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The Crab Shack. 360 degree views of Gulf and Bay. Pickleball! Across from beach!

Photo gallery for The Crab Shack. 360 degree views of Gulf and Bay. Pickleball! Across from beach!

A wooden deck with a white railing, a coffee mug, and a view of the beach and ocean.
A kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a microwave, and a variety of cookware and kitchenware on shelves.
A two-story house with a balcony, a garage, and a staircase leading to the upper floor.
A living room with a flat-screen TV on a white cabinet, a patterned rug, and two grey armchairs.
A wooden shower enclosure with a showerhead and hose.

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • Top rated beach location
    Discover paradise at this top rated beach location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Close to Crystal Beach
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 6

Popular amenities

  • Onsite parking available
  • Dog-friendly
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Air-conditioning
  • Barbecue

Explore the area

View map
Bolivar Peninsula, TX
  • Place, Crystal Beach
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Gilchrist Beach
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Port Bolivar Beaches
    ‪41 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 King Bed

Living Room 1

1 Queen Sofa Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Kitchen
Number of living rooms
Outdoor play area

About this property

The Crab Shack. 360 degree views of Gulf and Bay. Pickleball! Across from beach!

This cozy 2-1 beach cottage has views ofthe Gulf, Intracoastal Waterway, and sunsets over the East Bay! Coastal breezes, shade, or sun- your choice and all of it is a 3-minute stroll across to the beach. Pickleball court,Cornhole, Giant Jenga! Circular drive, plenty of parking for your boat! Wide open spaces-Almost 1/2 an acre with over 360 acres of Houston Audubon property behind the house. Gilchrist endof Bolivar Peninsula means easy access to Crystal Beach without the Crystal Beach crowds.

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs less than 23 kg per pet (limit one pet total)
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Property # 4445459vb
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Port Bolivar

Located in Port Bolivar, this cottage is near a water park and by the sea. Fort Travis Seashore Park and Pink Dolphin Monument are local landmarks, and some of the area's attractions include Hooks Woods Bird Sanctuary and Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary. Looking to get your feet wet? Fishing and swimming adventures can be found near the property.
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Map
Bolivar Peninsula, TX

What's nearby

  • Crystal Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Gilchrist Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • High Island Beach - 7 min drive - 8.5 km
  • Stingaree Marina - 19 min drive - 15.8 km
  • Port Bolivar Beaches - 41 min drive - 38.9 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Fanta Sea BBQ & Grill - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪Jayla’s Bar & Grill - ‬19 min walk
  • ‪Mamma Mia’s Italian Bistro - ‬16 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is The Crab Shack. 360 degree views of Gulf and Bay. Pickleball! Across from beach! pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 23 kg per pet.

How much is parking at The Crab Shack. 360 degree views of Gulf and Bay. Pickleball! Across from beach!?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at The Crab Shack. 360 degree views of Gulf and Bay. Pickleball! Across from beach!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Crab Shack. 360 degree views of Gulf and Bay. Pickleball! Across from beach!?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is The Crab Shack. 360 degree views of Gulf and Bay. Pickleball! Across from beach! located?

Situated by the sea, this cottage is steps away from Gilchrist Beach and Crystal Beach. High Island Beach and Hooks Woods Bird Sanctuary are also within 9 miles (15 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 8 out of 8 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 8 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Travis B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location and super clean!

Great location with plenty to do for the whole family. Host was very responsive and willing to help with everything we needed.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Karen R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful House

We had a wonderful time. The house was very clean and the property was well kept. Will definitely rent from again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 8 July 2025
Karen, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed your visit to the Crab Shack. Thank you for being such wonderful guests. We look forward to hosting you again soon! Donna
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Eleni D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing!

Check in was so easy, kitchen was so organized and the whole house was just simply beautiful. Perfect beach vibe inside and out! We had so much fun playing giant jenga and watching the sun rise and set on the wraparound porch! The owner was so nice and even answered my nervous questions about being safe at the beach! We absolutely loved our stay here!!
Perfect side view from the porch! My favorite 💓
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Marie N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect

We stayed for Mother’s Day weekend and everything was perfect. The home is bright and welcoming and the owners were very responsive. We went to the beach, played pickle ball and just enjoyed our time there. It was the perfect weekend.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mariah S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The Best Beach Trip

Absolutely loved the stay. We rented a golf cart to ride up and down on the beach. So quiet! No neighbors! Donna’s home had everything you could need, so packing was minimal. My family and I can’t stop raving about how this was “Our Best Beach Trip”. Will be calling Donna again every time we visit home!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Anna T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Home away from home

The crab shack had exactly what my family needed for a trip to the Texas coast! The kitchen was well stocked with all the cookware needed to prepare meals. There was even a wireless speaker setup for us to listen to music while we ate. Although we brought board games from home, my girls wanted to play the ones there. The beach is just a short walk across the road. The views of the gulf and bay from the wrap around porch were breathtaking. We will be back again!
Stayed 7 nights in May 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Laura B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We totally enjoyed our stay! The cabin was very clean, the amenities were amazing and the location to the beach was very convenient! The host was helpful and on time with notifying us before our stay! We would definitely rent this cabin again! Thank you so much, Donna!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kathleen B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We really enjoyed our time at the Crab Shack! The place is very comfortable, and the big open space for the living, dining, and kitchen area was great for our entire family to be together. We appreciated the beach towels, chairs, pickleball set, fire pit, outdoor shower, and the deck to watch beautiful sunsets. We also brought our dog - and it was nice having her with us. The owner stayed in communication with us during a power outage (due to a tropical storm the previous day), which was really nice, and we did use the flashlight that we found on site. We enjoyed 2 meals at Juanita's Fish Camp in Crystal Beach and purchased bait from friendly Ms. Nancy's Bait Camp for fishing. The short walk across the road to the beach is very convenient and the waves were fantastic during our visit. We'll be back!
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2026

About the host

Hosted by Donna Barnes Anthony

Host profile image
As life long Texans, our family has always enjoyed the Texas Coast. We love being able to share this with other families and hope they will make as many wonderful memories here as we have.

Why they chose this property

The Gilchrist end of Bolivar is quiet with easy access to Crystal Beach and Galveston.

What makes this property unique

In beach communities, houses often sit right next to one another. Our cottage sits on almost half an acre and is surrounded by open land. It is right across from the beach and has unobstructed views of the Gulf.

Languages:

English

Premier Host

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