Texas Waterfronts: Gulf Coast and Inland Lakes

Texas has 367 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline and thousands of acres of reservoir lake. The coast ranges from the barrier island beaches of the south to the industrial and historic port of Galveston.

South Padre Island
A 34-mile-long barrier island at the southern tip of Texas, South Padre has the warmest Gulf water in Texas and some of the widest, cleanest beaches. The World Birding Center on the island is excellent for shorebirds; the sea turtle rescue center (Sea Turtle Inc.) rehabilitates loggerhead and Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Spring break crowds descend in March; the rest of the year is uncrowded.

Galveston Island
Once the largest city in Texas (before the 1900 hurricane that killed 6,000–12,000 people — the deadliest natural disaster in US history), Galveston is now a historic island city with beautiful Victorian architecture along the Strand district, beach access on the Gulf side, and a harbor full of historic ships. The Bishop's Palace, completed in 1892, is one of the finest Victorian mansions in the South. The Seawall Boulevard at 17 feet above sea level was built directly after the hurricane.

Corpus Christi Bay
Corpus Christi's waterfront along Ocean Drive and Shoreline Boulevard offers views across the bay toward Padre Island. The Harbor Bridge (being replaced by a new cable-stayed bridge) and the USS Lexington (now a museum ship) are landmarks. North Padre Island National Seashore preserves 60 miles of undeveloped barrier island beach — one of the longest in the US.

Lake Travis and Highland Lakes (Austin Area)
A chain of Highland Lakes formed by dams on the Colorado River northwest of Austin. Lake Travis is the recreational center — marinas, waterfront restaurants, and swimming access. Hamilton Pool Preserve, west of Austin, is a collapsed grotto with a 50-foot waterfall and turquoise swimming hole in the Hill Country.