PORT ARANSAS

Port Aransas and I go way, way back to my earliest childhood. Its changed somewhat since then but, its central core as a sleepy fishing village on the Texas gulf coast remains in spirit. 90 % of visitors back in the day came here to fish. Either in the surf, bay or deep sea. While ive done my share of that, this trip centers on long walks on the beach and introspection. What a great way to build up to Christmas.

Viva Port A! This is a fun island town! It's only accessible by two ways- across the BIG bridge from Corpus Christi, or by way of ferry from Aransas Pass. If you've never been here, I definitely recommend the ferry, dolphins often greet visitors as they cross the bay over onto the island! The fun thing about this island town is that they allow go karts and golf carts on the streets (with special license plates). They also offer wide sidewalks for bicyclists and pedestrians. There's a great number of great beaches along this island, with soft sand, manicured beaches. Along the beach are several parks, and places to park, shower, or hang out. There are some cool places to stay along this linear town- most facing the beach. This is one of my favorite places to hang out on the third coast!

I've been going to Port A since I was a kid. It's grown quite a bit in the past few decades, but is still your average Texas coastal town. The beach is pleasant, and after having made a trip to Surfside (up the coast by Freeport) this summer as well as Port A, I understand now why it's more expensive to go to Port A. It is prettier and has more going on.I was frustrated by the constant and glacial traffic. The people working there seemed a bit burnt out this time of the summer too. The beach wasn't exactly packed, but it was certainly not wide open. We didn't bring the dog and I was glad he stayed at the boarders this time because there were so many people.We had another great trip to the beach, minor warts and all. Don't forget they have a ferry cam and a webpage with wait times for each side posted. Very handy.

My first time going to the coast since arriving in Texas last fall. It's beautiful. The beach was perfect. Clean and the water, so warm. I can't wait to go back.

Port Aransas, aka Port A, is the most stunning of all the Texas coastal beachside towns & one of my favorite places on earth for its beautiful beaches & fabulous fresh seafood. This beachy kitsch tiny little fishing village is so adorable with five miles of gorgeous pure white sand beaches that are super wide with lots of room to tent camp, fly kites, ride bikes, build giant sandcastles in the sand, have campfires, fish, swim & just soak up the sun have fun & chill ;) The marked beaches that do not requite a parking permit, you can actually drive your car right to the edge of the water! Just look for the signage. Make sure to drive your 4x4! We saw lots of people get stuck lol Fortunately, this is Texas & there were plenty of Texas size trucks driven by HOT Texas Cowboys with Texas size tires cruising the beach to lend a helping hand! Woohoo! Y'all are awesome! Please don't ever change :)) Competitive fishing is big business in this little town. 'Port A' hosts over 20 fishing tournaments during the summer. The oldest fishing tournament, the Deep Sea Roundup, is celebrating its 79th anniversary! People come from all over to compete in this tournament.July 10-13 2014 is this years dates. Taking the ferry across from the main land is a cool experience! We saw lots of dolphins :) You can also enter/exit the island by driving down the 18 miles of beach to the bridge to Corpus Christi. Port A only has one grocery store. IGA. It has most of what a grocery store has but it is more expensive that the mainland so better to bring what you need b4 you cross over. They do sell beer & wine & there are several liquor stores on Port A. WB liquors & wine delivers! Yeah! :))Port A is also a fave Spring Break destination. From March 7th thru May it can get pretty crowded. In 2013 some 200,000 spring breakers flooded the place, took over the island & traffic was backed up over the bridge & the wait for the ferry was almost 2 hours so be prepared to wait. There are many cool little tiki bars & restaurants to grab drinks, sandwiches, breakfast, lunch & dinner. Most restaurants will even cook up your fresh catch for you! The local drum & amberjack fish are both a super yummy delicacy not to be missed :)'There are only two fast food joints. A Whataburger & a Dairy Queen. Keepers fishing pier, on the beach also serves food & beer & has some awesome wings ;) There are a few venders that drive up & down the beach & sell tamales, they even take credit cards lol There is also one very romantic fine dining spot located in the historic Tarpon Inn, Roosevelt's. Its a lovely place to take a date for a special occasion. The Tarpon Inn is also one of the best places to stay on Port A among the many hotels, motels, condos, summer rentals, campgrounds etc., There are a handful of souvenir shops & a couple surf shops for your shopping pleasure but again, better to shop on the mainland and/or bring what you need ;) You can rent most anything for beach fun. You can rent bikes & golf carts to drive around town & on the beach. The same driving rules apply! No, you can't get snookered & drive around like a drunken pirate here like you can in Belize. You will get pulled over & have to walk the plank!Arrrrrr! Don't be a boozer looser & miss spring break bc you were in the pokey :( Drink responsibly & chill, your on island time! Have fun! Life's a beach on Port A :)

