Texan Riviera

Texas is not exactly known for its beaches, but the fact is that the Texan Riviera is 560 km long – and in addition to the first-class sandy bays it can come up with all sorts of surprises: for example with the Padre Island National Seashore, Mustang Island, the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge , Barrier Islands as well as the beautiful cities of Galveston and Corpus Christi.

Especially the chic city of Galveston with its gripping history. Once the hideout of pirate and slave trader Jean Lafitte, the town of 60,000 was completely burned down by US forces in 1821. The new Galveston became a gem – the first deep sea port – one of the largest in the USA – caused an economic boom at the beginning of the 19th century. A devastating hurricane in 1900 was a major setback for the city’s residents. 6,000 people lost their lives and it took the city a long time to recover. But the residents had every ambition to let their hometown flourish again. The enchanting town is rightly considered one of the most beautiful vacation spots on the Gulf of Mexico.

According to Topschoolsintheusa, Corpus Christi is one of the country’s booming cities and is one of the fastest growing metropolises in the entire USA. One reason for this fact is the great importance of the port – not only in commercial terms, but also in military ones. Visitors delight in the city’s beauty — and most notably, at nearby Mustang Island State Park — a five-mile stretch of sandy beach with modern resorts on the north end.

Nature lovers will get their money’s worth on the Texas Riviera, as numerous nature reserves allow insights into the flora and fauna of this exciting region. Mustang Island State Park, Padre Island National Seashore, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge are just some of the designated sanctuaries where you can see the animals found here. Incidentally, alligators are among the natural inhabitants of swamps and marshlands. The number of bird species living here is particularly rich. During the winter months, the entire coastal region is home to large populations of migratory birds that come here from the north to winter.

Climate
The Mexican Riviera has a pleasant climate all year round: Summers are warm and humid – with occasional rainfall. The wettest months are the winter months of November, December and January. Even in winter, temperatures very rarely drop below 10 degrees Celsius – so it remains quite mild. The Gulf Coast is in the hurricane zone. The hurricane season lasts from June to December, with the main hurricane season being in September. Go Texas provides more information .

Galveston
Many of the restored mansions and mansions are now part of the Strand National Historic Landmark. East Broadway is the boulevard of beautiful mansions, most notably the 1859 Victorian Ashton Mansion (2328 Broadway & 23rd St.), now home to one of Galveston’s visitor centers. Another highlight is the Bishop’s Palace (1402 Broadway & 14th St.), which was actually built as a villa for an officer and later used as a Catholic bishopric. The stately Moody Mansion (2618 Broadway & 26th St.) is also worth seeing. Another historically significant part of the city is the Eastend Historic Districtwith its buildings and parks.

Railroad fans will love the Galveston Railroad Museum , which has lots to see including two restored Santa Fe Railroad Superchief diesels.

There is fun and entertainment at the Pleasure Pier , which is also home to numerous restaurants and bars. Also worth a visit is the family-friendly Moody Gardens , a water park with pools, a rainforest pyramid, and several large aquariums showcasing marine life from around the world.

Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
The approximately 180 km² large Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge belongs with the other two wildlife refuges, San Bernard (185 km²) and Big Boggy (20 km²) to the designated nature and bird sanctuaries of the Texas coast. The wetlands are not only home to more than 300 species of birds, but also numerous other local animal species. During the winter months, up to 40,000 Canadian snow geese come here to overwinter

McFaddin & Texas Point National Wildlife Refuges
The two nature reserves McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge and Texas Point are located between Galveston in the south and Beaumont in the north. Covering an area of ​​almost 275 km ² , this natural paradise is an ideal destination for getting to know the rich flora and fauna of the Gulf Coast. In addition to numerous species of birds, there are also alligators and

Corpus Christi
Top attractions here include the 900-foot (277-meter) aircraft carrier USS Lexington , which served from 1941 to 1991 and is now a museum ship at anchor. South of it is the well-known Texas State Aquarium , which is dedicated to the fauna of the Gulf. Here you can admire rays and sharks as well as Mexican sea otters and sea turtles.

Mustang Island State Park, with more than five miles of sandy beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, is visible from the city’s harbor . Also at the north end is the historic community of Port Aransas.

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
The approximately 280 km² large Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is not directly on the coast, but borders on San Antonio, Carlos and Saint Charles Bay, which act like a protective lagoon here. The reserve was established in 1937 to protect seabird colonies. Not only ornithologists get their money’s worth, but also nature lovers of all kinds. There are armadillos, alligators, wild boars, coyotes and deer here. The absolute highlights of the park include the endangered whooping cranes, which, with a body size of up to 1.6 m, are the largest birds living in North America. Visiting the park in the winter months is particularly attractive, because migratory birds that come from Canada overwinter between November and March.

The nature reserve is very diverse in terms of landscape. It is shaped by the tidal marshes, long narrow lakes, the turquoise waters of San Antonio Bay and the winds off the Gulf Coast. The impressive landscape is dominated by evergreen oaks and laurel thickets.

Padre Island National Seashore
The narrow sand island extends from Corpus Christi around 180 km towards the Mexican border. With an average of 800,000 visitors, Padre Island is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the country. If you don’t want to miss out on the hustle and bustle, avoid the region around spring break, when students from the northern Midwest party wildly. The northern and southern ends of the island are dominated by holiday resorts. But the middle 100 km to Padre Island National Seashore are exciting were raised. There are hardly any roads and hardly any infrastructure here, but peace, seclusion and pure nature. Camping is allowed in the park all year round. This is the best way to enjoy the pristine beaches: swimming, surfing, hiking, fishing and other outdoor activities are possible. Sea turtles nest on the secluded beaches from late April to mid-July. Padre Island is one of the most exciting bird sanctuaries in the USA. More than 380 different migratory bird species make a stop here. Coyotes and other native wildlife live in the interior of the island.

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife
In the very south of the state of Texas is the 400 km² Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife – the largest nature reserve in the Lower Rio Grande. Several endangered species draw attention here, including the Texas ocelot, the Gulf Coast puma (which is only slightly larger than a domestic cat), and the rare Aplomado hawk.