Corpus Christi Texas Beaches

Corpus Christi Texas beaches are the perfect location on the Gulf of Mexico to unwind and relax for a day or a weekend escape. But when planning a day at the beach, the question is: Which beach is the best? To help out this list has the 15 best beaches in Corpus Christi. To decide which one is right for you consider a few things, like what you want to do (surfing, swimming, fishing, biking, parasailing), how far do you want to drive, what kind of vibe do you want, etc.

On this list, you’ll find ones that are perfect for surfers, others that are family-friendly, and even those that have the best campsites.

The list includes beaches in the city limits and ones that are a short distance away. This way you’ve got so many to choose from that you’re bound to find the one that’s perfect for you.

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Beach Parking Permit and Entrance Fees

Some of the beaches along the Texas Gulf Coast require a beach parking permit.

Fines range from $75 to $500 if your vehicle doesn’t have a valid beach parking permit. You can buy the annual beach parking pass for $12 at a number of locations including Stripes convenience stores, HEB grocery stores, Corpus Christi Visitor Information Center, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, and at Corpus Christi City Hall to name a few. The fee goes towards maintenance and hiring lifeguards and the parking pass is good for the entire year.

You don’t need a beach parking pass for McGee Beach, North Beach, or Michael J Ellis Beach.

There is a day use fee for Malaquite Beach, Padre Island National Seashore, and Mustang Island State Park.

Don’t Get Stuck in the Sand

When driving on the beach stay on the well packed sand and don’t try to drive through deeper sand unless you have a 4WD vehicle and you know what you’re doing.

On my first visit to JP Luby Beach my car got stuck in the sand, just as I turned my car around because… I thought I might get stuck LOL. Luckily, a couple of guys helped me get my little Toyota Yaris unstuck.

I was digging the sand away from my tires and I got my car mats out to put under the tires for traction. But I was doing it wrong and these two guys corrected my mistakes. They put the mats behind the front tires and told me to put the car in reverse (I foolishly thought I should continue going forward). They pushed the car and I was unstuck and back on packed sand again in no time. Whew!

I’m more cautious now and make sure I stay on the packed sand since my car has a low profile and it’s two-wheel drive not four-wheel drive. So I hope I don’t get stuck again but at least I have a better idea of how to handle the situation if my car does get stuck in the sand at the beach.

Map of Corpus Christi Texas Beaches

Use the map below to help plan your Corpus Christi beach days.

Corpus Christi Texas Beaches

For each of these beaches I have indicated if there is a fee, beach parking permit required, or free parking.

North Beach

• Free parking (no beach parking pass required)

The list starts with the most well-known Corpus Christi Beach: North Beach. This is a great public beach right in the city itself. Super convenient, North Beach is located just off of Hwy 181 and has ample public parking.

Driving is not allowed on North Beach, which is comforting for those with young children.

You’ll love putting your toes in the soft sand and walking or biking along the paved path that goes along the 1.5 miles of shoreline.

When you get hungry head over to Pier 99 Restaurant right by the USS Lexington Museum. The restaurant features seafood and steaks but you can also feed your dog here. Seriously, this place is so pet-friendly that they even have a Canine Menu!

Other great choices for eats at North Beach include Blackbeard’s on the Beach and Yo Philly Cheese Steaks.

Hotels at North Beach include Hotel De Ville, Doubletree by Hilton, and the Seashell Inn Motel.

McGee Beach

• Free parking (no beach parking pass required)

In Corpus Christi, you can’t get closer to the beach than McGee. Located right in the middle of the city, McGee runs along Shoreline Blvd, downtown. There’s plenty of free parking next to the beach.

One of the best family-friendly beaches in Corpus Christi McGee has tons of restrooms, benches, pavilions, and no one driving on the beach. The calm waters of Corpus Christi Bay are also perfect for families with little ones.

Hotels near McGee Beach include Residence Inn by Marriott, the Budget Inn & Suites, and the Emerald Beach Hotel.

Whitecap Beach

• Beach Parking permit required

Whitecap Beach is a favorite among locals and visitors alike. It’s where the Padre Island Seawall begins making it perfect for folks to stroll along the beach.

Like its name, the beach has beautiful white sand, perfect for a relaxing day at the beach.

Camping and driving on the beach is a normal thing. People love to set up a site and enjoy days and nights with friends. You can even have a campfire. And Whitecap beach is pet-friendly so bring your canine friends to the beach too, just keep them on leash.

