About this tour
Across the ship channel from Galveston lies the Bolivar Peninsula — a long, low finger of sand where the beaches are wilder, the crowds thinner, and you can still drive your car right onto the sand. The trip begins with one of Texas's last free ferries, a short, dolphin-flanked crossing that has run for nearly a century, and it delivers you to a stretch of coast built around fishing, birding, and unhurried beach days. This tour rides the ferry over, takes in the old lighthouse and a coastal fort, walks the world-class bird flats, and turns you loose on the open beach at Crystal Beach. The ferry can back up on busy weekends, so go early, bring patience, and pack everything you'll need — services out here are sparse.