One of the things I’ve never outgrown is my obsession with sea shells (and chocolate, but that’s another story!) When I’m on the beach, I can’t take my eyes off of the sand and shallow water, because I never know when an amazing treasure will wash up right next to my feet. The funny thing is that there could be a store full of completely perfect shells for sale, and I will walk right past it. I have zero interest in shells I don’t find on the beach, myself.
If you’re a shell freak like I am, you need to go to these beaches! I was completely shocked to find the best shells I’ve ever found, in Texas! That’s saying a lot for someone who grew-up on the Jersey Shore, and has been to beaches in Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, California, Florida, South Carolina, etc!
The first thing I learned about shell hunting in Texas, is that there are three conditions that will give you a huge advantage:
- You can find better shells in the winter.
- You can find the best shells after a storm, or very windy conditions.
- You can find the most shells at low tide.
Before you get started, buy yourself this waterproof shell guide: The Ultimate Guide to Shells of the Texas & Northern Gulf Coast on Amazon.* It is super helpful! Here are the three Texas beaches I have found the best shells on! The best part is that they are all on Galveston Island (which also happens to be my absolute favorite place in Texas!)
- Galveston Island State Park – this beautiful, protected beach is part of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. The park actually spans both the Gulf of Mexico and the West Bay sides of the island. My husband took me to Galveston Island for the very first time in February. The night before I went out to hunt for shells, it had been incredibly windy. Of course, I went out on the beach at low tide. Because of the weather and the conditions, no one else was on the beach. I found several, huge, almost perfect shells. I was literally running from one small hump in the sand, to the next, to uncover these beautiful finds. The best part about shell hunting on this beach is that cars cannot drive on it.
- Jamaica Beach – located adjacent to Galveston Island State Park, I had the same good luck on this beach. Granted, it was winter and there weren’t many people on the beach. It gets really busy in the summer, and cars are allowed to drive on this beach.
- Pointe West Beach – located at the far western tip of Galveston Island, this beach is very wide, well groomed, and driving is NOT allowed on this beach. I have been to this beach five of six times from spring to late summer. In the warmer months, I have found smaller, but equally beautiful shells, here. In the warmest months, I find more shells with creatures living inside of them, whether they be the original animal, or hermit crabs who have taken up residence. Either way, it’s really important to check inside of each shell to make sure there is not a living creature in there. If there is, PUT IT BACK IN THE OCEAN immediately!
Every one of the shells in the photo were found by either my husband or myself, on one of the three beaches mentioned above. Oh, a bonus tip…according to locals, one of the best shelling beaches in the country is Sea Shell Beach Pocket Park # 3. You will find it on most all maps of Galveston Island.
- This is an affiliate link and also the best shell guide I’ve found for Texas.