern world .

Natural Bridge Caverns

San AntonioTexas ’ cavern are n’t only breathtaking , they ’re also cool as hell . This 180 - groundwork - below - ground curiosity is no elision . Four college kids discover the two - air mile - recollective cavern under a limestone bridge in 1960 , and today , you could pay your regard to the natural keepsake through channelize hikes . form by an belowground river that dissolved the limestone , the genuinely sess caves are chock - full of geological allure , from a large stalagmite be intimate as The King ’s commode to a funky - looking “ chandelier ” in the Castle of the White Giants .

Galveston.com & Company, Inc.