Crystal Beach, Texas is located on the Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston County. The Bolivar Peninsula is actually a barrier formation – 27 miles long – in the Gulf of Mexico. Crystal Beach alone is seven miles long.
I had been to Galveston, TX decades ago, but never heard of the peninsula until my daughter’s in-laws invited us to their lovely beach house which we have been to a few times in the last couple years.
Considering the family lives far from the peninsula, travel to enjoy the beach house requires a five-hour drive to Galveston, followed by a ferry ride (on the Bolivar Ferry) to the peninsula, then further to Crystal Beach.
The Bolivar Peninsula earned its name from South American hero Simon Bolivar. He led the fight to free South and Central America from Spanish rule. Simon Bolivar was the founder and first President of Bolivia.
While still beautiful, the Gulf of Mexico shoreline – on the Texas Bolivar Peninsula – looks very different than beaches we are accustomed to on the Gulf side of Florida. You can drive all sorts of vehicles on Crystal Beach, palm trees are around but not as tall, and far off in the distance, you can see an oil rig while standing on the sand.
Though the entire body of water is known as the Gulf of Mexico, I’m sure the uniqueness of Crystal Beach vs. the Florida beaches, is also true for the Gulf of Mexico shorelines along Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
Crystal Beach, TX is a location we find to be more remote than many shores, offering minimal shopping or dining. This tends to be a good thing, making sure the family relaxes together and spends precious time making memories.
Thank you for reading on this Texas Tuesday…have a wonderful day!
Tales from a Mid-Lifer 
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