Guide to Summer Vacation Rentals on Bolivar Peninsula

If sun, surf, and sand are what you’re looking for this summer, you’ll find all that and more in Texas on the Bolivar Peninsula. Twenty seven miles of Texas coastline await you this summer. Tiny coastal towns build on piers offer a wide range of activities and shopping on the peninsula. The Gilchrist community is home to the famous Rollover Pass fishing spot. Located twenty-five miles east of Galveston on highway 87, Rollover Pass is a two-hundred-foot-wide, one eight-mile-long channel joins the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay. As the name implies, it permits fish to swim from the gulf into the bay and vice-versa with the tides. The pass was constructed in 1956 for the purpose of improving fishing in the bay, and thousands of local and visiting anglers have found it highly successful. Also on the Bolivar Peninsula lies the community of Crystal Beach. Crystal Beach is the most populated of the communities and boasts two fun waterslides as well as a golf course.

So where do you stay while digging your toes in the sand? Your options are only limited by your budget. Let’s explore some of the rental properties available for booking on the peninsula.

Beach or Bay Real Estate
Hwy 87 and Holiday Beach
P.O. Box 2588
Crystal Beach, TX 77650
(409) 684-3131 (24 Hours)
1-888-61-BEACH
FAX – (409) 684-1621
Monday – Saturday 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Sunday 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Beach or Bay Real Estate offers beach front rentals, second, third, and fourth row rentals as well as bayside and off beach rentals. There is a large variety of properties to choose from to meet your needs. Beach or Bay Real Estate offers homes with sleeping accommodations ranging from 2 people all the way up to 12 or more. The company only rents to families and/or adults over the age of 25. They do have a no cancellation policy and non-refundable processing fee and deposit on every contract. It would be wise to read over the fine print before you commit.

Buster Martin & Associates
PO Box 1919 Crystal Beach, Texas 77650
409 684-0077

Buster Martin & Associates’ properties seem to cater to the larger crowds of 12 or more. They are quite pricey when compared to some other rental properties in the area. They do not rent to anyone under 26 years of age.

Swede’s Beach Properties
(409) 684-3345
1-800-624-0071
www.swedesrealestate.com

Swede’s Beach Properties is the best deal to be had on the peninsula. Their rentals start at $400 per week for their beach homes and you could hardly rent one motel room for a week for that price. They have an amazing variety of properties available as well as accommodations for any sized groups. There are properties available within every budget. Check here first when planning your trip.

Cobb Real Estate
Highway 87 and Sandpiper, Crystal Beach, Texas
Post Office Box 1429, Crystal Beach, Texas 77650
Monday – Sunday – 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m
Main Office: (409) 684-3790 Toll Free: 1-800-880-2622
Emergency Pager: (409) 949-0169 Fax: (409) 684-2622
www.cobbrealestate.com

Cobb Real Estate also offers a wide variety of beach homes for rent, but like some of the other realtors, they seem to cater to the 10 or more people groups. Their homes are also pricey compared to some of the other realtors and they tell you upfront that they increase their rates even more on holiday weeks and weekends. As per the website:
5% Increase in Rental Fees On All Holidays Except July 4th There Is A 15% Increase.

If going through a realtor isn’t the way you want to book your vacation rental, there are many private owners who rent their homes during the summer season. You can search your local papers online or visit www.crystalbeach.com to find private individuals with homes for rent on the peninsula.

And if you don’t want to rent an entire house during your stay, there are some motels in the area that can accommodate you just as well. Be advised that these are just roadside inns and not luxurious settings at all. They are nice properties – clean and purpose serving. Crystal Palace is the only one with a swimming pool

Crystal Palace-Crystal Beach-409-684-6554
About 10 miles from Ferry Landing

Joy Sands Motel-Crystal Beach-409-684-6152
About 8 miles from Ferry Landing

Fisherman’s Cove Motel-Port Bolivar-409-684-8567
Right near the Ferry Landing

Gulfway Motel-High Island-409-286-5217
Up the hill in High Island

For the most part, Bolivar Peninsula is a family oriented place. An area of Crystal Beach known as “The Zoo” can get wild and wooly sometimes and it’s best to avoid that area if loud music and cavorting isn’t your thing. Most of the beaches on the peninsula are drive on beaches so you can have tailgate picnics or just a safe place to keep all your beach gear handy. You can crab, fly a kite, fish, get a tan, build a sand castle, feed the seagulls, or do nothing, but breathe. It’s all up to you. What are you waiting for? You should have been here yesterday.