Most Instagrammable Spots in Galveston

Galveston Island is a small island on the Gulf Coast, located about 50 miles southeast of Houston. When traveling to the Galveston you’ll quickly realize that for such a small island (less than 27 miles long and no wider than 3 miles at it’s widest), there is no shortage of things to do or places to take photos! From the beach, to the historic homes and from Pleasure Pier to Moody Gardens – there is an activity for everyone.

Living in Houston, we go to Galveston quite often and while it might not have the gorgeous blue water and white sand beaches that other states have, it’s a beach… and everyone loves a beach! So the last time that we visited, I made a conscious effort to pick out some spots on the island where I think you can get the best photos. Hence, most instagrammable spot in Galveston!

So let’s start with the most obvious choice:

THE BEACH

I personally like to head west once I reach the seawall for some less busy beaches but again, any beach will do. The best time of day to take photos on the beach is either the early morning or the two hours leading up to sunset. The light will be gorgeous and the beach is usually pretty empty except for the occasional joggers.

To get some varied shots, think water, think sand dunes and think piers! So don’t only get photos of yourself in front of the water, also utilize the sand dunes! The nice thing about the tropical climate is that there seem to always be some kind of wildflowers growing in the dunes. If you are staying closer to the main stretch of town or maybe aren’t able to go during sunrise or sunset, take advantage of the big piers. There’s always shade and the massive pillars make for a pretty cool backdrop!

THE STRAND

• 2100 Strand St.; Galveston, TX 77550

The Strand, a shopping district on Galveston’s bay side is so iconic to me. You could spend all day just taking photos and exploring this one area filled with shops and restaurants! There are gorgeous Victorian buildings in every color of the rainbow, an old school ice cream parlour where you can watch someone hand make taffy called La King’s Confectionery, tons of murals – if you’re short on time, this is the spot.

The Strand is also where you will find the big Galveston mural – It’s on the wall right next to Yaga’s restaurant. This is also a cool spot to sit and watch the cruise ships leave town.

GRAFFITI WALLS

Also in the Strand district, Galveston’s graffiti scene is growing in large part due to the Kindness Project which features two full blocks of different murals by local artists.

EAST END HISTORIC DISTRICT

After leaving the Strand, you can easily drive a few more blocks to Galveston’s first residential neighborhood. This area has one of the best preserved and largest concentrations of 19th century residential architecture in Texas. The historic district offers no shortage of beautiful Victorian mansions and updated coastal cottages in beautiful pastels. It’s fun to drive through and easy to hop out and shoot a few pictures in front of your favorite houses.

KEMPNER PARK & GARTEN VEREIN

• 2704 Ave O; Galveston, TX 77554

This is a beautiful little park and wedding venue originally built in 1880 is open to the public and a great spot to get some photos. Big shade trees and of course the gorgeous pavilion make for a variety of different backdrops and it doesn’t hurt that the surrounding houses are also stunning and super photogenic.

PLEASURE PIER

• 2501 Seawall Blvd. ; Galveston, TX 77554

Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier is a super popular photo spot, so it wouldn’t be an instagram guide if I didn’t include it (even though I didn’t actually go get a picture there – oops). You can take photos in front of the rides from the pier but be aware that you can not just walk on to the pier for free, you will have to pay an entry fee. So if you don’t really want to ride any rides, a great option is to go to the beach below and take photos with the pier in the background. This looks especially cool at sunset when all the lights are on.

BONUS TIPS:

• If you want a cool photo with some seagulls in it, bring some pieces of bread to throw and get them to come closer to you. Just please be mindful and don’t do this on a crowded beach. I did it at about 7:30 am when no one was around!

• As with all of my photo tip posts, the earlier you can go out and take photos, the better. Galveston is a tourist town and does get really busy during the day!
• And lastly, I took all of these photos by myself! I used all the tips I shared in “How to shoot content while traveling solo” where I talk about shooting photos using just your phone and a remote.

That’s it y’all! I hope you enjoyed these 6 photo locations for Galveston, Texas. There of course are many many more but these are my favorites. If there are some that you think should have made the list, leave me a comment below!