shore winners

3 Texas beaches surf into top 20 spring break destinations for 2025

Jamaica Beach ranked among the top 20 best spring break destinations nationwide.

visitgalveston.com/

It may still be February, but it's never too early to start thinking about spring break. Now, one beach in Texas has been singled out on a national list (and it's not Padre Island): Crystal Beach, located in the Galveston Bay southeast of Houston, has been named one of the top 10 destinations for a beachy spring break in 2025.

The 2025 Beach Index, compiled by vacation rental company HomeToGo, examined 35 beaches around the country based on metrics such as a "hidden gem" status, affordability for accommodations during the key spring break months of March and April, and a "local secret score" based on vacationers' average distance traveled to reach each destination.

Crystal Beach came in as the No. 7 best beach.

Located on the Bolivar Peninsula, about 70 miles southeast of Houston, Crystal Beach earned high praise for its affordability, clear skies score, and local secret score, earning 9.52 out of 10 possible points in all three categories.

It also earned 9.11 points for the report's "heat score" which measured the average temperatures in March and April (where higher temperatures received higher scores).

This is how Crystal Beach performed in the remaining three metrics:

7.33 – Food and drink score
7.19 – Hidden gem score
5 – Visitor satisfaction score

Facilities at Crystal Beach include Camp Margaritaville RV Resort which opened in 2022 with a beachside concert venue, pool with a swim-up bar, 50 private poolside cabanas, large turf playing field, RV accommodations — and access to 27 miles of beaches along the peninsula.

Get ready for a fun vacation at Crystal Beach. Bolivar Peninsula Tourism and Visitor Center

Five of the top 10 beaches on the list were in Florida, but No. 1 was Avila Beach in California, a sleepy beach town 200 miles south of San Francisco; followed by two beaches in the Carolinas: Kure Beach, North Carolina and Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina.

Two other Texas beaches made the list: Surfside Beach, a tiny beach town about 30 miles south of Galveston that came in at No. 11; and Jamaica Beach, another tiny beach town located right next to Galveston Island State Park, which came in at No. 17.

Surfside Beach came in as the most affordable destination out of all 35 beaches, with visitors paying a median $66 nightly rate per person for accommodations.

According to HomeToGo, spring breakers can expect to pay a median nightly rate of $121 per person for accommodations across all of these coastal areas, but prices will likely fluctuate depending on peak travel periods.

"Spring Break continues to be a highly popular time for beach trips across the United States, and with so many destination options available, we are excited to share our annual Beach Index to help travelers navigate the vacation planning waters," said HomeToGo spokesperson Eleanor Moody. "Whether travelers are after blue-sky breaks, savvy stays, or under-the-radar retreats, we hope this report will help pinpoint ideal trips exactly according to personal preferences."

The top 10 best beaches in America for spring break vacation in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Avila Beach, California
No. 2 – Kure Beach, North Carolina and Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina (tied)
No. 4 – Saint Joe Beach, Florida
No. 5 – Vilano Beach, Florida
No. 6 – Bethany Beach, Delaware
No. 7 – Crystal Beach, Texas
No. 8 – Pensacola Beach, Florida
No. 9 – Miramar Beach, Florida
No. 10 – Navarre Beach, Florida

beach texas vacations spring break spring break destinations rankings lists

Airline News

Frontier Airlines adds two new destination cities out of DFW Airport

Frontier Airlines/ Facebook

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Low-cost Denver-based Frontier Airlines has launched nonstop service from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to two new destinations in Central America.

According to a release, the carrier will offer the following new flights:

Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA) - weekly
San Salvador, El Salvador (SAL) - 2x/week

With these new routes, Frontier will serve 40 destinations nonstop from DFW, exemplifying Frontier’s impressive network growth as it continues to add more affordable and convenient travel options across the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America.

The frequency of the flights is a little confusing. Guatemala City is "weekly" which seems to imply "once a week." San Salvador is "2x/week" which seems to imply two flights a week. However, if you try to book a flight to either city, you get all sorts of options, including weekends and a few randomly spaced weekdays. And the flight availability extends only through January.

Frontier Airlines VP of network and operations design Josh Flyr says in a statement that "there’s a lot to be excited about" including their expanding network and their rolling out First Class in early 2026.

Other changes at Frontier include UpFront Plus seating, an upgraded seating option with extra leg and elbow room in the first two rows of the aircraft, with choice of a window or aisle seat with extra legroom and a guaranteed empty middle seat.

To celebrate, they'll offer a fare sale starting at $79. Tickets must be purchased by 10:59 pm Dallas time on December 30, 2025. Sale fares are valid for nonstop travel on select days of the week January 5-April 13, 2026. Blackout dates apply on March 9 and March 31, and from April 1-6. And a 14-day advance purchase is required.

airport transportation openings