Tamaulipas Coast

The coast of Tamaulipas faces the western Gulf of Mexico along a low, sandy shore. Long barrier islands and spits shelter Laguna Madre from the open sea, enclosing shallow and often highly saline waters. Rivers cross the coastal plain toward the Gulf, while passages through the barriers connect the lagoon with the sea. To the north the Rio Grande reaches the coast, beyond a broad landscape of wetlands and flats.