From the Texas-Mexico border to the Florida Keys, the Gulf Coast is home to some of the most popular spring break destinations in the country.
Condos & Vacation Rentals in Destin
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Spring Break on the Gulf Coast: Top Destinations
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Condos & Vacation Rentals in Gulf Shores -
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House & Vacation Rentals in Key West -
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Houses & Vacation Rentals in Galveston -
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House Rentals & Condos in Panama City Beach -
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Condos & House Rentals in Orange Beach -
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Vacation Rentals in Sarasota -
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Condo & House Rentals in Clearwater -
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Condos in Madeira Beach
Spring Break on the Gulf Coast: Top Accommodations
Frequently Asked Questions
Spring Break on the Gulf Coast: How much does it cost to rent a vacation rental on the Gulf Coast?
The average rate for a rental on the Gulf Coast is usually between $308 and $560 per night.
Can I find a vacation rental for a large group for Spring Break on the Gulf Coast?
on the Gulf Coast, large groups should consider House rental since they fit 9 people.
What kinds of vacation rentals are available for Spring Break on the Gulf Coast?
You can find 15,198 Apartment rental and 112,498 House rental for Spring Break on the Gulf Coast on HomeToGo.
Spanning from the Texas-Mexico border to the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, the Gulf Coast offers thousands of miles of sun-kissed coastline in a subtropical climate that can be enjoyed year-round. Whether visitors are looking for a peaceful escape along the coast or a bustling seaside shopping and watersports adventure, HomeToGo waves hello to the most affordable beachside stays and destinations along the Gulf Coast.
To create this ranking, HomeToGo looked at the top searched beaches on its platform and scored them based on their typical weather for March and April, their popularity among spring break travelers (the less popular, the better), and the affordability of nearby places to stay. With so many beach towns to explore, HomeToGo is turning the tide on expensive seaside vacations with this helpful guide on budget-friendly adventures. Prepare to dive into the top bustling beachside boardwalks and secluded seaside escapes along the Gulf Coast for 2023!
Beach
City
Popularity
Sunshine
Temperature
Affordability
Total
1
Boca Chica Beach
Boca Chica Village
TX
10.00
8.30
7.22
10.00
35.52
2
Rockport Beach
Rockport
TX
8.40
8.30
6.11
9.00
31.81
3
Quintana Beach
Quintana
TX
9.60
6.70
4.44
9.40
30.14
4
Caladesi Island State Park
Dunedin
FL
8.80
10.00
6.67
4.50
29.97
5
Padre Balli Park
Corpus Christi
TX
6.80
6.70
6.67
9.20
29.37
6
Matagorda Beach
Matagorda
TX
9.20
6.70
5.00
8.40
29.30
7
Somebrero Beach
Marathon
FL
5.60
8.30
10.00
4.10
27.60
8
Edwin King Atwood Park
South Padre Island
TX
4.40
8.30
6.67
8.30
27.27
9
St. George Island State Park
Saint George Island
FL
7.20
10.00
6.67
2.90
26.77
10
Grayton Beach State Park
Santa Rosa Beach
FL
6.00
8.30
4.44
7.50
26.24
11
Coquina Beach
Bradenton Beach
FL
7.60
10.00
6.67
1.80
26.07
12
Archibald Beach
Madeira Beach
FL
3.20
10.00
7.22
6.00
26.02
13
Clearwater Beach
Clearwater
FL
2.00
10.00
6.67
7.00
25.67
14
Indian Rocks Beach
Indian Rocks Beach
FL
4.00
10.00
6.67
5.30
25.57
15
Miramar Beach
Miramar Beach
FL
5.60
6.70
4.44
8.20
24.94
16
Port Aransas Beach
Port Aransas
TX
4.40
6.70
5.56
7.90
24.56
17
Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach
FL
3.20
8.30
3.89
8.50
23.89
18
Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach
TX
8.00
6.70
0.00
8.90
23.60
19
Siesta Beach
Sarasota
FL
1.60
10.00
6.67
4.60
22.87
20
Rosemary Beach
Walton County
FL
4.80
6.70
2.78
8.10
22.38
21
Johnson's Beach
Perdido Key
FL
6.40
0.00
6.67
8.70
21.77
22
Gulf Shores Public Beach
Gulf Shores
AL
0.40
8.30
3.89
8.90
21.49
23
Smathers Beach
Key West
FL
1.20
10.00
10.00
0.00
21.20
24
Orange Beach
Orange Beach
AL
0.80
8.30
3.33
8.60
21.03
25
Jamaica Beach
Galveston
TX
2.40
3.30
5.00
9.00
19.70
26
Henderson Beach
Destin
FL
0.00
6.70
4.44
8.30
19.44
[1]
Boca Chica Beach
Boca Chica Village
TX
[#26 Most Searched]
[1 Rain Days]
[71℉]
[$69.51]
35.52
[2]
Rockport Beach
Rockport
TX
[#22 Most Searched]
[1 Rain Days]
[69℉]
[$89.22]
31.81
[3]
Quintana Beach
Quintana
TX
[#25 Most Searched]
[2 Rain Days]
[66℉]
[$80.63]
30.14
[4]
Caladesi Island State Park
Dunedin
FL
[#23 Most Searched]
[0 Rain Days]
[70℉]
[$173.31]
29.97
[5]
Padre Balli Park
Corpus Christi
TX
[#18 Most Searched]
[2 Rain Days]
[70℉]
[$84.99]
29.37
[6]
Matagorda Beach
Matagorda
TX
[#24 Most Searched]
[2 Rain Days]
[67℉]
[$100.35]
29.30
[7]
Somebrero Beach
Marathon
FL
[#14 Most Searched]
[1 Rain Days]
[76℉]
[$182.67]
27.60
[8]
Edwin King Atwood Park
South Padre Island
TX
[#11 Most Searched]
