Some people might argue that Texas beaches aren’t comparable to those in the Caribbean. And maybe they are right. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have any good beaches in Texas.

The truth is that there are plenty of great beaches in Texas where any family can spend a memorable summer vacation.

10 Texas Beaches

Here are ten great Texas beaches where thousands of people have had a lot of fun every summer.

Rockport Beach

The first of our top Texas beaches, is Rockport Beach. It is Texas’ first Blue Wave Beach. That is, a clean, litter-free beach that is managed with human safety and the environment in mind. It is also handicap-accessible, has public restrooms, and water that is safe to swim in.

Amenities at Rockport Beach include a boat launch, a loop for water-skiing, fishing piers, picnic cabanas with barbecue grills, kids’ playgrounds, volleyball courts, and more.

Pets, glass containers, vehicles, and overnight camping are not allowed on the beach. However, you may take a tent or pop-up for shade.

Here’s more info about Rockport Beach.

Crystal Beach

On the Bolivar Peninsula, just a little to the northeast of Galveston, is a small community called Crystal Beach. It boasts more than 20 miles of beach along the peninsula.

If you like camping on the beach, and fishing, Crystal Beach is a great vacation spot. You are also allowed to drive on the beach.

Here’s more info about Crystal Beach.

Padre Island National Seashore

On North Padre Island, just a little to the south of Corpus Christi, is Padre Island National Seashore. It is a stretch of about 70 miles of undeveloped beach.

This is a great area to see a lot of coastal nature. There is a program to re-establish sea turtles on the national seashore. You can see plenty of newborn turtles in the summer. You can also see a huge variety of birds.

For obvious reasons, the park is primitive, but you may camp on the beach. Keep in mind that most of the beach requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle. You don’t want to get stuck in the sand!

Read more about Padre Island National Seashore.

Mustang Island State Park

On the south end of Mustang Island, the island where Port Aransas is located, is Mustang Island State Park. The park has 5 miles of beach.

Mustang Island State Park has a rich animal life, like various types of rodents, birds, and also sea turtles. If you like exploring nature, you’ll have a great time at Mustang Island State Park.

The park has 48 campsites with water and electricity hookups, as well as another 50 primitive sites. There is also plenty to do, like swimming, hiking, fishing, kayaking, paddling, and bird watching.

Read more about Mustang Island State Park.

Malaquite Beach

Located within Padre Island National Seashore, is Malaquite Beach.

You can do primitive tent camping on the beach, and there are semi-primitive campsites available in the Malaquite campground. Semi-primitive means you have a campsite and picnic table, but no water/electricity hookups. The campground has toilets and cold-water showers.

Here’s more info about Malaquite Beach.

Galveston Island State Park

Around the middle of Galveston Island, is Galveston Island State Park. The park contains ponds, wetlands, estuaries, and has nice beaches that offer unsupervised swimming.

The park allows camping and has campsites with water and electricity.

Other than swimming, there is also plenty to do, like fishing, picnicking, bird watching, hiking, mountain biking, and paddling. You can also just kick back and enjoy nature.

Here’s more info about Galveston Island State Park.

East Beach – Galveston

Staying on Galveston Island, on the eastern tip is East Beach. During the summer, East Beach hosts several festivals and live concerts.

The beach park has some great amenities, like showers, restrooms, umbrella and chair rentals, kids’ playground, and concessions. There is also a bird sanctuary.

East Beach is the only beach in Galveston where alcohol is allowed, but keep in mind that glass is not allowed. You can take your dog, as long as you keep it on a leash.

Read more about East Beach in Galveston.

North Beach – Corpus Christi

On the northwest side of Corpus Christi bay, right next to the USS Lexington, is North Beach. The Texas State Aquarium is also within walking distance.

Along the beach is a concrete walkway, which is great for biking or taking a walk. There are plenty of places to eat along the beach as well. In Dolphin Park, on the north side of the beach, is a nice kids’ playground.

North Beach is a great location for a few days of fun in Corpus.

Read more about North Beach in Corpus Christi.

Port Aransas Beach

Of all Texas beaches, the one that we have visited the most, is Port Aransas beach. It is a long beach, but easy to get anywhere on the beach due to the sand road that runs along the beach. Buggy rentals make it easy to get around too.

The City of Port Aransas does a good job of keeping the beaches clean. You can camp on the beach, and there are a number of campgrounds along the beach, behind the barrier dune, as well.

