Never had a vacation on Texas coast and would like to have family rendezvous somewhere on coast. Interested in a beach rental, total of six adults three children under four years.

First, what beach do we go to?
Second, any rentals?

Thanks guys. Really appreciate hearing your comments.

I suspect the best option is going to be South Padre Island, but that is a long drive if you are on the east side of the State

There are plenty of rentals on the west end of Galveston and Surfside

Here is a place that we have rented from in Galveston

http://www.sandnsea.com/

S. Padre Island has the prettiest beach in Texas and it' not even close. Plenty of homes for rent as well....

DVM

http://www.vrbo.com/ is always my go-to rental search.

With young kids involved, I would recommend Mustang Island. Beaches are decent, and there are lots of activities in Corpus, ie: aquarium, The Lexington.

www.crystalbeach.com

Buddy just got back from Galveston. Seeweed etc. Said he will never go back. I went to south padre few weeks ago. Blue water was nice.

I think once you go Corpus (Mustang Island), you can't go back to Galveston. Green/blue water in Corpus. And plus you can windsurf at Corpus.

Galveston is a freaking toilet right now with the rotting seaweed. Heck, it's pretty much a toilet 365 anyway...

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Galveston is a freaking toilet right now with the rotting seaweed. Heck, it's pretty much a toilet 365 anyway...

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Hate to admit it, but that's spot on. Spent a week there with the family earlier this month and didn't even step foot on the beach because of the stench and volume of seaweed. Dozens of trips to Galveston over the years and it'll always be a sentimental favorite, but seems to just get worse. Not sure we'll go back.

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Not sure we'll go back

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Lemme piggieback this... Usually do Galveston but wanting to try Corpus... Anything similar to west galveston, jamaica beach in Corpus?

This was south padre a month ago. Not one stitch of seaweed. They have the sea turtle rescue and schillterbahn for the kids (among other things).

Go to South Padre.

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Galveston is a freaking toilet right now with the rotting seaweed. Heck, it's pretty much a toilet 365 anyway...

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Hate to admit it, but that's spot on. Spent a week there with the family earlier this month and didn't even step foot on the beach because of the stench and volume of seaweed. Dozens of trips to Galveston over the years and it'll always be a sentimental favorite, but seems to just get worse. Not sure we'll go back.

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My family just spent the weekend in Galveston at Moody Gardens.

I'll admit that I've never been a fan of Galveston - not a fan of brown water, dirty beaches, etc.

I will say thought that both the wife and I were really impressed with what they've got going on their right now - all of the restaurants were full with waits, prices weren't too bad and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Yes, the beaches are full of seaweed and it was disgusting, but the island itself seems to have recovered from Ike and is doing it's best to make if a place where families can come and enjoy.

As mentioned, we stayed at Moody Gardens and it was a spectacular place to stay with 3 young kids. VERY kid friendly and we had a great time.

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Anything similar to west galveston, jamaica beach in Corpus?

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Maybe I am biased because I am from Corpus, but I went to Galveston once... I won't be going back.

Galveston is not even on the same level as Padre Island. 1) Corpus is way cleaner beaches as far as water clarity and seaweed. Trash depends where you go at either place. Riff Raff also depends where you go 2) you have the option to go to beaches that you can drive on (almost all of padre island) and beaches that you can't drive on (such as north beach or mcgee beach downtown on the corpus christi bay- malaquite near PINS) 3) resturants are way better.

If you want to avoid the crowd drive down to PINS- malaquite beach is nice.

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schillterbahn for the kids

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This has been a boon for SPI, and as a valley rat I have a confession to make.... I never saw it coming. When I first heard it was being built on the Island my thought was 'who the heck wants to travel to a beach and then go spend the day floating around in an oversized swimming pool?'.

The answer? LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of people. Insane amounts of people. People who can and people who can't afford it. Locals and tourists.. and they all pay handsomely to do it. DO NOT TAKE DEVELOPMENT ADVICE FROM CENTERPOLE.

To the OP. Do take SPI into consideration, just know that going to Mexico isn't recommended these days.

I'm by no means a proponent of galveston. Its about the same as any of the upper texas gulf coast, muddy. Every year there is a crop of seaweed that will come in off the gulf and pile up on the shores. This year has been worse than any other that anyone can remember. They clean it up off the beach with bull dozers and maintainers, but with the volume they couldn't keep up very well this year. I was at Bolivar a few weeks ago and the seaweed wasn't that bad.

I would far rather go to somewhere that has blue water, but only living an hour away from the Bolivar peninsula I end up going there several times a year.

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If you want to avoid the crowd drive down PINS

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The further the better. It may take a few hours but if you have 4x4 and some time you'll get to places where you can't see another vehicle or person looking up or down the beach. So relaxing to have your own beach. Plus the fishing has been excellent recently. Couldn't keep the specs and whiting off my line over the 4th. Even had a few runs on shark rigs.

Centerpole:

Man, I could not agree with you more. I was of the opinion that the whole thing with Schlitterbahn was a scheme on the Island and would not work. Who would have thunk it that it has turned out like it has.

I have not been in a couple of years, as my daughter is getting older, but my goodness that thing is "culos to codos" about all the time.

Thanks for the feedback. Marking Galveston off the list. Just trying to find a rental now.

The seaweed has been terrible in port a this year. Last weekend it was a lot better.
S padre def the nicest.
But port a has pelican club and inferno. My fave restaurants.

The seaweed has been terrible in port a this year. Last weekend it was a lot better.
S padre def the nicest.
But port a has pelican club and inferno. My fave restaurants.

Beaches on the Texas coast are just awful. The water is ugly and sting ray strikes happen all too often. The closest place to Texas for a really nice family beach vacation is Orange Beach Alabama. We bought a place here a few years ago and are here now with our parents, kids and grandchildren all visiting us. This place is paradise. The beaches are 95% quartz, white sand and the water is green. No seaweed currently but seaweed can strike any beach at any time.

If you are staying in Texas, the best beach is by far and away South Padre Island.

http://www.sopadre.com/

Port Aransas and SPI are plenty nice beaches. Sand may not be quite as whitr as Panama City or Orange Beach, but they are warmer longer, have much more of a cooling breeze, and the fishing is easier and better. Plus they are Texas.

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Plus they are Texas

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South Padre > > > Corpus> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Galveston I live in Corpus and have been to all three.

It's true, generally the farther south you get along the coast the better, all the way into Mexico/Belize and such.

FWIW, they should rename it Corpulent Chicas, TX.

The beaches in the mid Mexican Gulf Coast, above Tampico and a little below it, are very similar to what you see in South Texas. But anytime you get close to rivers or estuaries the Gulf beaches start looking like Galveston. The location of Texas, due to some of the currents and such, also predicate a lot of trash making it's way to the beaches.

Many of the beaches in Veracruz are basically black sand due to volcanic activity, and when you get into Campeche and Tabasco they are black sand and muddy. Pretty unto themselves, but not a Corona commercial. It is not until you get away from the Rivers in the Yucatan that the beaches get pretty again.

Some of those darker sand beaches in Veracruz and to the south are very pretty. Veracruz also has hills, bluffs, and neat rocks out into the Gulf on some of it's beaches.

The best thing about the South Texas beaches is the lack of crowds for the most part. I have always like Panama Cities beaches and such, but man a couple of times I have been there the crowds have been stout.

Port A had a ton of seaweed last week. Beaches there are a bit better than Galveston, but not greatly so IMO. Took the kids to Galveston two years ago and Port A last week - between the two there was more to do in Galveston and it's a shorter drive (from DFW). About the only thing I liked better about Port A was being able to get around in golf carts.