Secrets of Texas’ Endless Summer

You know the saying: If you don’t like the weather in Texas, wait five minutes. Luckily for Texans, our mercurial weather sometimes means we can hit the beach even on the shortest days of the year.  

Texas’ beachy winters are not entirely a secret. Every winter Midwesterners and Canadians migrate south with the birds to winter along the Texas coast.

Even though our weather is fickle (it once snowed in the Rio Grande Valley), there’s plenty of warm weather to go around even in the coldest months of the year. The average December temperature on South Padre Island is 70 degrees; a little to the north, Corpus Christi averages 68 and Galveston does 64, which is downright beach weather for a Northern Californian. With a little planning and a little luck, the Texas coast offers beach bums the opportunity to experience something like an endless summer.

Padre Island Secrets 

Find South Padre Island on a map and draw a straight line to the east, and eventually you’ll run into Miami. While the South Florida party city enjoys a reputation as a year-round beach destination, tropical South Padre usually only breaks out its party vibe for spring break. Heading down to the southern tip of Texas off-season offers its own rewards: miles of empty beaches, crystal-clear waters, and fresh, cool serenity.

Beyond the Town Beaches
After you pass over the causeway that connects Brownsville to South Padre, you may be tempted to stop at the pretty town beaches that sit at the end of the skinny island’s street grid. But intrepid explorers will be rewarded by continuing north on Padre Boulevard until it becomes State Park Road 100. After nearly 10 miles, the road dead-ends into a seemingly endless stretch of pristine, Caribbean-like beaches. If you have a four-wheel drive, you can set off and get lost in the coastal wilderness.

National Seashore
The Padre Island National Seashore is accessible via Corpus Christi, but to really experience the beaches, take your truck or four-wheel drive off the road after you reach the end of Park Road 22 and set out on an adventure through the 70-mile National Seashore. That distance not only takes you through a unique ecosystem of beaches, dunes, and tidal flats, but the journey south will also bring you into warmer climes. Camping, swimming, and fishing have never been more enjoyable than when you manage to do it all in January.

Off the Island
Another semi-secret spot near Padre Island is even farther south than the famed barrier island. From Brownsville, follow Boca Chica Boulevard to the Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area, a remote preserve located near the mouth of the Rio Grande at the border of Mexico. The beach is the site of one of the earliest landings of European settlers in Texas.

Exploring the Bay Country

The winter off-season is a perfect time to explore some of the attractions around Corpus Christi, which attract droves of visitors during the summer. From historical sites and maritime wonders to laid-back beach towns enjoying the relaxed winter downtime, the dynamic world around Corpus Christi Bay and Aransas Bay offers plenty of fun for a winter getaway.

USS Lexington
The USS Lexington aircraft carrier — nicknamed “The Blue Ghost” — played a key role in the Pacific theater of World War II. Since 1992, it has lived in Corpus Christi, where it now houses a museum. Visitors can go behind the scenes and learn how the boat operated, discover its role in history, and experience virtual battle stations and a flight simulator. 2914 N. Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, 1.800.523.9539

Texas State Aquarium
The official state aquarium of Texas features exhibits that explore the lives of sharks, coral reefs, jungle wildlife, and the nautical ecology of the Caribbean Sea, just to name a few. Get up close to the aquarium’s stingrays and dolphins, or take in an interactive exhibit focused on the Laguna Madre, the long bay system that extends south from Corpus Christi along the western shoreline of Padre Island. When you’re finished, jump in the car and head to the Laguna Madre to discover it firsthand. 2710 N. Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, 1.800.477.4853

Port Aransas
In its off-season, Port Aransas is a laid-back little beach town with plenty of charm and waterfront activity to fill up any holiday. Explore the aviary life at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, take a guided kayak tour of the bay with Rockport Kayak, or get out on the water by riding one of the ferries that connect Port Aransas to Corpus Christi or Mustang Island. Port Aransas-based charter fishing vessels, like Dolphin Dock, allow anglers to head out into the Gulf for some deep-sea fishing.

Out On the Water

The Gulf waters cool in the winter, but that doesn’t chill the watersports season. With a wet suit, boat, rod, and a little imagination, there’s still plenty of fun to be had out on the water. The best part: you’ll have less competition for fish, waves, and fun.

Fishing
Winter is one of the best times of year to take your rod and reel down to the Texas coast. Among the fish that are biting during the cooler months are black drum, pompano, whiting, sharks, and redfish, which make their run out into the Gulf every winter. Find a map of fishing spots here. 

