Texas 2024 Beach Guide

There are multiple ways to get to Port Aransas, which is located about 200 miles, or a little under four hours, from Austin. We like the route that includes crossing onto the island on the Port Aransas Ferry – simply drive onto the ferry, turn off your engine and enjoy the seagulls, dolphins and jumping fish that greet you as the boat delivers you to paradise.

Port Aransas is famous for its sandcastles – there’s even an event called Texas SandFest that draws visitors from all over the world every April. But you can actually learn to build one any time of year thanks to Mark Landrum, aka “the Port Aransas Sandcastle Guy.” With the help of buckets, shovels and carving tools, Landrum taught our kids a 45-minute building lesson that incorporated essential skills such as how to stack the sand at the base of your castle and how to carve a staircase.

RELATED: Lessons in life and death on the beach in Port Aransas

Another must-do any time of year is taking the boat over to San Jose Island (also called St. Jo by locals), where 21 miles of uninhabited beach await. Expect pristine sand, incredible shelling and fishing and only a handful of people. The Jetty Boat passenger ferry runs back and forth numerous times a day; it’s about a 10-minute ride.

If you need a break from the sun or a rainy-day plan, we love Fire It Ceramics, where you can hand-paint a personalized souvenir or gift. Be aware that your pieces will need to be fired overnight, so make sure you go early in your visit, if possible, to ensure you have time to pick everything up before heading home.

Finally, the best way to get around the island is by renting a golf cart. We like Life in Paradise and Island Motor Bikes.

The waterfront Cinnamon Shore offers gorgeous vacation rentals ranging from one-bedroom townhomes to multifamily houses. On-site pools, restaurants, and live music add to its draw. My family owns a unit at Seabreeze Suites, which we love for its beach-entry pool and hot tub, suites with full kitchens, affordable rates, and proximity to pirate-themed restaurant/bar, The Gaff.

We always start our visits to Port A at Virginia’s on the Bay, which features gorgeous, waterfront views as well as flavorful drinks, fresh oysters and other seafood favorites. Fins is fun for burgers and seafood and offers gluten-free options. And Grumbles Seafood Co. is the place to go for fresh seafood and salads.

The Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center hosts Birding on the Boardwalk on Wednesdays at 9 a.m., where you can stroll the facility with local experts who can educate you on some of the incredible birds who call the coast home. Note that the center is also home to alligators and yes, you very well may spy one, as we did, when you go. Mosquitos are plentiful here, too, so bring insect repellent.

portaransas.org

Galveston is located about 210 miles southeast of Austin, and it takes just less than four hours to drive there.

Start by gathering the family and heading to the beach –– it stretches for 32 miles –– for swimming, fishing, surfing, dolphin watching, sunbathing and lollygagging.

But Galveston has much more to offer than plenty of waterfront. The island community, one of wealthiest cities in the nation back in the 1800s and the second busiest immigration station in U.S. history, serves up plenty of history. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, but even after the Civil War ended in April 1965, most Texas slaves didn’t know they were free. That began to change when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3, declaring their freedom, on June 19, 1865. Today, visitors can download an interactive tour app offered by the Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau to important African American history sites, including a memorial to the millions of enslaved men, women, and children from Africa who came through the Galveston port of entry. 

The Texas Seaport Museum, at 2200 Harborside Drive, offers an interactive experience focused on the island’s immigration history. You can check a database to see names of the people who took their first steps on American soil right here. Want more history? Drop by one of the island’s restored Victorian mansions open for public tours. The list includes Ashton Villa, Moody Mansion, and Bishop’s Palace. Take time to explore the Strand, the historic downtown district filled with restaurants, shops and La King’s Confectionery, where you can watch the staff hand-pull taffy or get a scoop of ice cream.

Kids will love Moody Gardens, where you can get an up-close look at aquariums populated by jellyfish, sharks, and penguins, or walk through a living rainforest alongside tropical birds. Wait until evening, when skies darken and the lights brighten the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, home to a roller coaster, high-flying swings, a Ferris wheel and more.

Nature lovers can time their visit with the spring and fall bird migrations, when migrating warblers, buntings and orioles come ashore after flying across the Gulf of Mexico.

RELATED: Becoming a birder at Galveston’s FeatherFest

That’s not enough? Take a ghost tour, watch cruise ships dock, or time your visit with Mardi Gras — Galveston is home to the third-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country each February.

For a taste of old-school luxury, book a room at the historic Hotel Galvez, at 2024 Seawall Boulevard, just across the street from the beach. If you prefer the bustling downtown district, check out the Tremont House, at 2300 Ship’s Mechanic Row, and don’t miss the rooftop bar.

I can’t go to Galveston without stopping at Benno’s Cajun Seafood, 1212 Seawall Boulevard, for a fried seafood platter heaped with oysters, shrimp, and hushpuppies. It’s not fancy, but the place proves that fried doesn’t have to mean greasy –– and besides, they serve wine in a beer mug.

