A covered deck with a table above the water in Jamaica Beach

West End

Jamaica Beach, Texas

A quiet West End town of beach houses and canal homes, about 15 miles from the Strand. The beach is free, you can drive right onto the sand, and most visitors rent a whole house: on the Gulf, or on a canal with a dock out to West Bay. It has its own city and its own beach rules.

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Jamaica Beach rentals on Vrbo

Checked October 29, 2026Free beach, drive-on15 mi to the Strand

Jamaica Beach · Photo: Andrei Restrepo / Unsplash · Credits

The short answer

Who Jamaica Beach suits

Come for a rental house, a beach you can drive onto and Galveston Island State Park about 2 miles away. If you want a hotel, lifeguards or the Strand within walking distance, stay elsewhere.

What it is: A separate city on Galveston Island's West End. About 1,100 people live here, in beachfront homes and along canals that run out to West Bay
The beach: Free and public, and you can park on the sand. There are no lifeguards, so check the flag and water quality first
Where to stay: Mostly vacation rentals. The nearest hotel in our guides is 6 miles east
To the Strand: About 15 miles, or 25 minutes by car
Rules: The City of Jamaica Beach sets them, not the Galveston Park Board

Where to stay

Renting a house in Jamaica Beach

Most visitors stay in a vacation rental. Before you book one, run through these five checks; they come from the city's own rental rules and save surprises at check-in.

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How Galveston rentals compare with hotels

Registration number: Every rental in Jamaica Beach must be registered with the city, and every listing must show the registration number and the maximum occupancy. If a listing has no number, be wary
Beachfront or canal: Beachfront homes face the Gulf. Canal homes are on no-wake waterways (5 mph) that lead to West Bay, which suits kayaks and boats. Before booking a canal home, ask the host how you get to the Gulf beach and whether a usable dock or kayak launch comes with the house
Boat ramp: Only residents and their guests may use the city marina ramp on Basin Drive. Your host applies online for a $10 guest day pass, by Friday 10 am for a weekend
Trash: Collected Monday and Thursday. Put the bins at the street by 8 am, and no loose white bags
Pool passes: The city sells rentals a package of season passes ($350 for five). Ask your host

In town

Pool, park and fishing spots

City pool

The pool is next to the City Park at 16721 Jolly Roger Road. Its 2026 season ended on September 7. In 2026 it was open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am to 7 pm. After school started, it opened only on Saturdays, 9 am to 7 pm, and Sundays, 9 am to 6 pm. Entry costs $5 from age 7, and children 6 and under get in free. A weekly pass is $20. The pool has a lift.

City Park

At Jolly Roger Road and Bob Smith Drive: a playground, a basketball court, a picnic area and a pavilion with a kitchen you can rent. The park closes from 10 pm to 6 am. Glass, alcohol, open fires and camping are banned in all city parks.

Fishing parks

The city has small fishing and picnic spots on Flamingo Way (4200 to 4300 block), on Bob Smith Drive between Managua Way and Pelican Road, and on the curve in the 16500 block of Jolly Roger Road. They close from dusk to dawn.

Unless you are a resident, tenant or property owner in Jamaica Beach, you need a city fishing permit for these spots as well as your Texas fishing license. City Hall issues it during business hours (409-737-1142). The current code doesn't give the fee, so ask, and ask too whether a vacation rental stay counts as tenancy. The permit applies to the city's park spots, not to fishing from the Gulf beach (city code, sec. 96.01–96.03). Texas licenses and other places to fish: fishing in Galveston.

Beach wheelchair

The city lends out a Mobi-Chair beach wheelchair. Reserve it with the online form on the city's accessibility page.

Eating out

On this part of the island, try Waterman's, the West End Marina restaurants in Sea Isle and Mario's Pizza in Pirate's Beach.

Sources: pool, City Park, parks ordinance, accessibility

If you prefer a hotel

The nearest hotel on the sand

Holiday Inn Club Vacations is on the beach about 6 miles east. Its villas have kitchens.

