Extending between the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay, the Bolivar Peninsula is an elongated strip of land near Houston. It was named in honour of the Venezuelan independence leader, Simon Bolivar, and formed part of the “pirate kingdom” created by Jean Laffite and Louis-Michel Aury in the early 19th century.
Things to do in Bolivar Peninsula
Originally constructed in 1872 is the Point Bolivar Lighthouse, which replaced an 1850s lighthouse that had been taken down during the Civil War so that it wouldn’t aid Union warships. It is often referred to as the “Haunted Lighthouse” due to its black colouration and now watches over the Horseshoe Marsh Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary’s shallow tidal lagoon and coastal prairie provide a habitat for oystercatchers, seaside sparrows and long-billed curlews.
Also nearby is Fort Travis Seashore Park, which encompasses an 1898-built fortress named after the 19th-century Alamo commander William B. Travis. After defending the Port of Galveston during World War II, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has now been transformed into a public park with children’s playgrounds and barbecue grills.
At the other end of the Bolivar Peninsula is the Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary, a 70-hectare tract of wetlands, woodlands and fields owned by the Houston Audubon Society. It encompasses a brick-built pump house that dates from the 1920s and a rookery that has become a favourite nesting site for thousands of waterbirds. Stretching to the west is a string of beaches overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
Getting around Bolivar Peninsula
The Bolivar Peninsula is around 1.5 hours’ drive from Houston and George Bush Intercontinental Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Renting a car is the most convenient way of getting to the Bolivar Peninsula and exploring the region.