Best Beach in Texas?

It's been years since we've gone, but SOUTH PADRE is a GREAT ESCAPE!!!

... guess I need to plan to go back SOON!!

depends on what you're going to do....

port aransas is great for fishing
corpus has the aquarium plus the beach
galveston is cool because of the strip area

all texas beaches have jellyfish issues and not so pretty green water - they are not as pretty as atlantic or pacific coast beaches.

Hi B.,
Port Aransas will be your best bet, I love it there. Also Galveston is still recovering from hurricane last year. Port Aransas is great! There are lots of things to do and plenty of beaches. Just go to Chamber of commerce there and get all the brocheres of things to do, that is what I did my first time. Have a great summer!!!
M.

Galveston is still suffering from Hurricane Ike, but there is still a lot to do. The beaches are still damaged as is a lot of businesses.
Port Aransas has great atmosphere, a lot to do, and is only a 45 minute drive to Corpus for the aquarium and Lexington (I wouldn't stay in Corpus, North Beach is on the bay and is pretty yucky)
South Padre has the best beaches and clearest water. There is a lot to do and ususually more reasonably priced than Port Aransas. Also within a short distance there is the Brownsville Zoo (great zoo) and many other attractions in the Valley.

Jelly fish season has passed in Port Aransas. I was down there in early May and there were a lot of them washed up on the shore, but we went down there this past weekend and they were all gone.

The comments were right about South Padre having the nicest beaches, but the drive is long from Austin. We prefer Port Aransas because the water is clearer than Galveston and we like the laid back beach town atmosphere. If you have a large group, we love staying at this house in Village Walk on 11th Street. It's close to town, the beach, and the golf course (for my husband). It sleeps 10, so it's pretty comfortable. Their website is http://villagewalk13.com.

We enjoy Mustang Island in Corpus Christi.

By far, South Padre is the best.

Galveston tends to be closest, but is often quite dirty and I'm not sure how much has been rebuilt after the most recent hurricane.

I spent alot of time at Mustang Island growing up and it is ok. The beaches tend to have a bit of tar and the water is pretty murky with lots of junk in it.

From Austin, South Padre is about a 6 hour drive. We stop just past halfway for lunch at a place called King's Inn near Robstown for amazing seafood. The beaches at SP are nice and clean. When the weather is calm, the water looks as blue as the caribbean. Plus, there is a Schlitterbahn right on the island for a change of pace. When looking for a place to stay, you want something on the gulf side, not the bay side. My family was down there in May and we had a great time with 2 toddlers.

I have been to Port A, Galveston and S. Padre and I prefer Port A. Very small, safe, and the food is phenomenal! There is also soooo much to do. It is very family oriented, as they discourage lots of kids down there from partying. I actually lived there, if you want more specific things to do, email me.

South Padre Island!!! The other beaches are really nasty!! Port Aransas cars are aloud to drive on the beach and the water is nasty, it smells,as well as Corpus. Do not waste your time at any other beach. South Padre all the way. Lots to do on the Island, good food, shopping. My in laws have a house there its beautiful and I just went Memorial weekend with my son 9 years old and husband. We go several times a year. Beautiful!! B.

Hi B., South Padre Island is definitely the best beach in Texas. It's a 6 hour drive, however. I have two kids the exact same age as yours and they handle the trip well with a DVD player. It's a great beach; great place to vacation. www.spichamber.com is a good place to start. We like to stay in condos on the beach front so we can sit on the balcony and watch the ocean after the kids are asleep. This is where we almost stayed recently but then stayed with my mom. http://www.pirentals.com/rental/continental-102?PropertyI... Anyway, it's on the 1st floor and not outdated; good location too. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, they have Friday night fireworks over the bay (9:15). Late for the kids but I'd keep them up just once. Anyway, lots of great things to do there. Very family friendly place.