Along some stretches of the beach are picnic facilities that include picnic tables and cabanas. If you buy a beach parking permit, available at gas stations, you can park on the beach.

Port Aransas beach is also home to the annual Texas Sandfest.

Read more about Port Aransas Beach.

South Padre Island Beach

The beach on South Padre Island stretches for miles along Padre Island. It is a beautiful beach with clean sand and plenty of activities on the beach. My second ever paragliding experience was at South Padre beach.

You can go horseback riding and ziplining on South Padre beach, and even take sandcastle building lessons from a master.

Being on the southern tip of Texas, South Padre Island may be a long drive to get to, but it is well worth the trip!

This wraps up our list of great Texas beaches to visit. While there are a number of other good beaches that we’ll cover in a future post, this list will give you a bunch of good options to choose from.

Have you been to any of the Texas beaches mentioned above? Tell us about it in the comments…

You should find plenty of fun things to do in Port Aransas Texas! I know we did…

Let me tell you about our time in Port Aransas (or “Port A”, as the locals call it) and how much fun you can have there!

Our favorite things to do in Port Aransas start with the beach.

We also like dolphin cruises, to check out sandcastle building, ride jet skis, do parasailing, go fishing, and go kayaking. 

Things To Do In Port Aransas Texas

Port Aransas Beach

My kids LOVE the beach! It is their favorite of all the things to do in Port Aransas Texas!

This is why we plan our Texas family vacations in the summer to revolve around the beach. Fortunately, Port Aransas has miles of good beaches to hang out on… and get a good tan too!

Port Aransas beaches can get hot in summer! We make sure that we take a good sunscreen and some hats along. Portable sun shelters are a good idea too. We also take along a frisbee and other beach toys to add to the fun!

Port Aransas Dolphin Cruises

Dolphins are such incredible animals, and they seem to like interacting with people. For most of us, we usually only get to see them in aquariums.

In Port Aransas you can see them in their natural surroundings by going on a dolphin cruise! We, and especially the kids, love to see them frolic in the surf.

See more about why a Port Aransas dolphin tour will be something that you will remember, and where to go for a dolphin tour.

Sand Castle Building

The annual sand castle building is one of the cool things to do in Port Aransas Texas!

I am always amazed at the sand castle artists and what they achieve with ordinary beach sand, water, and a few simple tools.

They take it way beyond anything that the kids and I have ever done. To me it almost seems impossible to create what they do!

Take a look at Texas Sandfest to find out when the next sandcastle building is in Port Aransas and treat your family to something special.

Jet Ski Rental

I like jet skis. My kids do too. They are on of my favorite fun things to do in Port Aransas Texas… if you don’t get completely reckless on them.

The first time I rode on a jet ski, I was somewhat cautious, but I got the hang of it very quickly. Then it was all fun. Soon I was comfortable enough to take one kid at a time with me. They loved it!

If you’ve never ridden on a jet ski before, give it a shot. I think you’ll enjoy it!

Neptunes Charters Jet Ski Rentals is one place that offers jet ski rental in Port Aransas that I know of.

Parasailing

My kids are into thrills… so parasailing in Port Aransas is a must for them!

I go with them… not because I’m burning to go, but because I just can’t let them go alone. At least not at this age. While I’m usually happy when it’s over, I must admit that it is quite a thrill! The view is incredible!

The only place that I am aware of that offers parasailing in Port Aransas is Chute’em Up.

Port Aransas Fishing Trips

Not everybody is into fishing, let alone deep sea fishing, but if you like fishing, a deep sea fishing trip is another of the fun things to do in Port Aransas Texas.

The Fishermans Wharf in Port Aransas offers deep sea fishing trips where you can fish for shark, king mackerel, red snapper, grouper, and several other species of fish.

I don’t typically get sea-sick, but if you do, or you’re unsure if you will get sea-sick, be sure to take the proper medication with you.

Kayak Trips

Do you think you and your family may be up for a kayak trip? WetHeads Kayak Adventures offer just that!

You don’t have to be an experienced kayaker either. WetHeads tries to make it a fun experience for everyone. They supply most of what you’ll need (including water), but you could take sunscreen, sunglasses, water shoes, and a camera along.

This is great way to explore the waters around Port Aransas. Don’t be surprised if you come across some dolphins along the way!

These are our favorite things to do in Port Aransas Texas. Overall I think it makes for a great family vacation. I’m confident you will enjoy Port Aransas too!

PS. Also see our pages on Port Aransas hotels and restaurants.

