Port Aransas is known for its wide beaches, laid-back charm, and Gulf Coast sunsets. It’s a favorite for anyone looking to escape the hustle and soak in a little salt air. But beyond the beach towels and flip flops, Port A has some surprises waiting for travelers who want to do more than just tan and swim. Whether you’re returning for your fifth visit or planning your first, these unexpected activities in Port Aransas can add a new twist to your getaway.

Explore the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center

Port Aransas has a side that’s perfect for nature lovers, and it starts at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. This peaceful boardwalk trail winds through marshland and freshwater ponds where you’ll spot herons, egrets, ducks, and maybe even the resident alligator. It’s surprisingly calm and quiet, offering a slower pace and a look at Texas wildlife that doesn’t require a boat or a long hike.

The center is well maintained, easy to walk, and completely free. If you’re into photography or just want a change of scenery, this is a fantastic way to spend a morning. It’s also great for families or couples looking for something mellow that still feels unique. You can bring coffee, walk slowly, and take in the views that most beachgoers miss.

Visit the Port Aransas Museum and Farley Boat Works

You might not think of history when you think of Port A, but the Port Aransas Museum is worth the stop. It tells the story of this coastal town from its fishing village roots to its role in Texas tourism today. Right next door is Farley Boat Works, where you can see boats being built the old-fashioned way and even sign up to help with a project if the timing’s right.

This experience is a perfect way to connect with the local community and understand the culture of the area. It adds meaning to your beach days when you realize how much tradition and craftsmanship lives right under the surface. Plus, it’s fun to see vintage photos and handmade boats and imagine what Port Aransas looked like a hundred years ago.

Try Your Hand at Beachcombing With These Activities in Port Aransas

Sure, you’ve walked the beach before, but have you ever gone out early just to hunt for treasures? Beachcombing is an underrated activity that gets a lot more exciting the more you do it. Shells, sea glass, driftwood, and even the occasional fossil wash up along Mustang Island, especially after a storm or early in the morning.

Grab a bag, go slow, and keep your eyes down. You might find a piece of coral or a perfect scallop shell to bring home. It’s relaxing, meditative, and something you can do alone or with others. If you’re lucky, you’ll leave with something completely unique that reminds you of the trip long after it’s over.

Take a Painting Class at Fire It! Ceramics or Studio

When the sun’s a little too hot or the weather’s not cooperating, step inside and get creative. Fire It! Ceramics offers painting and pottery sessions that are as fun as they are unexpected. You can paint a bowl, mug, or coastal-inspired art piece to take home as a handmade souvenir.

You don’t have to be an artist to enjoy it. The studio is casual, welcoming, and full of inspiration from the sea and sky. It’s a great indoor option for families with kids or couples looking for something different than the usual beach scene. Plus, there’s something special about taking home something you made yourself.

Book a Vacation Rental That’s Right in the Action

With all these activities waiting to be explored, you’ll want a home base that gives you comfort, convenience, and access to it all. That’s where PortAransas-Texas.com comes in. If you are looking for the perfect Port Aransas vacation rentals, you’ve come to the right place. We offer over hundreds of condo rentals at six beachfront resorts in Port Aransas and along Mustang Island. Whether you’re staying at Casa Condominiums, Sandpiper Oceanfront Condos, Sea Gull Condominiums, or another top location, we’ve got something that matches your vibe.

Our beach rentals give you space to relax, amenities to enjoy, and a view that makes every morning feel like a vacation from the start. Whether you’re traveling with your whole family, just the two of you, or a group of friends, our variety of properties means you’ll find exactly what you need. Full kitchens, pools, beachfront access, and easy parking are just the beginning.

Discover the Side of Port A You Didn’t Expect

Sometimes the best parts of a trip are the ones you didn’t plan. Book your Port Aransas vacation rental today!