Ferry Cam rarely works, they just want your money

My boyfriend and I are travelers and foodies, and when a weekend opened up for a spontaneous trip to the coast, we ended up here.I'd been to nearby Rockport about a decade ago, and we weren't expecting much- but holy guacamole, every place we ate was amazing!In one day, this became our new secret vacation escape place- while we didn't stay over night this time, we plan to do so in the future.We didn't plan ahead and ended up waiting an hour for the ferry, so heads up on that- other reviews say there's a way to checkthe wait by phone and take another route, but I don't know anything about it yet.All of the restaurants, shops, and local inns/B&B-type places looked cute and everyone was so friendly.We'll definitely be back soon!

This is it. This is my R.V. This is my Yosemite. This is my Grand Canyon. This. Is my retirement and where my ashes will be spread. (I picture John Goodman hitting someone in the face with them...I can dream)Fish. Shop. Beach. Beer. Patron. Stars. Talks with God. Ocean energy. Bernies. Shrimp boil. All that.We go about 4x's a year, and no other beach in Texas can compare in my book. Yes, it can be dirty and smelly - hey it's the Gulf of Mexico, but it's a perfect drive (3hrs door to door) and you can drive on the beach, and the port o potty's almost always have toilet paper.TIP: Drive past mile marker 19 - this is where you can back up to the water. No need to lug everything through piles of sand.

Love, love, love this place! We as a family enjoy making memories the coast is one of our favorite places to be the coastal bend is awesome blessed to only live 2 hours away! oh and it's pet friendly has onsite camping site for rv or the beach!!

Truly one of my favorite places on the Gulf. Arguably, Florida has much better beaches, but considering its clogged with condos, malls, and its own weird brand of antiseptic cleanliness, my heart goes to the rugged, wild, and comparatively isolated coasts of South Texas. Yeah its sometimes dirty, really quite funky at times, and the locals come off as a bit salty but I'm a romantic. Let the kids have their party spots in South Padre.The journey through the weird little towns to get here is a treat in itself, telling the story of Texas through the cattle ranches and fracking operations until you're passing through the cotton fields and the Papalote Creek Wind Farm to finally arrive at the sparkling blue bays of Aransas Pass. Probably one of my favorite things to do is watch the birds flying free- seabirds have it best, so many places for them to hang out between harbor, marsh, and beach. Scouring the beach for interesting washups is always great too- always something unusual to a mainlander to collect or take pictures of. The sand is silty and soft, great to build with and easy to walk through. The water is green and foamy but the waves are fun, and a lot less likely to drag you out to sea than elsewhere in the gulf. The water is shallow for many yards, no steep dropoffs that I've ever found.The thing I like least here is the dining out. When I was a little girl we camped here at the county park, behind the dunes, and cooked our own meals on the camp stove. That was the best. Hotdogs on the beach at sunset always taste incredible, not sure why. I guess its that cramming a 50 cent hotdog into your hungry face is a lot better than waiting half an hour in line, dealing with surly waitstaff, and spending $20 on a plate of dried out fish and a weak drink at the local eatery. There's always Whataburger when all else fails, its never let me down (except when the AC at their old location went out!) I've never tried the local shrimp boil or seafood markets, but its highly recommended, maybe next time. Really, time is the only thing I wish I had more of when I am here, its always sad having to pack out. The ferry ride out is always painfully short, and just like that the scent of the sea is gone and the sound of the waves has left your ears. I would live here, but I wouldn't want the magic to go away...Anyway, if you live in Texas, you should stop by Port A at least once. Even if you're closer to Galveston. It just doesn't compare. Make the trip.