Michael J Ellis Beach

• Free parking (no beach parking pass required)

Michael J Ellis Beach is a popular beach in Corpus Christi. What draws so many? It has relatively easy parking, lifeguards on duty (in summer) and a great beach. So, yeah, Ellis Beach is perfect all around.

As a bonus, vendors love to set up shop on the beach during the summer months. So there’s no need to go without something you might need or want.

I like this beach because there’s free parking, clean restrooms, showers, and the walkway is nice for when you want to be at the beach but not get sand in your shoes.

JP Luby Beach (North Packery Beach)

• Beach parking permit required

You’ll probably hear locals refer to this beach as North Packery Beach but JP Luby Beach is the official name. This is the place for surfing in Corpus Christi. Bring your own equipment or rent from the local vendors. They’ve got everything to go surfing, wakeboarding, and kiteboarding. I don’t surf but I do enjoy watching the surfers at this beach.

If you’d rather go for a swim, you’ll find an area sectioned off for swimmers during the summer months.

The channel that separates North Packery from South Packery is also a favorite spot to fish at Mustang Island. Anglers love to set up early in the morning along with the beachcombers looking for the perfect shell to add to their collection.

JP Luby Beach is super wide and perfect to drive right up to the shore. Just make sure to buy your beach parking permit in advance. Also, don’t get stuck in the sand, like I did.

If you don’t want to park on the beach you can park at the North Packery Channel paved parking lot and take the sidewalk by the channel to get to the beach. I saw lots of birds along the channel when I parked here and people told me you can often spot sea turtles around the rocks.

 

South Packery Channel Beach

• Beach parking permit required

South Packery Channel Beach is kind of like the calmer version of its sister across the channel, North Packery Beach (JP Luby Beach). The Packery Channel is the waterway in between Padre Island (South Packery) and Mustang Island (North Packery) and it’s a favorite spot to go fishing.

With only one entry point, South Packery is not as popular as North Packery. But this makes it even better for anyone looking for one of the more relaxed Corpus Christi beaches.

In recent months the beach had been undergoing a restoration project including adding more sand to widen the beach and provide a buffer against future erosion.

Evidently you can camp on this beach between Mile Marker 210 – 213. I didn’t get across the channel to visit this beach because Google maps gave me wrong info when I tried to get to South Packery Channel Beach. I later realized you need to enter “Beach Access Road 3a Corpus Christi” to get Google Maps to give you the correct directions. When you type South Packery Channel Beach in Google Maps it gives directions to NORTH Packery Beach instead.

Padre Balli Park

• Beach parking permit required

Located less than 25 miles from downtown Corpus Christi the Padre Balli Park is an ideal spot for a beach day.

If you’re looking to camp on the shore, consider making a reservation at Padre Balli Park. It’s ready for you no matter how you plan to set up. RV? Yup. Tent? Sure. You’ll get the hookup to electricity, water, and just about anything else you’d need to make camping enjoyable.

When it’s time to hit the beach you’ll be happy. You’ll be right on the Gulf with beautiful water, sand, and sun.

Malaquite Beach

• Entrance fee $10 per vehicle for day use

Malaquite Beach is a beautiful stretch of pristine beach along the Gulf on North Padre Island. The wide undeveloped sandy beach is the perfect place to set up for a day.

To get out of the sun for a bit, visit the Malaquite visitors center. There you’ll find a museum, bookshop, gift shop, and viewing decks. Facilities include change room, showers, bathrooms, and water fill station. Malaquite Beach is definitely one of the best Corpus Christi beaches for families.

During the early morning hours of the summer months, when they do a sea turtle hatchling release, you can catch a glimpse of sea turtle hatchlings as they scurry for the water. You can call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 for schedule information. Sea turtle hatchling releases usually occur at 6:45 am at Malaquite Beach.

Camping at Malaquite Campground (separate area from the beach) is also an option. As of this writing the camping fee for tent or RV is $14 per night (in addition to the park entrance fee of $25 for 7 days). If you have the NPS Senior Pass or Access Pass and your ID the camping fee is 50% off. Camping is first-come, first-served, no reservations.

Padre Island National Seashore

• Entrance fee $10 per vehicle for day use

Padre Island National Seashore has 66 miles of preserved, undeveloped shoreline. The most in the US! Because of this, it’s the perfect place to spend the day on the beach and check out local wildlife and birding or do some shore fishing.

Also, if you’re into windsurfing there is an excellent spot over by Bird Island Basin on Padre Island.

At the National Seashore, you can drive on the wide beach and primitive camp on the beach at North Beach, South Beach, and Yarborough Pass. You’ll need to get a self-issued camping permit (available at North Beach entrance or South Beach entrance) but the camping fee is included with your 7-day entrance fee (or annual or lifetime park pass).

