It's said that there are three elixirs that heal the soul: tears, sweat, and saltwater. Although you can find both sweat and tears in Galveston's gallant past, we'd suggest heading to the beach for a good dose of saltwater to wash away your worries. Galveston County Daily News president and publisher, Dolph Tillotson, calls it the Causeway Cure - "stress evaporating at the top of the Causeway with that first scent of saltwater."
Bathers can enjoy the balmy Gulf waters seven months of the year, from April to October. Indeed, the Island is almost always temperate, with winter temperatures averaging 57° F and those of summer averaging only 81° F, thanks to the moderating influence of the constant breeze provided by the Gulf of Mexico. You'll even see some folks donning wet suits for winter surfing. And no matter what time of the year, fresh air, beach walks, and seashell searching are always in season.
Galveston Island offers 32 miles of beach. When headed to the surf and sand, your first decision is east, west, or seawall. Make this decision early if you're driving from Houston, as you need to turn off the causeway at 61st Street if you plan to head to West Beach. For East Beach and the Seawall, continue straight, as the freeway from Houston turns into Broadway, Galveston's main street, essentially cutting down the center of the Island to dead end at the Gulf.
The gulf's eastern, north, and northwestern shores lie within the United States of America (specifically, the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas); its southwestern and southern shores lie within Mexico (specifically, the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo); on the southeast it is bordered by Cuba. It connects with the Atlantic Ocean via the Florida Straits between the U.S. and Cuba, and with the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba.
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