Came over to see the sunrise and this didn't disappoint. Easy access, and driving on the beach is…read moreamazing! San was light and fine, and there weren't too many people that early. Several families camping from the night before and people fishing.

One of my favorite beaches to chill with the family. We come here every summer or we go farther…read moredown to South Padre.

JP Luby Surf Park (aka North Packery Beach) is the beach directly behind the Lively Beach Resort…read moreoff Zahn Road & Hwy 361. If you are staying at Lively, this is your spot. The boardwalk from Lively empties right onto this beach between markers 204 and 205. If you aren't staying at Lively but you wanna get away from the crowds in Port A, Cinnamon Shore, or on North Padre Island out of Corpus Christi, you might wanna keep JP Luby as a backup option. It's well-maintained, clean, and generally as pleasant as Texas beaches can possibly be. You do need to pick up a permit for driving onto the beach, $12, easy to get at any convenience or grocery store in the area. The pass is good for the whole calendar year and all drivable beaches in the Port A - Corpus region from mile marker 0 to 62. Trucks or other 4WD high clearance vehicles are advised, but I did see a few less sporty options around. Take care to heed warning flags about surf conditions and the rip current. These are posted as you enter from Zahn Road, just as you pass the shower station and porto-johns. Once you get settled, you'll see everything from anglers to families on beach vacations to dare devils on surfboards, boogie boards, or kite surfing rigs. Our early October 2024 visit was easily one of my favorites from 30+ years of semi-annual trips to the Mustang / Padre Island area. We spent 3 days on this beach just watching the waves, the birds, and the happy visitors soaking up the last bit of summer paradise for the year. It was so calm, no loud stereos blasting, just folks out to enjoy Mother Nature and allow others to do the same. The adjacent North Packery Channel Jetty includes a long walkway that was packed with anglers at sunrise each morning we were there. From one fisherman I spoke with, red fish and trout were the goal at this time of year, with bait mullet easily caught by casting a net from the rocks. If you don't want to haul a bunch of chillax gear out to the beach, there are vendors who will provide setup/take-down of chairs, shade, campfires, and more for a fee. Some options to consider include Corpus Beach Rentals and 361 Blue Beach Concierge, but note that these vendors may close outside of "high season" dates.

The JP Luby Surf Park (also known as North Packery) is always a good time. Let me tell you about a…read moreday I had there... I spent Christmas in Port Aransas. It was probably the best Christmas ever. The only thing missing was I couldn't go surfing. A couple of days later, the sun came out and the wind switched to the south. and there was a bit of swell in the Gulf. That morning, the buoy report said 8' at 6 seconds with a SW wind at 12 mph. We loaded up the truck and headed down to Zahn Rd. It was a beautiful day. It was warm for December. It felt like Springtime. Not a cloud in the sky. The water was a beautiful, clear green. The waves were waist to chest high with good form. Nothing but really cool people at the beach that day. I caught countless fun waves for about four hours. I paddled back in for a water break. It was fun just sitting on the tailgate of my truck just watching everyone have a good time. People were surfing nice, clean waves. Some were fishing on the jetty. Boats were going out. Kids were playing. Dogs were running around. One guy was spearfishing by the jetty. Classic rock was blasting all day. The sounds of Santana, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix filled the air. So much fun. I paddled out again and road a few more waves until my back and shoulders couldn't take anymore. Some old friends were on the beach. I paddled back in and drank beers until the sun went down. That was a good day.

You had me at Shark! Ok, even if you were not looking for souvenirs how can you not stop to take a…read morephoto with Sharky!!! The store was clean and easy to find things. Staff were friendly and helpful. Great selections of clothes, hats, shoes, beach toys & gear, jewelry...and much more! Something for everyone looking for beach treasures to take home or to bring something back for someone without breaking the wallet!

A great photo op leads you into a large store filled with everything you need. They have brand name…read moresurf style clothing, toys for the beach, and souvenirs galore. My family enjoyed that they have well over a hundred shirt design options available if you would like quickly have a shirt of choice pressed on demand. This is so much better than instead searching through racks of shirts looking for your size.