Why would there be fun things to do in Galveston Texas? Well, it’s an island in the Gulf of Mexico, and that spells FUN!

Galveston has nice beaches, a theme park, a water park, a museum, a nice shopping area, several restaurants, and plenty of hotels.

I like it that most of the fun things to do in Galveston Texas are also located close to one another.

That means you don’t have to do endless driving to get from one thing to another. 

Things To Do In Galveston

Beaches

My kids love to swim. They just don’t seem to get tired of it. So if Galveston only had beaches, I think we’ll still have a good time there.

Galveston has a few miles of public beaches along Seawall Blvd. The water is a comfortable 80°F through the whole summer. Just in case the sun gets too much, we usually get one of the umbrellas that are readily available. We also like to take a few beach toys along.

Stewart Beach

Stewart Beach is really nice. It’s a family beach that has many family activities, like sandcastle competitions, bumper boats, and a mini golf course. It also has a nice playground.

Stewart Beach is a State park. There’s an entrance fee per car, but it’s worth the money.

Poretto Beach

Poretto Beach is another favorite beach in Galveston. You have to pay a few dollars to park for the day. On the beach are chairs and umbrellas already set up that can be rented for the day. There are also floats available to rent, and plenty of food and drinks available.

A great source of information on safety at Galveston’s beaches is the Galveston Beach Patrol.

Moody Gardens

I think Moody Gardens is one of the coolest things to do in Galveston Texas. They have several attractions to visit, like a rainforest inside a huge glass pyramid, aquarium, a science exhibition (discovery pyramid), a collection of lagoons and waterfalls (Palm Beach), and an IMAX theater.

It can become quite costly to visit everything (around $40 per person), so I would suggest you pick one or two to visit. I like the rainforest and the aquarium the best.

Here’s an article about Moody Gardens that I wrote for Vacation Home Rentals – Why You Should Not Miss Moody Gardens In Galveston.

Schlitterbahn Galveston

My kids will tell you that a day at Schlitterbahn water park is one of the funnest things to do in Galveston Texas.

If you’ve ever been to the Shlitterbahn in New Braunfels, you know what Schlitterbahn is all about. If not, and my kids will confirm this, Schlitterbahn is a fantastic waterpark, with water rides for young and old. One of the water slides even goes upwards!

Part of Schlitterbahn Galveston is indoors, which is very nice when everyone gets a little sunned-out, but want to continue having fun.

The Schlitterbahn in Galveston is relatively new. It is smaller, but it is nevertheless a lot of fun. It is located next to Moody Gardens.

Galveston Shopping – The Strand

The Strand in Galveston is an interesting shopping and dining area that has a unique charm to it. There is a wide variety of stores and restaurants to choose from in The Strand. My kids love the horse and carriage rides!

There are several other attractions within walking distance of The Strand. We like to park at The Strand and then explore the area on foot.

Texas Seaport Museum

If everyone needs a break from the sun and would like a little Galveston history, a visit to the Texas Seaport Museum is a good option. It won’t break the bank either.

Among the exhibits at the Texas Seaport Museum is Elissa, a working sailing ship built in 1877.

The Seaport Museum is close to The Strand and Stewart Beach.

These are our favorite things to do in Galveston Texas and we always have a great time!

PS. Also see our pages on Galveston hotels and restaurants.

I’m guessing you’re planning to head to Corpus Christi for a few days, or are already there, and you’re looking for fun things to do in Corpus Christi.

Is Corpus Christi a boring place with nothing to do, or could you have a good time there?

The good news is that there are plenty of fun things to do in Corpus Christi and the surrounding area. We have been there a few times, and had a great time every time!

An added bonus with Corpus Christi is that it is fairly close to Port Aransas… you could pick a day to go there as well.

Our favorite Corpus Christi activities are a visit to the beach, fishing, a visit to the Aquarium and the USS Lexington, and a dolphin cruise. Here’s the scoop about them… 

Things To Do In Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi Beaches

As far as my kids are concerned, one of the first things to do in Corpus Christi on a family vacation is to hit the beach!

McGee beach is located downtown and within walking distance from several hotels. Corpus Christi beach is a little further north along the bay, right by the Texas State Aquarium and the USS Lexington.

Being on a bay protected by a barrier island, these beaches don’t have huge waves. This makes it really nice for smaller kids to play at the water’s edge. The only not-so-nice thing to me was the jellyfish in the water. I think the City makes an effort to clean it all up, but it is still something to watch out for.