Driving on the beach road is at your own risk and four wheel drive vehicle is recommended and required from Mile Marker 5 to Mile Marker 55 on Padre South Beach. This is where you’ll find Little Shell Beach, Big Shell Beach, as well as Yarborough Pass which is popular for primitive camping on the beach. I don’t have a  4WD vehicle so I didn’t make it past Mile Marker 5. Do not expect to get internet or cell phone reception in this area.

You can bring your canine buddies here because Padre Island National Seashore is another pet-friendly beach in Corpus.

Newport Pass Beach

• Beach parking permit required

Newport Pass Beach is a gem among beaches in Corpus Christi. It’s a favorite with locals because it’s relatively quiet. Families like the beach at Newport Pass with its wide sandy beach and shallow water.

But since there are no lifeguards on duty, always use caution in the water no matter how old you are. You can park right on the beach. Just remember to get a parking pass beforehand.

There are no facilities except for showers at Newport Pass Beach.

Mustang Island State Park

• Entrance fee $5 for day use

Mustang Island State Park is known far and wide as being a stellar place for beachgoers. Located just north of Padre Island, it creates a natural protective barrier for Corpus Christi. So Mustang Beach faces out into the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.

You could spend the entire day on the beach soaking up the sun. But there are nearly 40,000 acres of nature to explore in the park where you can hike, paddle and fish.

And if you want to spend a few nights you can camp on the beach at a primitive site or book a site with electricity included, just a short walk from the beach.

Port Aransas Beach

• Beach parking permit required (with some free parking for day use)

Although Port Aransas Beach is not within the limits of Corpus Christi it’s great for a beach day or weekend getaway. Port A is such a great beach and only a short drive (usually about 45 minutes), so it just had to be included on this list of best beaches around Corpus Christi.

Port Aransas has over six miles of pristine beach with soft sand and clear blue water on the Gulf of Mexico. You can drive right up to the water and park on the beach with a beach parking permit. During busy season lifeguards on duty are a welcome sign for families with young kids.

For free parking (day use only) in Port Aransas you don’t need a beach parking pass at IB Magee Beach Park, from the jetty parking lot up to the fishing pier, beyond the pier you do need a parking pass.

Camping and RV camping is permitted but there is a 3-night limit during any 3-week period. There is no extra fee for camping, the beach parking pass is all you need. While camping on the beach sounds great in theory, I always stay in a hotel in Port A because it’s more comfortable than sleeping in my little tent.

Tony Amos City Beach

• Beach parking permit required

Another option in Port Aransas is Tony Amos City Beach over by Palmilla Beach Golf Club. This beautiful white sand beach has showers and change rooms available.

The beach is named in honor of naturalist Tony Amos who was an avid conservationist and University of Texas Marine Science Institute research fellow. He was passionate about marine life and helped to inspire others to take an interest in protecting and preserving the natural marine habitat.

For sure you’ll want to have a beach parking pass before visiting Tony Amos City Beach because I saw a sign at the beach that states there is a fine of $500 if you don’t have a beach parking permit!

San Jose Island

• No cars so no worries about parking :)

If you’re looking for a beach day far away from the hustle and bustle of crowded beaches, consider heading over to San Jose Island. It’s a private island but with public beaches. The only way to get there is by taking a passenger ferry from Port Aransas.

For $18 per person ($9 for children ages 6 – 12) Jetty Boat provides roundtrip ferry service to St Jos Island from Fisherman’s Wharf in Port Aransas.

Make sure to pack anything you might need for the day on the beach because you won’t find public restrooms, concessions, or facilities. What you will find are beautiful views of the water with the quiet of nature and some fabulous beachcombing.

This is the beach where I saw an old boat covered in barnacles and also beautiful (but dangerous) Portuguese Man O’ War.

 

Rockport Beach

• Free parking (no beach parking pass required)

Located a short distance away (about 40 minute drive), Rockport has such a stellar beach that it just had to make the list of best Corpus Christi beaches. With beautiful sand, great facilities, and a natural saltwater pool Rockport Beach is top-notch.

But what makes it really stand out is that it’s Texas’ first Blue Wave Beach, proving that it maintains extremely high environmental standards of the Clean Beach Coalition. Cool, right?

Summary

As you can see there are so many different beaches to choose from throughout the coastline. From undeveloped pristine beaches or ones that are steps from downtown, no matter what type of beach you’re looking for, this list has it. Remember to buy your beach parking permit if you visit any of the beaches that require the permit.

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