Pool and balconied buildings of the Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort with the beach behind

Nearest hotel in our guides

Photo: Expedia

West End, Termini–San Luis Pass Road

Holiday Inn Club Vacations Galveston Beach Resort

Step off your villa's porch and onto the sand: no road between you and the beach. A villa with a kitchen on the quiet West End, made for a week of beach days with the family.

Where: 11743 Termini–San Luis Pass Rd on the West End. The resort is on the beach, with no road to cross
Parking: Covered by the resort fee, which you pay at the property each night: $17.50 on the resort's FAQ, $20.13 on Expedia
Pets: Not allowed
Breakfast: There's no restaurant, but most villas have a full kitchen
Pool: Outdoor infinity pool, heated except January to March
Villas: A one-bedroom villa sleeps up to 4, a two-bedroom up to 6 and a two-bedroom lock-off up to 8
Also: Hot tub. Fitness center. Check-in 4 pm, check-out 10 am. You must be 21 to check in

Before you book: The resort fee ($20.13 a night) and a $115 deposit are paid at the property, on top of the price you see when you book.

Good for

Families who want a kitchen and room to spread out
A week of beach days

Skip if

You want to walk to restaurants or the Strand
You want a restaurant in the hotel
Your dog is coming

Check prices on Expedia Full hotel guide

Sources: IHG hotel page, IHG amenities, Holiday Inn Club resort page and FAQ

Other options on the West End: where to stay in Galveston · all Galveston beaches

Beach rules

Driving, parking and other beach rules

The beach, from the vegetation line to the water, is free for everyone. The City of Jamaica Beach sets the rules, and some of them differ from the rest of Galveston.

Getting onto the beach

The public way onto the beach is the Buccaneer Drive access point, off FM 3005 (San Luis Pass Road). Map. The driveways between rental homes are private.
There are no restrooms or showers on the beach, so bring your own water and shade.
There are no lifeguards, so keep an eye on children all the time. Check the day's conditions in our beach safety guide and water quality advisories on Texas Beach Watch.

Fishing rods in the sand next to cars parked on the beach in Jamaica Beach.Jamaica Beach · Photo: Brock Wegner / Unsplash

Parking on the sand: Allowed. Keep at least 25 feet from the water and park at a right angle to the dunes
Summer weekends: From the second Saturday in March to the Tuesday after Labor Day, some areas allow parking on the dune side only. This applies from 12:01 am Saturday to 6 pm Sunday and on legal holidays. The city code places these areas within 150 ft east and west of Buccaneer Drive's extended centerline and 150 ft west of the extended State Park road. Signs mark them
Speed: 10 mph on the beach. Police enforce it strictly
Banned on the beach: RVs and trailers, ATVs (banned on the streets too), glass containers, camping and campfires
Dunes: Don't walk or park on the dunes or the plants. The land behind the vegetation line is private. Watch out for snakes
Dogs: Dogs must be on a leash at all times, and the city enforces it
Alcohol: Not allowed on the beach
Fines: Up to $1,000 for breaking a beach rule. Police non-emergency line: 409-737-1800

Sources: City of Jamaica Beach: Beach, city code, sec. 94.03, police department, Visit Galveston: Jamaica Beach. Alcohol isn't allowed in the city's parks or on the beach; for questions, call the police on 409-737-1800.

Getting around

How far everything is

You need a car here, because the island trolley doesn't come this far. Golf carts may not drive along FM 3005 and can cross it only at Buccaneer Drive to reach the beach. The driver needs a valid driver's license, and the cart needs a golf cart license plate and the safety equipment on the city's list (city golf cart rules).

Driving distances from Buccaneer Drive, routed with OpenStreetMap. Allow more time on summer weekends and cruise days.

Driving distances from Jamaica Beach
To	Distance	By car
Galveston Island State Park (headquarters)	2.3 mi	about 5 min
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Galveston Beach Resort	6.2 mi	about 11 min
Moody Gardens	11.2 mi	about 19 min
San Luis Pass	11.9 mi	about 19 min
Pleasure Pier	13.6 mi	about 21 min
The Strand	15.1 mi	about 24 min
Cruise Terminal 25	15.3 mi	about 25 min