This is a general guide to Port Aransas, Texas. I’ve
been to Port A many times in my life both with the family and when I was single
and this is a mishmash of things to do and see. Strangely, in the 25
years I’ve been going to Port A, not much has changed.
Port Aransas is a seaside town which is technically on
Mustang Island which is an 18 mile long island connected at the south end to
Padre Island. Everyone I know says they are going to Padre Island when
they mean Port A on Mustang Island because it’s virtually
indistinguishable. At the north end of Mustang Island is Port Aransas,
which is accessible to the mainland by Ferry. On the south end of Mustang
Island is a bridge south to Padre Island and a Huge bridge over to the mainland
and south Corpus Christi.
Getting there
You have two basic options to get to the island – the north
route and the south route.
North route (faster from north of Corpus)
You need to get to Aransas Pass to take the ferry over to
Port A. You can do this from downtown Corpus or from more northerly
routes coming in from the major Texas cities. At Gregory, you have a
choice to go Hwy 35 around the town or through the town of Ingleside. I
think the 35 route is a little faster – no stoplights. The north route is
also great because there is a big HEB just before you get to the ferry line –
you can pick up food and all other kids of essentials before you get to the
island where the selection is not as large and the prices are slightly
higher. The ferry times can be short or long depending on season.
There may be signs as you’re coming in – I think there’s one near Sinton – to
indicate how long the line is and if you should divert and go the south
route. It’s normally pretty reasonable waiting though, even when we go
down for Memorial Day. The kids think the ferry is more fun too.
South route:
From the airport or south Texas it may be faster to go
across the big bridge (John F Kennedy Memorial Causeway) to Mustang
Island. After you go across the bridge you will turn left at the first
major road and drive north to Port A.
If you’re already in Corpus, either route is fine.
Places to Stay
I can’t say we’re overly experimental when it comes to
staying different places in Port A. There are accommodations for all
sorts of tastes, from Hotel, to condo, to beach rental. We usually stay
at a place with a big pool because the kids and Shellie only like the beach in
small doses. Places we’ve stayed are the Courtyard Condos, Sandcastle,
and Port Royal. All of those are a hotel/motel-like condos that
rent out to visitors. Port Royal is the most expensive and boasts (at one
time, still?) the largest pool in Texas. It’s a humongous three-tiered
pool with slides and a swim up bar. Sandcastle’s pool is pretty nice too,
just not as large. Both have beachfront access. Courtyard is more
like a standard motel and you have to walk a short block to the beach.
Almost anything is walking distance to the beach, so it’s
hard to go wrong there, but you can also get a beach vehicle pass and drive
down and park on the beach – good if you’re going to take a tent, chairs, beach
toys, etc.
Places to Eat
At your hotel
Most every hotel has BBQ pits for hamburgers
and hotdogs. You can get anything you need at the IGA (grocery store in
town). Also most condos have fully functioning kitchens, so you can make
lunches for the pool or beach. Port Royal has a restaurant, but we’ve
never eaten there. You can also get fresh seafood at a couple of places
near the ferry. I have heard of a shrimp boat that goes out daily and
then you can buy by the pound at the park on the Port A side of the Ferry.
Port A Pizza – really fast and really good. You can
get carryout or delivery.
Places in town
- Near the ferry – there are a bunch of higher end restaurants - Viginia's on the Bay, Trout Street
- Shells – really small restaurant between downtown and the hotels
- Spaghetti works – buffet Italian in a very uniquely shaped building
- Moby Dick's - across from the shark store - big portions - long wait, but they have a store too
Other fun things to do
- Gambling cruise out of Aransas Pass – just on the other side f the ferry – will take you to international waters to gamble – we haven’t done this in a while
- Shark shop – there are many souvenir shops and they’re all worth checking out, but we always go to the store with the huge shark next to the IGA. The kids love playing with the hermit crabs, sometimes they have strange pets like monkeys or birds in the front for photo ops, they have a huge selections, including custom t-shirts.
- Golf carts – there are a couple of companies we’ve used – one between the Shark shop and the IGA and another on the other main cross street toward the beach. The one near the IGA has funky colors to choose from and the other is more plain, but it’s a fast and good way to explore the island’s neighborhoods and beaches.
- Winton's Candy shop – has barrels of vintage and fun candies to buy.
In Corpus Christi
Sometimes it’s fun to go to the Aquarium or the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi – both are located on the north side of the bay.
 |
| Lots of stuff is downtown at the corner of Ave G and Alister |
 |
| North and South Routes |
 |
| CONDOS |