Rudy & Paco Restaurant, 2028 Postoffice Street, is known for its Central American twist on steaks and seafood, and Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant, 3828 Seawall Boulevard, which opened more than 100 years ago, is an institution that serves fresh Gulf fare. For omelets, French toast, waffles, and baked goods, don’t miss the Sunflower Bakery & Café at 512 14th Street.

Want to explore the island at a slower pace? Rent an electric bike from Zipp E Bikes, 2311 Mechanic Street. The bikes are quiet and easy to ride, and perfect for a ride up to the East End Lagoon Nature Preserve, where you can park and walk through 685 acres of brush and coastal wetland.

www.galveston.com

Corpus Christi is an easy-breezy 3 hours and 15 minutes from Austin. Simply take Highway I-35 South to Highway I-37 South and, before you know it, you’re at the beach.

If you’re a true Texan, you’ve gotta love Whataburger, and if you’re in Corpus Christi, you should know that’s the place where it all started. Although the original location on Ayers Street is no longer standing, you can visit the flagship, beachside location at 121 N. Shoreline Blvd. When you go, be prepared – this Whataburger is unlike any other. Expect a statue of founder Harmon Dobson, a mural that’s a nod to all of the flags that have flown over Texas and an elevator that takes you to the restaurant’s second-floor outdoor patio featuring panoramic waterfront views.

Just a short walk away, at 600 N. Shoreline Blvd., you’ll find the memorial to beloved Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez called “Mirador De La Flor,” which is anchored by a life-size bronze statue of her sculpted by local artist H.W. “Buddy” Tatum.

Among the highlights of a visit to Corpus is always the Texas State Aquarium, a nonprofit aquarium that’s home to more than 300 species including bottlenose dolphins, raptors, birds and mammals. Exhibits include the Coral Reef, Jungle, Caribbean Sea, Dolphin Bay and Aquatic Nursery. The aquarium also rescues injured and ill wildlife, plans beach clean-ups and organizes many other events for the local community.

The USS Lexington, nicknamed “The Blue Ghost,” is another prime Corpus Christi attraction. This Essex-class aircraft carrier was built during World War II for the United States Navy and has since been turned into a museum. Expect escape rooms, a 3-D theater, flight simulator and more.

RELATED: Spying rare birds, coastal beauty in Rockport

The Omni Corpus Christi Hotel is situated directly on the bay and offers affordable rates along with ocean views. The V Boutique Hotel downtown is art-deco themed and a short walk from the marina.

With its surfboard-lined walls, live music calendar and hulking burgers, Executive Surf Club is an ideal place to kick off a weekend in Corpus Christi. BKK Thai Kitchen and Bar is a fun spot for flavorful fusion.

https://www.visitcorpuschristitx.org/

It’s about 360 miles –– a five-and-a-half to six-hour drive –– from Austin to South Padre Island.

Book a room at Margaritaville Beach Resort, which features luxury accommodations and stunning views.

When you’ve had enough of the beach, take a break with a visit to Sea Turtle Inc. Ila Loetscher, long known as the Turtle Lady of South Padre Island, started taking in sick and injured sea turtles here in 1977. She also dressed them in frilly dresses and tiny wigs, but we’ll forgive her, because she created an organization that has since saved hundreds of endangered sea turtles. Loetscher died in 2000, but today the center carries on her mission of rehabilitation, conservation, and public education. Between April and August, the organization works hard to protect eggs laid on local beaches. Crews scan the dunes daily, looking for nesting mothers, then dig up their eggs, load them gently into a Styrofoam ice chest, and deliver them to Sea Turtle Inc.’s headquarters, where they are counted and logged before being re-buried in a protected corral, safe from predators. When the turtles hatch, they’re released on nearby beaches. An estimated one in 300 survive to adulthood. For more information, go to seaturtleinc.org.

RELATED: Fishing and sea turtles and birding, oh my: A weekend at South Padre Island

You’re not a true Texan until you’ve fished for redfish off the Texas coast. You can charter a bay boat (we used Capt. Hector Torres Jr.) at Parrot Eyes Watersports and spend a morning casting. Under Texas Parks and Wildlife regulations, only keep those that measure between 20 and 28 inches. (For $10, the chef at the Painted Marlin will cook and serve you your catch.)

A five-hour, private fishing charter booked through Parrot Eyes Watersports costs $450 for two people.

Learn about the bottlenose dolphins that live around South Padre Island on an hour-and-a-half boat tour with Breakaway Cruises. You’ll board a boat at Sea Ranch Marina and head out to the bay, where you’re likely to spot some of the island’s most famous mammals. (You’ll also get a peek at other resident marine creatures when the crew drags a net behind the boat. A recent trip turned up a squid, a small butterfly ray, an annoyed-looking blue crab, a trio of starfish, a flounder and a fist-sized, slimy-looking sea slug called a Spanish dancer. All were safely released to the sea after we had a look.) Tours are $20 per person.

