South Padre Island sunrise (photo courtesy longhorndave, Flickr Creative Commons)
With more than 600 miles of coastline to choose from, you're sure to find the perfect spot for a Texas beach vacation.
Padre Island, the world's longest barrier island at 130 miles in length, is known for its excellent beaches. The northern end of the island, known as North Padre, is easily accessible from Corpus Christi. At the Padre Island National Seashore, you can enjoy Texas beaches in their pristine, natural state, with 70 miles of undeveloped beaches, wind-carved dunes, grasslands and fragile tidal flats. Malaquite Beach is a good swimming spot.
The popular beach resort of South Padre Island has the whitest sand and clearest water in Texas and is often named as one of the top beaches in the U.S.
Galveston Island and Corpus Christi offer the greatest variety of activities, and both are perfect destinations for families. Port Aransas on Mustang Island has a beach town ambiance and a great stretch of sandy beach. South Padre and Port Aransas are popular Spring Break destinations during March.
There are a number of smaller beach communities on the Texas coast, such as Surfside Beach and Quintana, both south of Galveston.
You can camp on Texas beaches in several locations, including Mustang Island State Park near Port Aransas. Campsites are also available at Galveston Island State Park but some of the facilities are still being rebuilt following Hurricane Ike.
Excellent saltwater fishing can be found all along the Texas coast. Numerous fishing charters are available, and anglers can also fish from piers, jetties and the shore. Rockport and Fulton, just north of Corpus Christi, are among the most popular fishing destinations on the Texas coast. Rockport also has a nice beach park with picnic facilities.
You can enjoy fabulous fresh seafood in restaurants along the coast, and some will even cook your catch for you.
In addition to fishing, you'll find plenty of water sports in Texas beach communities, including swimming, windsurfing, kiteboarding, parasailing, kayaking, jet skiing and surfing. For a more relaxing time, stroll along the beach collecting seashells, build a sandcastle, play in the surf, go bird watching or just soak up the sun on a sandy beach.
For a safe and enjoyable vacation on the Texas coast, wear plenty of sunscreen and watch out for jellyfish and stingrays. It's a good idea to wear water shoes when swimming in the Gulf, and be sure to heed any warning signs about dangerous tides. By law, all Texas beaches are open to the public, but take care not to trespass on private property to reach the beach. Use caution in areas where vehicles are permitted on the beach.
Stay tuned to this column for more details on the top Texas beaches.
Other Texas Travel Destinations
South Padre Island is a great Texas beach vacation destination
Beat the heat at Texas Hill Country swimming holes
San Antonio, the top Texas family vacation destination
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Comments
South Padre Island Spring Break is a very popular destination for college students. This summer, the Island, because people can drive there and rooms are plentiful & cheap, is packed with people - surprisingly, even with the economy down, sites like south south padre trips.com have had record bookings this year.
Visiting the beach offers its own natural beauty and scenery. When staying overnight, be sure that you choose a place that is green. For eco-friendly lodgings in Texas and all over the world, visit www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com.
South Padre Island is heaven for retirees! Last winter we rented a very inexpensive timeshare at a beautiful resort through redweek.com, and for that week we were called "Winter Texans"!
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