[1 Rain Days]
[70℉]
[$101.65]
27.27
[9]
St. George Island State Park
Saint George Island
FL
[#19 Most Searched]
[0 Rain Days]
[70℉]
[$205.22]
26.77
[10]
Grayton Beach State Park
Santa Rosa Beach
FL
[#16 Most Searched]
[1 Rain Days]
[66℉]
[$116.25]
26.24
[11]
Coquina Beach
Bradenton Beach
FL
[#20 Most Searched]
[0 Rain Days]
[70℉]
[$225.78]
26.07
[12]
Archibald Beach
Madeira Beach
FL
[#8 Most Searched]
[0 Rain Days]
[71℉]
[$146.49]
26.02
[13]
Indian Rocks Beach
Indian Rocks Beach
FL
[#6 Most Searched]
[0 Rain Days]
[70℉]
[$159.27]
25.57
[14]
Clearwater Beach
Clearwater
FL
[#10 Most Searched]
[0 Rain Days]
[70℉]
[$126.67]
25.67
[15]
Miramar Beach
Miramar Beach
FL
[#15 Most Searched]
[2 Rain Days]
[66℉]
[$103.88]
24.94
[16]
Port Aransas Beach
Port Aransas
TX
[#12 Most Searched]
[2 Rain Days]
[68℉]
[$109.18]
24.56
[17]
Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach
FL
[#9 Most Searched]
[1 Rain Days]
[65℉]
[$98.58]
23.89
[18]
Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach
TX
[#21 Most Searched]
[2 Rain Days]
[58℉]
[$91.16]
23.60
[19]
Siesta Beach
Sarasota
FL
[#5 Most Searched]
[0 Rain Days]
[70℉]
[$171.72]
22.87
[20]
Rosemary Beach
Walton County
FL
[#13 Most Searched]
[2 Rain Days]
[63℉]
[$105.21]
22.38
[21]
Johnson's Beach
Perdido Key
FL
[#17 Most Searched]
[6 Rain Days]
[70℉]
[$95.14]
21.77
[22]
Gulf Shores Public Beach
Gulf Shores
AL
[#2 Most Searched]
[1 Rain Days]
[65℉]
[$89.84]
21.49
[23]
Smathers Beach
Key West
FL
[#4 Most Searched]
[0 Rain Days]
[76℉]
[$259.7]
21.20
[24]
Orange Beach
Orange Beach
AL
[#3 Most Searched]
[1 Rain Days]
[64℉]
[$95.75]
21.03
[25]
Jamaica Beach
Galveston
TX
[#7 Most Searched]
[4 Rain Days]
[67℉]
[$87.72]
19.70
[26]
Henderson Beach
Destin
FL
[#1 Most Searched]
[2 Rain Days]
[66℉]
[$102.64]
19.44
For more information on the scoring, please see the methodology below
Mapped: The Best Beaches in the USA
Closer Look: Top 5 Gulf Coast Beaches for Spring Break
1. Boca Chica Beach, TX
Comprised of more than 1,055 acres, Boca Chica Beach invites visitors to enjoy a variety of outdoor recreation including birding, fishing, swimming, camping and fishing.
2. Rockport Beach, TX
Known as the “First Wave Blue Beach”, Rockport Beach is famous for its pristine beaches, its family-friendly environment, and its clean well-kept amenities.
3. Quintana Beach, TX
Quintana Beach, a 52-acre beach with a unique and colorful history, offers families a variety of waterfront amenities and natural attractions.
4. Caladesi Island State Park, FL
One of the few untouched islands of the Gulf Coast, Caladesi Island State Park can be accessed by ferry or private boat for a wonderful, intimate experience.
5. Padre Balli Park, TX
Beloved most by the locals, Padre Balli Park is a 400-acre stretch of coast is known for surfing, shore fishing, and the famous Bob Hall pier.
Methodology
We examined HomeToGo traveler search demand for spring break to collate a shortlist of the top beaches for this index. In order to rank these beaches, we researched 4 data points: the popularity among travelers searching for spring break accommodations, the average precipitation, the average temperature, and the median nightly price of accommodations. After obtaining the raw data, we assigned each data point a representative numerical value between 0 and 10, with 0 representing the lowest data point and 10 representing the highest data point. The hypothetical "perfect score" would be 40 out of 40. We used the following equation in order to calculate this for every factor:
Score(i) = 10 · (x(i) - xmin ) / (xmax - xmin )
Popularity Score: To provide an estimate of each beaches popularity and crowdedness, we examined the number of travelers searching on HomeToGo for stays between March 1st and April 30th, 2023. Each beach was then ranked from "#1 Most Searched" to "#70 least searched". The beach with the least amount of searches was given a score of 10, and the remaining areas were awarded a score of 0 or higher.
Sunshine Score: We used historical weather data from Visual Crossing Weather to analyze the last year (March 1st 2022 - April 30th 2022) of data from the nearest weather station to each beach. The beaches with the lowest number of rainy and overcast days were given a score of 10, and the remaining areas were awarded a score of 0 or higher.
Temperature Score: We used historical weather data from Visual Crossing Weather to analyze the last year (March 1st 2022 - April 30th 2022) of data from the nearest weather station to each beach. The beaches with the highest average temperature were given a score of 10, and the remaining areas were awarded a score of 0 or higher.
Accommodation Price: We used internal HomeToGo data to find the median price per night for a vacation rental in the area between March 1st 2023 - April 30th 2023. The area with the lowest median price per night per person for a vacation rental was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining locations were awarded a score of 0 or higher. Data was collected in February 2023, prices are subject to change.
