Hop across the channel to 'Port A' on the north end of Mustang Island and you've found the Coastal Bend's most charming day trip — a golf-cart beach town where the getting there is half the fun. Here's how to make a day of it.
Getting there: the fun way and the fast way
The classic approach is the free ferry across the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, run by the Texas Department of Transportation. It carries cars and pedestrians, runs 24 hours a day (weather permitting), and the crossing takes under ten minutes — dolphins often surface in the wake. Anywhere from two to six boats run at once, but lines can still stretch on summer weekends, holidays, and spring break. The ferry-free alternative: drive the JFK Causeway (Park Road 22) onto the island and take Highway 361 north into town.
Get around by golf cart
Port Aransas is one of the few Texas towns that lets golf carts roam the city streets, and many beach-house rentals come with one — it's the defining way to get around. Just remember they're treated as real vehicles: you need a valid driver's license, traffic and seat-belt and DWI laws all apply, and carts are banned from Highway 361 south of Avenue G.
Pick your adventure
- Horace Caldwell Pier — a lighted fishing pier at the county's I.B. Magee Beach Park
- Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center — free boardwalks over freshwater wetlands, spoonbills and gators
- Roberts Point Park — the Keeler Observation Tower, the marina, and ship-channel views
- Fishing charters — Port A bills itself the 'Fishing Capital of Texas,' from quick bay trips to offshore runs
- The beach — wide, drive-on sand and golf-cart tailgates
The boat to St. Jo
For something wilder, catch the Jetty Boat from Fisherman's Wharf out to San Jose Island — 'St. Jo' — the privately owned, undeveloped barrier island just to the north. There are no shops, no services, and no other way to get there. You go for empty beaches, shelling, surf fishing, and birds, so pack everything in and pack it all back out.
Coming in spring? Check for SandFest
Texas SandFest, held on the Port Aransas beach, is billed as the largest sand-sculpture competition in the United States and has run since 1997. The dates move each year, so look them up before you plan around it.
A town that came back
Port A took a direct hit from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and locals will still tell you about it — but the town rebuilt and is firmly back to its fried-shrimp-and-golf-cart self. It's a feel-good story you can taste at any pier-side patio.
Ride over on the ferry, rent a cart, chase down a fish taco, and watch the sun set behind the dunes — Port A is the easiest 'real vacation' you can have in an afternoon.
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