Rinsing the sand off...
Texas Monthly

Beyond the Beach

Men Fishing on Dock

The Texas Gulf Coast might not be the best coast in terms of pristine water or sugar-white sand, but we love it just the same. And it’s so much more than the beach. The land that hugs the Gulf of Mexico—all 367 miles of it—offers a mix of contrasts. It boasts the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world, but it’s also a true working coast, with oil refineries, oyster farms, and shrimp boats. It’s a world of both wildlife refuges and nightlife hotspots, RV parks and renovated historic hotels. You can collect seashells in relative solitude at Padre Island National Seashore and explore more than a dozen state parks and federal refuges.

The water isn’t always blue, mainly because of the sediment from the many rivers and waterways that feed the Gulf, and it isn’t always fine, thanks to jellyfish, sargassum, contamination in some places, and piles of trash that the currents can drag in. But you don’t even have to dip a toe in the surf to enjoy the coast. Come as we work our way up from South Padre Island, and take in all the people-watching, wildlife-spotting, and seafood-shack-hopping that make a summer trip worthwhile.

Signs at Margaritaville, which opened last year on South Padre Island.
Enjoying live music at the LandShark Bar & Grill on April 17, 2024.
The Margaritaville pool.
Clockwise from left: Signs at Margaritaville, which opened last year on South Padre Island; enjoying live music at the LandShark Bar & Grill on April 17, 2024; the Margaritaville pool.Photographs by Chad Wadsworth

South Padre Island

26° 6' 44" N / 97° 10' 8" W

Where It’s Always Five O’Clock

At the nexus of spring break, Space X, and blissful retirement, writer Lauren Larson looks for that lost shaker of salt at the newly opened Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island, where the Perfect Margaritas are flowing and the White Lotus–meets–Gulf Coast vibes are very real.

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The ArtWalk crowd, on May 3, 2024; aguas frescas from a street vendor at Corpus Christi’s ArtWalk.Photographs by Allie Leepson + Jesse McClary

Corpus Christi

27° 48' 1" N / 97° 23' 47" W

More Than Just a Street Festival

A monthly block party that draws thousands to downtown Corpus Christi celebrates a proud new era for the often-ignored city. Clayton Maxwell follows the crowd and delights in the aguas frescas and street tacos, cumbia and cover bands, and vibrant arts scene.

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Great Getaways

Where to stay on the coast, from family friendly options to an adults-only retreat.

  • Beach Bungalows Matagorda Bay Nature Park

    One of more than forty public parks owned by the Lower Colorado River Authority (a utility provider), the 1,334-acre property sits where the Colorado flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Although camping options are available, visitors can now stay in one of ten new modern bungalows, which come with kitchens and large decks and can sleep as many as six or eight guests. Rates start at $275.
    —Kathy Blackwell

  • The Mansard House Galveston

    Opened in March, the elegantly austere Mansard House is the latest entry in Galveston’s boutique hotel boom. Built from the bones of the 1912 Smith-Perry boardinghouse, the meticulously restored twelve-room property sits on the edge of the Silk Stocking District, between the seawall and the Strand District. With its inviting pool and wraparound porch, the adults-only haven was recently featured in Restoring Galveston on the Magnolia Network. Rates start at $135.
    —Amy Weaver Dorning

  • Reel ’em Inn Rockport

    The nine-room inn, opened in late 2023, reimagines a derelict waterfront motel with casually chic midcentury style. The owners enlisted a local concierge company to offer bespoke amenities for any traveler—s’mores kits and beach toys for kids, kayaks and golf carts for grown-ups, plus ace fishing-guide recommendations and crab pots to hang from the thousand-foot pier. Rates start at $229.
    —Tom Foster

  • Lively Beach Corpus Christi

    Located on 46 acres of native grasses, between Padre Island National Seashore and Mustang Island State Park, this resort of rental condos features a luxe pool, three rooftop decks, and easy beach access. Room options range from studios to two-bedroom units, most with private kitchens. Rates start at $169.—K.B.

  • Hotel Lucine Galveston

    After local native Keath Jacoby and her husband, Dave, moved back to Galveston, they teamed up with friend Robert Marcus to convert the Treasure Isle motor lodge, built in a U shape around a pool, into a charming 61-room boutique hotel. Opened in November, it features retro touches and a rooftop bar. Rates start at $211.—K.B.

Heading to the Lydia Ann Lighthouse on a Coastal Bend Kayak tour along the Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trail, near Port Aransas, on April 19, 2024.Photograph by Jeff Wilson

Port Aransas

27° 50' 2" N / 97° 3' 40" W

To the Lighthouse, on a Kayak

Mapped 25 years ago, the state’s first paddling trail offers a rare chance to commune with birds and dolphins in the shadow of a historic tower. Rose Cahalan dons her life jacket and follows a colorful guide as he takes a group through the mangroves and seagrass in a fragile coastal ecosystem.

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The author and his son holding a fish.
The Rockport Harbor Marina.
A patio area at Reel ’em Inn.
Clockwise from left: The author and his son; the Rockport Harbor Marina; a patio area at Reel ’em Inn.Photographs by Jeff Wilson; author: Courtesy of Tom Foster

Rockport

28° 1' 13" N / 97° 3' 15" W

Something to Brag About

For their first fishing trip together, writer Tom Foster and his ten-year-old son head to Rockport, where they spend a memorable day on a boat casting for more than black drum and redfish.

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Nature Watch

  • Go, Baby Turtles, Go!

    As the sun rises over Malaquite Beach, at Padre Island National Seashore, park rangers crouch on the sand, open Styrofoam coolers, and release scores of Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatchlings. The half-dollar-size babies, just a day old, wiggle tiny flippers as they scoot in the sand toward the sea, often with more than a thousand onlookers lined up behind caution tape. This magical event takes place around 6:45 a.m. on scheduled days from June through August near the Malaquite Visitor Center. —Rose Cahalan

  • The Healing Place

    Stranded dolphin calves, raptors with broken wings, and emaciated sea turtles are among the patients at the 26,000-square-foot Wildlife Rescue Center at the Texas State Aquarium, in Corpus Christi. The center, which opened to great fanfare last year, is one of the nation’s biggest coastal wildlife rescue facilities. Visiting, which you can do on weekends, is free—and life affirming. —R.C.

Dancing at Robert’s Lafitte, in Galveston, on April 20, 2024.Photograph by Michael Starghill

Galveston

29° 18' 4" N / 94° 47' 41" W

At Home At Robert’s Lafitte

Houston native Kayla Stewart, who grew up going to Galveston on vacation, returns for the first time as an openly queer woman and grabs a stool at one of the oldest gay bars in the state.

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