Directions & Area Attractions
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
The bugle of an endangered whooping crane echoes across the far reaches of the marsh. Only at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge do North America's tallest birds find an enduring winter stronghold. Here, too, pelicans, herons, egrets, roseate spoonbills, ducks, and geese dine in brackish waters and salt marshes teeming with fishes, blue crabs, and clams. On shore, javelinas, bobcats and deer wander oak woodlands. Alligators peer from still waters of ponds and sloughs. Ringed by tidal marshes and broken by long, narrow sloughs, this 59,000-acres refuge sprawls mostly across the Blackjack penisula, where grasslands, live oaks, and redbay thickets cover deep sandy soils. Storms and waters of the Gulf of Mexico constantly reshape this vital refuge, home to over 390 different bird species.
Rockport Beach
Rockport Beach is located at 210 Seabreeze Drive, Rockport. Rockport Beach is Texas' first Blue Wave Beach and one of only four on the Texas Gulf Coast. Be prepared for great facilities, beautiful views and loads of fun during your visit!
Roberts Point Park
Roberts Point Park in Port Aransas is home to waterfront family fun. Built through volunteer efforts and a Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation grant, this 50-acre park is located on a peninsula of land that juts into the Corpus Christi Ship Channel and forms a safe harbor for the municipal marina that has 250 boat slips for permanent and transient vessels. The park is visible as visitors ride the ferryboats from the mainland to Mustang Island and folks may drive, bike, walk or take the free local B-Bus to the park from stops along a 1-hour loop that runs through Port Aransas.
Mustang Island State Park
With more than five miles of coastline, we have plenty of room for fun in the sun. Hang out on the beach, fish in the bay, add birds to your life list, and explore this unspoiled barrier island park. At Mustang Island State Park, what you do is up to you. You can play at the beach (swim, surf, build a sand castle), picnic, fish, kayak, bird watch (especially during spring and fall migrations) and geocache.
Whitecap Beach
Whitecap Beach, named after the white sands you'll find on this untouched shore, is an excellent location for small groups or solo travelers. This location is an excellent choice for those looking to escape a busier beach scene. Stretching from Whitecap Beach to South Packery Beach is the mile-long Padre Island Seawall protecting the hotels and resorts, which offers a sand-free path for biking, jogging, or walking along the beach.
Padre Island National Seashore
Padre Island National Seashore separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre, one of a few hypersaline lagoons in the world. The park protects 66 miles of coastline, dunes, prairies, and wind tidal flats teeming with life. It is a safe nesting ground for the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and a haven for over 380 bird species. It also has a rich history, including the Spanish shipwrecks of 1554.
Red Dot Pier
Red Dot Pier has been a favorite Corpus Christi fishing location for over 30 years. Typically they catch Drums, Trouts, Flounder, Reds, and many other varieties of fish off of our pier. The Red Dot Pier runs along side of the Humble Channel and is located just off the JFK Causeway/S.P.I.D. The store at the Red Dot Pier location sells live shrimp, mullet, perch and various others, along with a dead (frozen) assortment to meet all your fishing needs. They offer tackle sales, beer, soda, snacks and a variety of items to make your fishing an enjoyable experience.
USS Lexington
Commissioned in 1943, she set more records than any other Essex Class carrier in the history of naval aviation. The ship was the oldest working carrier in the United States Navy when decommissioned in 1991. The Japanese reported USS Lexington sunk no less than four times! Yet, each time she returned to fight again, leading the propagandist Tokyo Rose to nickname her “The Blue Ghost.” The name is a tribute to the ship and the crew and air groups that served aboard her. Corpus Christi is privileged to be selected as the permanent home to this national treasure.
National Museum of the Pacific War
Originally named the Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Memorial Naval Museum and opened on February 24, 1967, the National Museum of the Pacific War is recognized today as a world-class, cultural institution. A Smithsonian Affiliate and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, NMPW provides the nation's most comprehensive account of World War II in the Asiatic-Pacific theater. The historical facts, stories and authentic artifacts of the Pacific War are carefully preserved and presented in ways that our visitors can be both educated and inspired and of which our staff and supporters can be proud.
Texas State Aquarium
The idea for the Texas State Aquarium was conceptualized by its founders early on to focus on the species in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The exhibits would contain representatives of the area’s main marine ecosystems. The Gulf of Mexico opened in 1990 with a commencement from former President Bush speaking to a front lawn packed full of supporting visitors. After years in the making, the Caribbean Journey, part of the original vision, opened its doors in 2017. The Caribbean Journey doubles the size of the aquarium and provides homes to an exciting collection of sea and land creatures.
Corpus Christi
Located on the South Texas Gulf Coast, Corpus Christi offers popular attractions, outdoor, experiences, a variety of hotels, cultural venues, shopping, fresh, local seafood, and best of all - South Texas Hospitality.