Reading some of these reviews I see where color seems to be a big issue, but my family and I went and we are of the Hispanic race and were not treated any other way...we were left alone..people driving by would wave and say hi..we had a great time!! Music of all types..yes there is a lot of trash but that is later towards dark when people are leaving and also i wish there were more restrooms and they would keep them clean but we will definitely go back

We have been to Crystal Beach several times lately helping some friends settle into a new house near the beach. I see a lot of negative reviews about overt displays of conservatism, Trump flags, etc. Unfortunately, they are true, but mainly on the very busy weekends (Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day). Also avoid Top Down weekend, which is a rowdy weekend of thousands of Jeep owners partying. Google it to find the dates. They also are much more numerous from Crystal Beach city eastward than going west. Also, the beaches are wider and much less populated west of Crystal Beach. Most of the time, I would consider Crystal Beach to be a great place to visit. There are some seriously good restaurants -- Jose's Cantina for either Mexican Food or Seafood and Stingaree's for mostly seafood were way better than expected. Both also have great bars and live music many weekends. The Tiki Beach Bar had one of the best hamburgers I have had in a while, and a very diverse menu. The water is muddy, as is most of the Gulf Coast, but the beaches that I have seen are generally very clean. If you like the sound of breaking waves, Crystal Beach is for you. I'm sure complaints of trashy beaches are from the busy, party ends of the beach after a weekend of crowds. I have not seen them myself. I will be going back and very much looking forward to the great food.

I’ve been to this beach numerous times and always encounter some type of racist vibe. I genuinely loved going here, but as of lately, even trying to rent a house to stay here with a group of friends is challenging because of the hosts. ( yes, paying for each person who will be sleeping there) Wish things were different! Going to have to look for a different beach to go to.

This is a nice beach. You do need to purchase a $10 parking pass to drive/park on the beach. We were only there three hours and had our vehicle checked three times, so they do take it seriously. Sand was packed down, which made driving extremely easy. We have four wheel drive, but it was not necessary. What really struck me was how CLEAN this beach was. We recently visited South Padre Island and the drive-on beach had an insane amount of trash, which was so sad. Even though we only visited for an afternoon, the $10 fee was totally worth it for us.

My family rented a house near Crystal Beach and at first, we were very excited about having the beach so close until we actually drove down to it. Like all the beaches around Galveston, both the sand and water are brown, but that seems to be the only brown thing welcome around here. The beach is covered with people riding up and down in trucks and dune buggies waving confederate flags and trump flags. We were harassed by these confederates while we were minding our own business standing in the water. People screamed "a**hole" at our group for just standing in the water by a passing ATV. Another group of people in a truck started yelling at an immunocompromised member of our family who was wearing a mask that coronavirus wasn't real and that they should take their mask off. The confederate flags made us uncomfortable and unwelcome, to begin with, but the continued harassment has made this one of the WORST beaches we have ever been to.

Beautiful hotel, great location just in front of the beach. loved the room super spacious and impeccably cleaned. And finally the crew Service was the best especially at the front desk if you have any questions or requests ask for Guillermo he is very helpful and attentive 100% RECOMMENDED

I don’t think the people here want anyone that is not white to visit. The locals are very mean and disgusting for no reason. I was embarrassed for them. The beach is filthy with trash everywhere and it’s really not a pleasant beach experience. If you want a relaxing vacation in the beach, this isn’t it!

Spent the week in Bolivar Peninsula and drove down the beach to Crystal beach, so beautiful and so many shells. Can’t wait to go back and camp on the beach. Quiet, peaceful and so relaxing. Bring bug spray for mosquitoes in the evenings. Also we went during the week, did notice a lot of people come Thursday and Friday and it gets more loud.

Confederate flags fly high everywhere. The locals are pleasant enough, but I wouldn't trust the area at night. The vibe the flags create is "we will smile to your face and take your money, but black and brown people aren't welcome." It's not what I'm about and don't want my family to think that's okay. You might enjoy Crystal beach/Port Bolivar if you don't care about that or you don't mind if your family is subjected to that messaging. Otherwise, find another beach to visit. The only redeeming quality is you can drive right on the beach, but it's kind of dirty.

I had been going to Bolivar/Crystal beach since I was a child, but this was the first time in 20 years. Never again. This place is nothing but full of racists touting flags with obscenities up and down the beach. At least they identified themselves so we could avoid them. I would definitely not bring young children here unless you want them to learn some choice new words before they head back to school. There was also quite a bit of trash on the beach and cars/golf carts zipping up down so it's like playing frogger to get down to the beach. Oh and constant fireworks from dark till whenever the last drunk finally falls asleep or runs out. So disappointing when all we were looking for was some relaxing time by the ocean.