There’s always something wonderful going on in Port Aransas especially over the holidays and if you are planning a Memorial Day visit, we at PortAransas-Texas.com have plenty of ideas on things you can do while exploring our island town, starting with choosing our holiday hideaways for your vacation accommodations! Offering all the comforts of home to go along with your beachy shenanigans and exciting adventures, with this guide to the top things to do in Port Aransas ensuring you won’t miss out anything that will enhance your vacation experience.

Savoring the Serenity of the Sea at Port Aransas Beach

The number one activity that draws people to our shores from all over the world is, of course, the beaches of Port Aransas, with Port Aransas Beach being the beach you will be most at awe over. Play all day, walking along sandy shores feeling cool waters curl around your ankles as your toes sink into the squishy wet sand, sitting under a colorful umbrella, a Stanley mug filled with margaritas, and a magazine open in your lap, or building sandcastles at water’s edge with your tiniest travelers; all of these wonderful events will bring you joy, peace, and serenity while also making it more and more difficult to pack up you beach gear at the end of the day and return home to your Port Aransas escape—especially when you discover that bonfires on the beach are permitted (follow the regulations as to size) and you can experience another romantic adventure you have always dreamed about.

Angling for the Trophy Fish

Although prime fishing season begins in June, since Memorial Day is held on May 26th this year, we think it will be close enough that you shouldn’t have any trouble bagging your limit! Dolphin Dock, Inc, located at 300 W Cotter Avenue, is one of our favorite guide companies, taking anglers out to the deep blue waters of the Sea of Cortez, helping fishermen and women from all over the country make their fishing dreams come true. This exciting adventure is reasonably priced and quite possibly will be when you get to catch a giant trophy fish, but if your love of fishing is a little simpler, fishing from the jetties always promises to be an adventure that will fill your cooler and add a delicious and healthy dinner to your evening dining experiences.

Desserted Island Ice Cream, 100 E White Avenue

Sometimes it is the simplest of activities that will have the largest impact, and since Memorial Day is often considered the kickoff to summer, enjoying a quickly melting ice cream cone with family can be the activity that will play a starring role on your memory highlight reels. Desserted Island Ice Cream is where we suggest you visit, offering a variety of ice creams for cones, but also providing an eclectic selection of shakes, including a uniquely delicious jalapeño peanut butter shake that we promise is delicious and craveable, this wonderful shop is worthy of a visit or two during your Texas vacation!

Roberts Point Park, 301 JC Barr Boulevard

If you have followed our PortAransas-Texas.com page, you have probably noticed more than a few references to Roberts Point Park, for very good reason. This park is the center of most holiday activities and although there isn’t anything particularly Memorial Day like going on, it is the perfect place to enjoy a lovely stroll, a picnic, or to let the littles burn off excess energy at the playground. The park offers a variety of sports courts, an outdoor amphitheater, the Patsy Jones Amphitheater, which is often the site of more exciting activities, including a free concert series held the second Friday of the month from March to October. Watch ships sailing in and out of the channel, or dolphins frolicking in the clear waters, from the top of the observation tower, where many a proposal has been given and accepted at sunset. Or simply stroll along the walking trails, letting the serenity of your surroundings imbed itself into your soul.

MacDaddy’s Family Kitchen, 118 Beach Street

Barbecue on a Port Aransas Memorial Day is a time-honored tradition and MacDaddy’s Family Kitchen is our favorite restaurant to enjoy the savory meats. Offering a menu that the entire family will love, their dessert menu is a short but impactful one, offering just two delicious, made from scratch, and all-American treats, either the flavor of the day cobbler or pecan pie. Although they don’t offer a kid’s menu, there’s no need to as the regular menu is filled with children’s favorites, kids do get free ice cream, so we are sure yours will be chiming in for a return visit!

Barbecues, Pool Parties, and All the Comforts of Home

Another favored activity is spending the day at home in our PortAransas-Texas.com holiday hideaways, enjoying a family barbecue, some pool time, and the air conditioned comforts of our spaces. Reserve your favorite Port Aransas sanctuary today!

