Rockport Beach is the only certified Blue Wave beach in Texas. The Blue Wave Campaign provides environmental certification for clean and healthy beaches. Rockport offers a litter-free, accessible beach for swimming, fishing and water or jet skiing. The park serves as a bird sanctuary and has picnic areas, barbecue grills, playgrounds, public restrooms and a public boat ramp. Wind-powered water craft and overnight camping are not permitted, and dogs are not allowed beyond the beach entrance. Visitors can pay a daily parking or annual fee.
Mustang Island is a coastal barrier island south of San Jose. The state park offers primitive camping or sites with electricity and water, restrooms with hot showers, dump stations, rinsing showers, pay phones, picnic and shade shelters and parking. Activities include hiking, mountain biking, swimming fishing surfing kayaking and birding during spring and fall migration seasons. Campfires are permissible in designated areas when burn bans are not in effect. There is a park entrance fee for persons 13 and older.
IB Magee Beach Park is located at the north end of Mustang Island. The park offers primitive camping as well as water, electricity, dump sites and coin-operated hot showers also available to the public.
Padre Balli Park is located on the north end of Padre Island. Paved campsites with water, electricity and a dump station are available for RVs, while hardtop sites with water and electricity are available for tents. Primitive camping is available on the beach with a bath house and laundry facility and rinsing showers for the public.
Malaquite Beach is part of Padre Island National Seashore. Pets must be kept on a leash at all times and are not allowed in the visitor center area. Activities include beach combing, swimming, fishing, birding and cycling. Beach goers can also witness sea turtle hatchling releases. Semi-primitive campsites are available with a 14-day limit. Campsites offer flushing toilets, rinsing showers, picnic tables, grills, a dump station and a potable water filling station. Driving is allowed in street legal vehicles on Padre Island National Seashore, but Malaquite Beach is closed to driving. Annual and 7-day park passes are available.
Corpus Christi Beach is located on upper Padre Island and is surrounded by seafood restaurants, stores and hotels. Calm waters with lifeguards during the summer months provide a safe beach for beginning swimmers. Cabanas, rinsing showers, picnic tables and restrooms line the beach while the northern end of the beach is still primitive and allows dogs.
Whitecap Beach is located between Padre Balli Park and the Upper Padre Island Seawall. Whitecap provides an escape from large crowds and a chance to explore wildlife and dunes. Life guards are on duty during the summer months. Driving is allowed with parking permits.
McGee Beach, on the Corpus Christi Bay, boasts of calm, nearly seaweed-free water suitable for children. The beach offers swimming and fishing, with a restaurant, gift shop and concession stand situated on the pier. Umbrella and chair rentals are available during peak seasons.