Need an adrenaline boost? Take to the skies for an overview of the island from a parasail. Several companies offer rides, including Coconut Jacks, located at 2301 Laguna Boulevard. Passengers strap on harnesses and are slowly reeled up, up and away from the boat. From what seems like outer space, they can peer down on the island and boats far below. Cost is $75.

At the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, 6801 Padre Boulevard, visitors can walk more than half a mile along a boardwalk through 43 acres of ponds, marshes and scrub, pausing in five blinds to watch ducks fledge, fish spawn, butterflies flutter by and exotic-looking birds make an appearance. There’s even a five-story observation tower which serves up a birds-eye view of the Laguna Madre. Birds aren’t all that’s on display at the center, which has expanded to include an alligator sanctuary that houses about 50 juvenile gators and a couple of older whoppers. Admission is $8 for adults; $7 seniors and students ages 13 to 18; $5 ages 4 to 12; and free for ages under 4.

For the best fresh ceviche, island style, head to Ceviche Ceviche, 1004 Padre Boulevard, where you can customize your raw fish with ingredients like mango, avocado, jicama, red cabbage, onion and cilantro. And Blackbeard’s has been turning out burgers, fried shrimp, and steaks since 1978.

​Roughly 200 miles and a 3.5-hour drive separates Austin from Rockport. We like to take the lesser-trafficked route cutting through the tiny Texas towns of Karnes City, Kenedy, Beeville and Sinton –– it won’t add more than a few minutes to the trip and the scenic backdrops of sprawling cotton fields, bobbing oil rigs, grazing cattle and towering white wind turbines spinning against blue skies more than make up for it.

The plethora of wooden piers, bait shops, and fishing boats hugging Rockport’s shores hint at its favorite pastime: fishing. Many Rockport properties have private piers guests have access to, but there’s also lighted public fishing piers such as the Rockport Beach Piers on the north and south ends of the Rockport Beach waterfront and the South Breakwater Pier at the end of Market Street. Cast your line off of the Rockport Harbor seawall and the shoreline at Little Bay for free, or test out Fulton Pier on the Fulton Harbor for a nominal charge. Increase your odds for fishing success by hiring a pro –– the Coastal Bend area is home to a multitude of saltwater fishing guides ready to take you to where the big fish play. Before crabbing or fishing these coastal waters for everything from speckled trout and redfish to flounder and black drum, remember to purchase a fishing license and saltwater stamp (not needed for those under 17).

Rockport Beach, Texas’ first Blue Wave Beach, is a meticulously-maintained mile-long stretch dotted with children’s playgrounds and picnic cabanas that’s calmer, cleaner, and more shallow than the other beaches that line the Texas Coast, making it perfect for families with little ones. When you’re not fishing or beaching, have some fun on the water by renting a kayak, paddleboard, or booking a whooping crane tour or dolphin watching cruise with Rockport Birding and Kayak Adventures, which also rents golf carts when you’re ready to roll around on solid ground.

Art lovers should visit the Rockport Center for the Arts, featuring monthly changing exhibits and a gallery room displaying the talents of local artists (admission is free). Then shop the handful of art galleries sprinkled along South Austin Street –– Rockport’s version of a Main Street lined with colorful stores and boutiques.

History buffs can explore the Texas Maritime Museum, which recounts the state’s rich maritime history from Spanish exploration to the search for offshore oil and gas, or take a tour back in time at the Fulton Mansion, a 29-room mansion built in the 1870s.

Nature lovers should check out Aransas Pathways, offering adventures in the form of birding, history, hike and bike trails, and kayaking. Head to Goose Island State Park for camping, fishing, hiking and birding –– be sure to visit the more than 1,000-year-old Big Tree that measures over 35 feet in circumference while you are there. Make the drive to one of the oldest wildlife refuges and top birding spots in the country, the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, which serves as the winter home of the only wild flock of whooping cranes.

No trip to the Texas coast is complete without sampling some seafood. Charlotte Plummer’s has been a Rockport staple since the 1970s and still serves up island-famous seafood platters, delicious po’ boys, and shrimp gumbo from its waterfront restaurant. Dig into crab cakes made with bay shrimp and lump crab, coconut fried shrimp, or bring in your own catch to have it prepared how you like it while watching the boats and birds from the deck of lively Paradise Key Dockside Bar & Grill. 

Miss Kitty’s Fishing Getaways, www.rockporthomerentals.com, offers a multitude of vacation rental homes spanning cozy coastal cottages to bayfront villas ideal for large families or groups. Kontiki Beach Resort, www.kontikibeachresorts.com, features condos in a gated waterfront property featuring well-lit fishing piers, a pool, tennis courts and a boat ramp. For boutique bayside lodging where elegant rooms come with ocean views and a complimentary grab-and-go breakfast, stay at the Lighthouse Inn at Aransas Bay, www.lighthousetexas.com.

Try out crabbing, which requires little skill but ample patience by baiting weighted lines with poultry necks and securing them to the pier. When the line is taut, slowly and steadily pull it toward the pier until the crab is close enough to net. Enjoy your free dinner of crab cakes or a crab boil, compliments of the sea.

www.rockport-fulton.org