Sea Turtles and Seashells: Top Texas Beach Spots

Texas’ 367 miles of coastline can facilitate a fun beach day — if you know where to go.

Story and photos by Gerald E. McLeod, retired TCDRS Communications Manager

Cover photo:  South Padre Island visitors can walk out of their hotels right onto the beach or pitch an umbrella on the beach at Atwood Park or another of the county parks.

 

Texas has 367 miles of shoreline from Sabine Pass to Boca Chica. Gulf coast beaches look different from ocean beaches by their very nature, but they can still provide a wonderful experience — if you know the right access points.

After the hurricane in 1900, Galveston built a 10-mile, 17-foot-tall seawall to protect the island city. Visitors can park along one of the longest continuous sidewalks in the United States and walk to the beach. After a day of playing in the water, head over to Pleasure Pier at the end of 25th Street to enjoy the restaurants and carnival rides over the water.

Left: Houston artist David Moore crafted the Great Storm Memorial, a bronze sculpture that was placed on the seawall in Galveston at 47th Street on the 100th anniversary of the 1900 hurricane.

Right: Early mornings on the beach in Port Aransas can be very peaceful. With more than six miles of protected beach, there’s plenty of space to build a sandcastle or just enjoy the surf.

Mustang Island stretches 18 miles from Port Aransas to the JFK Causeway from Corpus Christi. The six miles of beach in town are protected from vehicular traffic, but south of the barriers, beachgoers can park right at the water’s edge. Also from Port Aransas, you can take a local ferry to San José Island. This remote island has no facilities but is one of the best places for collecting seashells along the Texas coast.

A few miles south of the JFK Causeway, the island becomes Padre Island National Seashore. Established in 1962, the national seashore stretches 65.5 miles of the 113 miles of the world’s longest undeveloped barrier island. It is the only place on the planet where all five species of sea turtles that are found in the Gulf make their nests.

You might get to see a sea turtle hatchling release at Padre Island National Seashore.

During the summer, the National Park Service collects and incubates turtle eggs, and then releases the hatchlings with public viewing. To find out when the next hatchling release will occur, call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 or visit NPS.gov/PAIS/PlanYourVisit/HatchlingReleases.htm.

At the southern tip of Texas, the white sands of South Padre Island provide some of the most beautiful beaches on the coast. In town, you can walk out of your hotel onto the beach. Isla Blanca County Park offers walkways to the beach and an RV park.

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