Beaches guide

Bay beaches, Gulf beaches and state park sand on the Coastal Bend, and what to know before you park.

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Overview

The Coastal Bend has two kinds of beach, and they feel very different. The city of Corpus Christi maintains two bayfront beaches, North Beach and McGee Beach, and says they offer natural beauty close to downtown, the marina and local attractions. The Gulf beaches face the open Gulf of Mexico.

On the Gulf side, the city says it partners with Nueces County and the State of Texas to manage the Gulf beaches in Corpus Christi. Port Aransas manages its own stretch, and its city site is the source for the rules on that beach.

Pick the water first. If you want shallow, gentle water for small children, the Rockport-Fulton bureau points to Rockport Beach Park. For waves, look at the Gulf side.

What to do

Rockport & Fulton

The Rockport-Fulton visitor bureau calls Rockport Beach Park Texas' first Blue Wave Beach, a national certification for cleanliness, safety and environmental stewardship. It describes calm, shallow water that suits swimming and wading, particularly for families with young children.

  • Rockport Beach Park

    A mile-long engineered crescent on Aransas Bay, not open Gulf, so there is no surf and no rip current.

  • Saltwater Pool Pavillions

    The saltwater swimming area and pavilions at Rockport Beach, calm, shallow, and made for kids.

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Lamar & Goose Island

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) does not recommend swimming at Goose Island State Park, because the shoreline has concrete bulkheads, oyster shells, mud flats and marsh grass. The park has a 1,620-foot fishing pier.

Ingleside & Portland

  • Surfside Park

    Bayside park in Ingleside on the Bay with calm water, a small beach, and picnic space.

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Port Aransas

The city says the water off Port Aransas Beach is great for swimming, bodysurfing, boogie boarding and surfing. Mustang Island State Park has more than five miles of coastline, and TPWD lists swimming, surfing and building a sand castle among the things to do there. The park lends two beach wheelchairs free of charge, and you can check with park staff when you arrive.

  • I. B. Magee Beach Park

    A county beach park at the north end of Port Aransas with a jetty walk, an observation tower over the ship channel, camping, and beach access.

  • Mustang Island State Park

    Five miles of undeveloped Gulf beach with fishing jetties and a clean bathhouse with hot showers.

  • Port Aransas Beach

    Wide, hard-packed Gulf beach you can drive and park on, with real surf, good boogie boarding, and dolphins visible from shore.

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Corpus Christi & Padre Island

The city maintains two bayfront beaches on Corpus Christi Bay, North Beach and McGee Beach. The visitor bureau says North Beach has restrooms, outdoor showers and beach wheelchairs. The city's beach rules say dogs must be on a leash or under verbal command on all beaches. McGee Beach sits downtown on Shoreline Boulevard along the seawall. On the Gulf side, the city calls JP Luby Beach, also known as North Packery Beach, a popular spot for surfing and kiteboarding. Whitecap Beach has a pedestrians-only shoreline and an area for cars. Padre Balli Park is a 374.5 acre Nueces County park with over a mile of beachfront.

  • Breaker Avenue Beach Access

    Street-end access to North Beach, the calm bay-side beach in Corpus.

  • JP Luby Beach

    The surfing beach by Packery Channel on North Padre, with steady breaks and a younger crowd.

  • McGee Beach

    Calm, narrow city beach right on the downtown Corpus seawall.

  • Michael J. Ellis Beach and Seawall

    Michael J. Ellis Sea Wall, a pedestrian walkway in Corpus Christi that also allows bicycles.

  • Mustang Beach

    Mustang Island Gulf beach access with wide sand and lighter crowds than the main Port A stretch.

  • Newport Pass Beach Access

    Beach access between Port A and Packery with drive-on sand and thinner crowds than the main entrances.

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When to visit

TPWD lists spring and summer as the busy season at Mustang Island State Park, and it says a visit in the cooler months gives a quieter beach experience. The park often reaches capacity and recommends reservations for day use.

The city of Corpus Christi publishes a lifeguard schedule that changes by season. It lists mobile patrols on the Gulf beaches, and it says there are no lifeguards on duty at McGee Beach or North Beach in the fall, winter and spring. Lifeguard coverage is different from beach to beach, so check the city's lifeguard schedule before you go.

The National Weather Service says rip currents often form on calm, sunny days, so great weather does not always mean it is safe to swim. It suggests checking the local beach forecast before you leave and talking to the lifeguard at the beach.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to NOAA. Storms sometimes form outside those dates. Check the forecast from the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi and follow local officials.

When to visit the Coastal Bend

Getting around

Parking on the Corpus Christi Gulf beaches needs a beach parking permit. The city says permits are required for designated areas, and that they are available at multiple locations throughout the city and on the beach. The city's beach rules set a speed limit of 15 mph on the Gulf beaches.

The city of Port Aransas says a parked car on its beach needs an annual sticker, valid from January 1 through December 31. The city says the sticker is good along the beach from the city limit at Marker D to the Kleberg County line, so it works in Port Aransas and in Corpus Christi. The city lists free parking areas between the Jetties and Marker D, and between Mile Markers 52 and 58.

On Port Aransas Beach, the city says the stretch between the dunes and the wooden post markers is a two-lane Texas roadway, subject to all traffic laws. From the posts to the waterline is for sitting, reading and beach games.

At the two bay beaches in Corpus Christi, North Beach and McGee Beach, the city says driving on the beach is prohibited.

Where to stay

Salty Breeze Cottage

Rockport & Fulton, TX

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