I prefer the beach on North Padre Island, which is only about 20 minutes from downtown Corpus Christi. There are better waves, so the kids can have fun with the boogie boards and the skim board.

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Fishing In Corpus Christi

Fishing is one of the fun things to do in Corpus Christi. A good option is to go on one of the bay fishing charter boats. Using “fish finders”, these fishing boats will take you out to wherever the fish is currently biting. One such outfit is C & T Bay Charters.

The Bob Hall Pier on North Padre is a good option too. You can fish there for King Mackerel, Shark, Red Drum, and several other species. The beach around the pier is great. If the kids don’t want to fish, they can hit the waves and have a good time too.

To me, a good option for deep sea fishing is to go to Port Aransas and use one of the deep sea fishing companies there. That avoids spending extra time crossing the Corpus Christi Bay on your way to the deep waters.

Corpus Christi Aquarium

My kids like the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi.

It’s not a very big aquarium, but it has some very good educational exhibits. The Islands of Steel, an under-water habitat built around a replica of an offshore oil platform, is great. Of course, the dolphins are always a hit.

The Aquarium does seem to be a little pricey, but overall it is a great place to take the kids to.

USS Lexington

Visiting the USS Lexington is one of the really cool things to do in Corpus Christi!

It is a WWII-era aircraft carrier with several airplanes on deck. You take a self-guided tour through the ship. I found it incredibly educational, and it left me in awe of what our armed forces do for us!

Be sure to wear comfortable shoes because there are lots of stairs to climb. We went in the summer, and I was glad we wore hats. It gets quite hot on the landing deck. There is so much to see that we spent 2 to 3 hours there.

Visit the USS Lexington if you can. It truly was one of the highlights of our vacation in Corpus Christi!

Dolphins

One of the special things to do in Corpus Christi is a dolphin cruise!

Can you imagine how much kids (and grown-ups) like it to see dolphins swimming up close to the boat, and even sometimes coming close enough to touch them? This is a great experience that my kids love!

Dolphin Connection Texas provides a service that lets you do exactly that! Make reservations though. They are quite popular.

We hope this article has been helpful. All the fun things to do in Corpus Christi can provide a great Texas family vacation to anyone!

PS. Also see our page on Corpus Christi hotels.

Without a doubt, South Padre Island Texas is one of our FAVORITE vacation destinations!

My family and I discovered this little tropical paradise a couple of summers ago. We have been hooked ever since!

Some of our favorite things to do in South Padre Island are the beaches, a visit to Schlitterbahn, and fishing.

Where Is South Padre Island?

If you’re wondering where South Padre Island is, follow the Texas coastline towards Mexico. It is a couple of miles off the coast just about on the border with Mexico. A bridge connects South Padre Island to Port Isabel on the mainland. 

Things To Do In South Padre Island

Beaches On South Padre Island

The beaches on South Padre Island are probably the main reason why we go.

A seemingly endless stretch of soft, white, powdery sand along the Gulf-side of the island…

We usually take some goodies for the beach, like a beach shovel, frisbee, and boogie boards along. This provides for hours of fun in the sun. I like building sand castles with the boys. Last summer their quest was to ride the boogie boards in shallow water standing upright!

The boys also nagged me last summer to go parasailing. As a Dad, I was a little nervous, but in the end it was a fantastic experience! They just loved it…

Oh, and don’t forget the sunscreen! 

Schlitterbahn South Padre Island Texas

Although somewhat smaller than the Schlitterbahn waterpark in New Braunfels, Schlitterbahn South Padre Island makes for at least a whole day of water fun!

My kids usually race from one ride to the next. I prefer to simply lie on a tube and go round and round on the “river” that connects all the rides.

Schlitterbahn could seem a little pricey, but at least they let you take a cooler. So once you’re in, you don’t have to spend anymore money.

There is a restaurant (Shrimp Haus), and a sports bar (El Jefe’s Sports Bar) in Schlitterbahn. After every three or four laps around the river, I also enjoy stopping off at Jefe’s Backyard for a drink. It’s important to keep the hydration up…

Next time we go to South Padre Island, we’re definitely spending a day at Schlitterbahn!

Fishing South Padre Island Texas

If you’re into deep sea fishing, South Padre Island Texas has it!

The story goes that South Padre Island is closer to the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico than any other place along the Gulf coast. So you spend less time getting there, and more time fishing! Afterall, that’s why you’re there, right?

