Looking to take a beach vacation in Texas soon? Unable to decide where to go?
Why not take a look at Galveston Island and Corpus Christi? Yes, they’re both beach towns, but they differ in many ways and it’s up to you to decide which city fits your needs and wants the best.
Today we will discuss a bit of what both cities have to offer and how they differ from one another.
Galveston
If you’ve ever visited Galveston, you would know that it has miles and miles of beautiful beaches. If you visit the west end, you can see the Galveston Island State Park where you will be able to get near the wildlife side of Galveston. You can see hundreds of species of birds as they migrate from place to place. There are countless areas in which you can swim or fish as well as take a bike ride on one of the many beautiful trails.
If you visit the 10-mile Seawall, you will be exposed to numerous amounts of restaurants, beaches, and an amusement park: Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier. A couple of public beaches I would recommend visiting are Stewart and East Beach.
Stewart Beach is usually a quiet, family friendly beach with restrooms, a restaurant, and umbrella rentals while East Beach is usually a livelier beach that draws big crowds of people.
If you are a thrill seeker, I would recommend visiting a one of the many water parks that Galveston has to offer. Moody Gardens is a great place to visit due to the fact that they have a fascinating waterpark and an amazing hotel to stay at afterwards. They recently just added an Aquarium Pyramid which holds a Jellyfish Gallery as well as sea animals ranging from the Gulf of Mexico all the way to the Caribbean.
IF you’re more of a historian, you should visit sites such as ELISSA or the Ashton Villa. ELISSA is a pre-historic tall ship which is now a museum. Ashton Villa was one of the first mansions to ever be built in Galveston.
Corpus Christi
Let’s begin with the beaches at Corpus.
McBee Beach is an attraction for all ages with its calm, clear, and beautiful waters. Whitecap Beach, which is best known for its beautiful white sands, has a pathway stretching a mile long for people to walk, jog, or bike.
North Beach is another beach with a variety of restaurants and amazing beachfront views. If you’re into nature, you should visit the Padre Island National Seashore. It is one of the world’s longest and undeveloped barriers with a massive range of bird species to see. If you visit the Northwest side, you will have one of the best birdwatching experiences in your life.
For example, at Hazel Bazemore Park, thousands of tourists and locals gather to watch as the hawks fly directly over their heads every spring.
One of the biggest attractions in Corpus Christi is Texas State Aquarium, where you get to see exhibits of sharks, birds and other sea animals. It’s a site worth seeing!
If you visit the Southside, places like South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center gives you a more urban vibe with beautiful floral exhibits and gardens as well as trails in which you get to see many birds and a bunch of gorgeous butterflies. You will never want to leave!
My Preference
Of course I prefer Galveston over Corpus. For one, its closer and two, there seems to be more family friendly things to do over all. But if you are looking to relax on the beach, you really can’t go wrong either way.