Love the selection here, the staff is very knowledgable, helpful and supportive (I am taking up…read moreskate boarding) The styles of clothing are up to date with quality fabric and brands etc. The overall prices are competitive and they have a good selection of mark downs. I always find something new when I go. There's alot to take in when exploring the place.

I've heard this is the only major surfboard rental shop by the national seashore. We rented out…read moretheir full selection of beginner boards, which was only five, so we had to go to another shop afterwards. The service was amazing as the guy at the shop was very attentive and helped us load and strap our boards to the car. The boards were Surftech and were good quality. The shop was very big and had so much apparel and gear.

the pier itself isn't all that special but there are wooden…read moretables, parking, showers and bathrooms available. you can also drive down and park on the beach for more privacy. i've been to many good parties that created many good nights for me. to go and fish on the pier, i believe it's around $2, closed at night.

One of my favorite places to take my family fishing has been through quite a change since the last…read morestorm. It really shook things up! But the good news is that they're rebuilding everything even bigger and better. I can't wait to make more wonderful memories there!

We signed our 13 year old daughter in the one day surf camp and she was up and riding the waves in…read moreno time flat with zero surfing experience!! The instructors were so patient and took time with each kid. My teenage daughter popped up out of the water with a huge grin and a high five for dad. WOW. Thanks so much for the great time and my daughter is ready for next year already!!

Highly recommend Padre Island Surf Camp!! My 8-year-old son Julian had never surfed before. By the…read moreend of day one, he was riding waves. Padre Island Surf Camp was the highlight of the trip!. He can't wait to be a part of this camp again. We were nervous leaving him for the entire day considering it's the ocean. There were a few other parents that felt that way as well. At pickup, we all discussed how happy the kids were and how relieved we were. Your kids are in good hands here! I highly recommend Padre Island Surf Camp!

We loved the choices, such a big selection and great customer service. Pretty fair priceread more

Wow what a great place to rent a golf cart. Fast friendly staff, discount to vets and first…read moreresponders. Very nice rentals and great prices. Love the staff had a ball just talking To them during the rental. Will be back.

This is the beach we visit when in Corpus. Last visit was July 4th weekend. Convenient as you can…read morepark your car on the shore making it easy to unload and pack it in when you're ready. We typically park our car in reverse so we can set up the chairs/cooler out in front of the trunk facing the ocean. Makes for easy access to the shore. Everyone is respectable with cleanliness and ensuring trash/debris are thrown in the garbage cans and not littering. We always meet some friendly people here where we share some beverages and beach space with. Quite a community here. Don't forget your beach parking permit; you can purchase it when you enter ($12 for the year).

We came here on a Saturday in mid May and while there were lots of cars and people, it didn't feel…read morethat crowded and everyone was friendly and polite. We were able to set up our canopy and enjoy our 4 yo playing in the sand and in the shallow waters. It was nice because the waves aren't too crazy and it's actually very shallow for a while. The beach parking permit ($12) also could be purchased right in the front so you didn't need to stop by a gas station prior to coming. I would definitely recommend this beach and hope to come back again soon!

Hip little surf shop just a little ways from the water. Really cool gear and great selection of…read moreboards & board products. Feels kinda vintage/kinda oldschool. It's the real thing.

I was definitely surprised on all the selections they have, never judge the book by its cover. We…read morewere looking for gifts to take home and this had high quality shirts and everything you can think of. The owner was there and he was such a great help. We will definitely stop here every time we come back! They open Monday thru Sunday at 10ish

Made a stop here during our time in Padre Island. Nate and his wife welcomed our whole family and…read moredid a great job instructing us on how to use the paddle boards since it was our first time. We had a blast! Definitely the highlight of our whole trip. The paddle is beautiful and you get to watch the sunset while paddling the canals. Definitely recommend anyone whose planning on visiting to go! Snacks, water and photos provided!

10/10 recommend taking a paddle tour! It was the most fun I had the whole trip. It was hard work!…read moreBut totally worth the relaxation and zen. The tour guide Nate, is super cool and down to earth. His wife is friendly too. Don't worry if you have never paddle boarded before, It's easy to catch on. ANYONE can do it.