Texas Surf Museum
While the best Gulf surfing happens every fall (nothing beats a little pre-storm swell), you can explore Texas’ surf culture year-round at the Texas Surf Museum in Corpus Christi. The museum offers exhibits that explore the history of Lone Star surfing and screens surf-related films. 309 N. Water St., Corpus Christi, 361.882.2364

Windsurfing
In recent years, South Padre Island has become the Third Coast’s hot spot for windsurfing and kiteboarding. Perhaps it’s the perfect combination of windy conditions and pleasant weather year-round that makes South Padre such a coveted destination for the sport. If you aren’t a seasoned pro, the folks at Windsurf Inc. will hook you up with rentals, lessons, and gear. 224 W. Carolyn St., South Padre Island, 956.761.1434

Follow the Migration

Texas is one of the best bird-watching states in the country. Three of the state’s most significant birding spots are clustered around the coastline south of Houston.

High Island
The journey begins on High Island on the Bolivar Peninsula. The spot is usually overrun come spring, when an annual “fallout” event brings an abundance of flycatchers, vireos, thrushes, warblers, tanagers, orioles, and other species — not to mention the birders who flock to watch them — to the island. But off-season offers plenty of other species — including gulls, hawks, sparrows, and wintering land birds — without the crowds.

Bolivar Flats
Head south through the lonely beauty of the Bolivar Peninsula for about 30 minutes and you’ll arrive at another of Texas’ legendary birding spots, Bolivar Flats. The pristine expanse of low-lying coast features a year-round abundance of birds, including species of cormorant, pelican, heron, egret, ibis, plover, sandpiper, gull, tern, and similar shorebirds.

Surfside Beach
Continue another 50 miles south, crossing Galveston Bay via ferry, until you reach Surfside Beach. The quaint town offers its own birding highlights, including a nesting area of the rare roseate spoonbill. One of the largest Audubon Christmas bird counts in the nation took place at the nearby Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, with more than 200 species spotted in December.

Flower Gardens
Another treasure lies just offshore from Surfside. If you’re a scuba diver or spearfisherman — or maybe you’ve always wanted to try — catch a ride with Texas Bluewater Safaris. They offer charter tours out to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a rich underwater reef system that’s home to nearly 300 species of fish and more than 20 species of coral.

Foodie Paradise

With temperatures pushing the mid-70s in January — as opposed to topping the 100s in July or August — winter is one of the best times of year to sip a cool beverage and have some great food on your favorite Gulf-front patio.

South Padre Island
Winter travelers migrating south will be delighted to discover some of South Padre’s favorite eateries aren’t as overcrowded as they are during the spring and summer rushes.

• Blackbeards’: This local favorite serves up traditional fried seafood and burgers in a casual setting.
• Clayton’s: The massive patio and beachfront view are difficult to beat.
• Liam’s Steak House & Oyster Bar: Liam’s is a classic spot for fine dining.

Corpus Christi
There’s no shortage of great, casual beachside eateries here.

• Desserted Island Ice Cream: Head just up the road in Port Aransas to this beachside favorite for cold sweets.
• Doc’s Seafood & Steaks: Don’t be surprised if some winter anglers put-put up to the patio in their boats looking for refreshments.
• Mikel May’s Beachside Bar & Grill: Traditional American food is served up overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
• Snoopy’s Pier: Locals swear by this casual fish shack. It sits out above the water and offers a gorgeous view of the sunset over Corpus Christi Bay.

Galveston
Galveston’s melting pot of cultural influences and proximity to both the coast and cosmopolitan Houston make it one of the state’s best destinations for great food. And while there are plenty of beachside and pier-located fish shacks to choose from, don’t miss the city’s rarer fare.

• Maceo Spice & Import Co.: Sandwiches are what sets this local institution apart.
• Mardi Gras: February offers a full-on feast as Galveston hosts one of the best Fat Tuesday celebrations in the country.
• Yamato Japanese Restaurant: Fresh sushi, caught locally.

Where to Stay

For Secluded Elegance: Alta Vista
This restored historic property was built in 1931. It’s located south of South Padre in the small community of Port Isabel. Its comfortable Spanish colonial style perfectly captures the feeling of an area in which Texas and Mexico, and land and sea, blur together in perfect elegance. 702 Polk St., Port Isabel

For Old World Luxury: The Tremont House
This downtown Galveston spot may not be on the beach, but its French-inspired architecture and top-notch accommodations make for a perfect home base to explore the coast during the day while transporting you at night back to the time when Galveston was Texas’ largest and most important city. 2300 Ship’s Mechanic Row, Galveston, 409.763.0300

For the Primitive Experience: Camping
Cooler Texas winters are perfect for cozy beach fires and warm sleeping bags. Much of Padre Island is open to primitive camping, which is accessible by backpacking or four-wheel drive. The Malaquite Visitor Center on Padre Island just south of Corpus Christi offers restrooms and cold-water showers.

Exploring Texas this winter? Find more of our travel guides here.