What is it about the end of one year and the beginning of the next that makes us want to try and improve ourselves? We make resolutions to exercise more, eat less, and work harder, and within a few short weeks, we tend to break them. We at PortAransas-Texas.com think that this year should be when you make resolutions you will be inclined to follow! Eat well, sleep more, and make your most important resolution be the one where you resolve to travel to Port Aransas, perhaps even before 2024 relinquishes its hold on you, especially when you choose one of our holiday hideaways.

The Siren Call of the Sea

As you have moved at full speed throughout the Christmas season, there has probably been joy, excitement, and fun, but one thing that is rarely enjoyed is serenity. There is too much to do, too little time to do it in, and far too much money being spent to feel peaceful or serene, but the beaches of Port Aransas offer a plethora of both. There is no better way to quiet the noises in your brain than with a walk along shore’s edge on a cool and windy December day; soothing the tattered edges of your frazzled soul is something that comes easily at the beach. The excited squawking of seagulls diving in for food, the laughter of happy children wading in waters that are too cold for swimming this late in the year, but are still fun to splash around in, and the feel of soft sand squishing between your toes. THIS is your reward for all the crazy you experienced during the Christmas season, and although your travel to Port A could take place at any time in the next 12 months, celebrating 2025 here first will make all the difference.

Travel to Port Aransas to Celebrate Christmas in January

In spite of all the chaos, there are some people who aren’t ready for Christmas to end, wanting to continue the celebration on December 26th and beyond, and if you are one of those people, Roberts Point Park is where you should go to continue your celebration. Considered the center point of celebrations, guests can drive through the holiday light display known as Nautical & Nice, pose for pictures in front of the city tree, or add a whimsical touch to the photos you post on your favorite social network site after a visit to our Sand Santa. The most talented sand sculptors in the world get together every year and create a new version of Santa, carved from sand and water and bringing laughter to all who pose with him. At home, smart TVs allow you to continue streaming your favorite Christmas movies, and hot cocoa, that one beverage that singlehandedly represents the holiday, can still be prepared in our fully equipped kitchens. Christmas lingers in Port Aransas and you can take joy in the experience.

The Difference Is Clear

It is only one word but the difference between eating well and eating better is a huge one, with the former being what we think you should aim for. A fine meal on a beautiful evening is the ultimate in luxury and when you choose to dine at The Phoenix Restaurant & Bar, 3500-A Island Moorings Parkway, you will understand the difference. Offering a menu filled with seafood favorites, much having been harvested from the waters that surround us, its beer, wine, and cocktail menu will never let you down. Sit at a table on the patio and watch the final sunset of the year, sipping a fine wine, enjoying the company of the one you are going to kiss after midnight, and letting all the stresses of 2024 fall away from your shoulders.

The Big Booms

The Port Aransas fireworks show brings us back to Roberts Point Park, assuming you ever left it in the first place, held every year on December 31st. Even better, it takes up just an hour of your night, starting at 7 PM and ending at 8 PM, so viewers can end the last night of 2024 on their own terms, either by celebrating at some of our local hot spots until the new year begins or by heading home to the comfort and luxury offered in our holiday hideaways. Doubling your pleasure, the colorful explosions in the sky will be reflected in the water’s below, perhaps making it difficult to decide whether you should look up or look down. 2024 was what it was and 2025 will be what you make it, starting with this fun fireworks show in Port Aransas.

Celebrations Begin and End at Home with PortAransas-Texas.com

Whether you celebrate with a bottle of bubbly, sipped happily from a balcony overlooking the Gulf, spend your evening watching movies on state of the art televisions, or choose to go bed early, greeting the new year after waking up in the new morning, all your beginnings will be brighter and your endings will be happy ones when you choose our holiday hideaways for your New Year’s escape. Reserve your favorite today!