Baltrum - What is the best vacation spot on the Texas Coast?

What is the best vacation spot on the Texas Coast?

We are considering buying a waterfront vacation property along the gulf cost in Texas. We are looking for somewhere with a lot of atmosphere, great restaurants, and lots of things to do (but also somewhere we can totally relax as well), but not really overcrowded. We were looking at the Corpus Cristi area and Galveston Island and would like the opinion of some locals. We are in our late 30s and have 2 young children. We are coming there in late December to check things out for ourselves, but would like some information ahead of time, so that we know where we should focus on when we get there.

Public Comments

San Antonio is a really nice place....if i were to move to texas i would go there in a heartbeat
i chose galveston island there are lots of seafood restaurants along the streets.... the island is very beautiful but the water is okay you can visit moddy garden aquarium and schlitterbahn (water park). fishing along the coast, swimming, etc... since your comming in december i dont think your going to be swimming
rockport is a great place to go swim and go fishing corpus christi/padre island has amazing beaches too and has schliterbahn which is an amazing waterpark
I love Corpus. Off Shoreline Drive is an old modest motel named the Gulf Winds with direct views of the ocean and you can walk along the sea wall; sits next to a cathedral church. Behind it is the U&I Restaurant with local charm and a homey breakfast. Historic downtown behind that with tourist venues. A little further down and you are in the Del Mar section of town with antique bungalows to mansions. Another modest hotel with a train theme. 20min.scenic drives to Port Aransas or Padre. In the summer there are open air concerts every weekend by the water. Good Realtor= Hannalore Schleicher with Holtzclaw Hermann Real Estate Company in Corpus. Galveston has become too expensive and overrun. Corpus is soothing-full of atmosphere. Would live in town within walking distance of the water, amenities. Bay homes are mosquito filled and direct coastal can be lonesome. If you visit Galveston - do go stay at the Flagship Hotel (is on line but cheaper through an internet hotel provider). Bring your fishing gear.
For the clearest water & best atmosphere; South Padre Island but it is expensive.
Galveston has all the things you mentioned and is rich in history. Its' close proximity to Houston gives one the best of both worlds, coastal living with nearby metro area. Due to sticker shock, I could not afford Galveston but rather bought on the Bolivar Peninsula. If I want atmosphere, I cross the ferry into Galveston. I live in Crystal Beach fulltime. Be very careful checking things out in December. Areas change greatly in the tourist season. What may seem a nice quiet beach in Dec. may explode come Spring Break. What seems like nice high and dry ground in Dec. may be barely above high tide during the summer. The difference between looking at property in the winter vs. summer is night and day on the coast. Make sure the property is insurable and be aware that coastal windstorm and flood insurance costs more than inland. If the property (dwelling) is built prior to 1972, you can insure the downstairs (most beach houses are on pilings), after 1972 you cannot. This is post FIRM and preFIRM, refering to Flood Insurance Requirements Maps. Any bare land you buy should have a wetlands survey if near any type of water in order to see if you can build on all or just part of the property, if any. Make sure utilities are in place such as electric, water, wastewater (some areas are still on septic tanks). The beachfront water quality in Galveston is hit and miss. Sometimes it looks like a tourist dream and other times it looks nasty and brown. Not being familair with Corpus, I really can't compare. On Galveston Island, you might want to check out the west end of the Island. From Jamaica Beach to San Luis Pass. Galveston always has something going on. This Nov. it is Bike week, motorcyles (very tame and a good time by all). Last week it was Bikes Around the Bay (bicycles) and there is a hot air balloon rally (Ballunar Liftoff) at NASA in nearby Clear Lake on Nov 3rd. Without any details, i.e. price ranges, built dwelling or raw land, beachfront or water view, bayside or canal lot, I have said about as much as I can. Just be very careful about looking in winter, I have seen many people disappointed when thier quiet area turns into party central come summer.
If you want things to do, Galveston is probably your best bet. Corpus is probably more quiet, so you might be able to relax better, but there's much less to do than Galveston. The great thing about Galveston is that it's a small town (60,000 pop.) but has big city things to do because of tourists: restaurants, theatres, museums, Moody Gardens exhibits, shopping. The west end and east end are very different, so you'd have to decide what you're looking for. West end is probably more quiet, and has more "affluence" but isn't protected by the sea wall. Water levels rise there more than the east end. The east end is much more ecclectic with rich history and a broad mix of people--from millionaires to working folks to poor people. But, it has the most to do: the Strand district, small mom and pop restaurants, old victorian houses, various tours (i just went on a ghost tour this past weekend--very cool). So, you just have to decide what you want most. Definitely check it out, but like the other poster said, things will be much more different in December than they will be in the summer. So, keep that in mind. Have fun deciding!
in my opinion the rockport area is a good area, i when i had my boat and my children were younger we used to go down there quite often and the good thing about the area there was plenty of beutiful homes available and many homes we could rent that had a slip for our boat and were right near the water and there was good resturants in the area and other things to do as well as a nice town with all that you needed for the type of shopping you will do down there and it wasnt at all crowded even during sping break
Well if you're going to vacation, I would recommend somewhere other than Texas.
The best place to go on Texas coast is Galveston Island. You can take your childrens to Schlitterbahn Waterpark
My vote is for Corpus Christi, a coastal city and the county seat of Nueces CountyGR6 in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the region known as South Texas. Corpus Christi has a subtropical climate, enjoying similar temperatures to those of other Gulf Coast regions, but lower precipitation as it is located in a semiarid region. The city is home to a number of popular destinations for both tourists and residents. In the southeast part of the city, near the Pharaoh Valley subdivision, is the Hans and Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge, on the western shore of Oso Bay. The nearby Pharaohs golf course also serves as a haven for coastal and migratory birds. Some of the most visited attractions are on North Beach, where the Texas State Aquarium and the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay are located. The USS Lexington was also part of the set for the 2000 film Pearl Harbor.
I deal with vacation real estate and have for years, the answers are simple. Bolivar Peninsula, Tiki Island, Jamaica Beach and lately, new stuff is popping up all over San Luis Pass on the Galveston side of the pass. Down the coast, Matagorda Bay is becoming a hotspot, and and Rockport. Rockport and everything south is fairly expensive and you wont get the environment Galveston will have. Best of all amenities is probably Jamaica Beach, TX on Galveston Island...