You can fish for Red Snapper, Grouper, Kingfish, Shark, and more.

Keep in mind that these fishing trips last anywhere from 3 to 12 hours, depending on what you choose. Fishing captains are typically not in the habit of turning back if one person gets sea-sick. Be sure to take motion sickness medication if you’re unsure how you’re going to handle the sea!

There are a couple of outfits that offer fishing trips in South Padre. We have used Osprey’s before and had a great time! I took my 12-yr old son on a trip recently and he caught his biggest fish ever! He was all smiles and that made me a happy dad!

Horseback Riding On The Beach

Do you think horseback riding on the beach could be fun? I certainly do. If you agree and want to do it, the Island Equestrian Center is the place to go.

You don’t have to be an experienced rider to do this. Beginners can do it too. The guides are experienced and they take good care of everybody.

The rides take you out along the beach, and you’re allowed to let your horse go a little bit into the surf, which is a lot of fun.

Horseback riding on the beach in South Padre Island Texas is fun activity that the whole family can enjoy!

Dolphin Research and Sea Life Nature Center

A really great, value-for-money place to take the kids while on vacation in South Padre Island is the Dolphin Research and Sea Life Nature Center.

The kids can get a hands-on experience at the touch tanks, where they can touch sea creatures. Their dolphin experience is also among the best you will experience anywhere. Captain George is an excellent, informative guide who tries to give you the best experience ever!

The Center is located in Port Isabel right by the Light House Square and Pirate’s Landing restaurant. Worth a visit!

Sandcastle Lessons

Taking a few sandcastle lessons can add an interesting twist to your vacation.

Andy Hancock has been teaching people how to build sandcastles for a number of years. He’s a nice guy who is very skilled at building sandcastles, and he enjoys teaching people his craft.

Here is more about sandcastle lessons in South Padre.

If you’ve never been to South Padre Island Texas, you have to go! It’s a blast!

South Padre used to be overrun with college students over Spring Break and the usual advice was to avoid it then. However, Andy Hancock tells me that it is not the case anymore.”The days of out-of-control kids everywhere have long gone… Spring break is now being aimed at families on the island,” he says. 

C’mon summer… c’mon South Padre!

PS. Also see our page on South Padre Island hotels.

We moved to San Antonio (with the Army) from Illinois in 2010. We had talked about going to the coast (South Padre) for a while but never did until this past weekend.

We went to South Padre Island with our 89 pound dog and we were able to get a condo right on the beach. When we opened the living room and bedroom doors, there it was.

We only stayed for 3 nights and now I wish we would have planned a week vacation. We thought we would get bored in South Padre, but we didn’t. Not even close.

I will say this, the food was not great on the island anywhere we ate. The best food we found was at Psychadeli- however, take your patience because a sandwich will take about 45 minutes. We cooked most of our meals in the condo.

So of course the real reason we all go to the coast is the beach and we spent a good amount of time just walking the beach, building sandcastles, wading in the water, just enjoying. The beach was clean and well maintained.

We went at the end of April and there were enough people that you did not feel like you were alone, but there was not a lot of people there- it was perfect for us.

We took a pirate ship cruise in the South Padre bay which was great. We also took wave runners out to see the dolphins. We could have spent all day in the little shops. Don’t forget parasailing… I am scared of heights but it was actually amazing.

We want to go back to South Padre and spend more time on the beach and do some horseback riding and atv’ing.

Overall, it is a great place to go and relax and just get away nice and close to home. We will be back soon!

During a recent trip to South Padre Island, we decided to take sandcastle lessons, and boy, was that fun!

We saw the sandcastle lessons advertised on the Island’s web site before we booked our break.

We rang Andy Hancock and his competition. Andy sounded very enthusiastic on the phone and we decided go with Andy to have sandcastle lessons with the children, as it looked like real fun.

We had no idea that Andy the Australian would have more stories than JK Rowling and keep us entertained for hours. Even though he didn’t press us about the time and only charged us for the time booked.

The children had a great time and we all learned a lot about sand and sandcastles.

Andy was based at the Sheraton hotel but gave lessons all over the beach for the entire day – he even lent us a bucket and shovel so we could carry on in the afternoon!

We would recommend this activity to anyone and ANDY WITH IT!! Thanks for a wonderful time!

We rang 956 433 9948 for our lesson and went with Andy as he just sounded like more fun. He was also able to help us with a fishing trip and dinner (Sea Ranch).