The closest beach to downtown lies across the ship channel to the north. It gets busy in season, but its tight-packed sands and handful of places to eat and drink make for a fun excursion just out of the city.

A dizzying walk climbs up and over the soaring US 181 Harbor Bridge, which spans the channel between downtown and the beach. From the southern side, start near Beldon St.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. USS Lexington Museum

0.32 MILES

Moored just north of the ship channel and aquarium, this 900ft-long aircraft carrier dominates Corpus Christi bay. The Lexington served in the Pacific…

2. Texas State Aquarium

0.49 MILES

Learn about Gulf Coast marine life, just across from downtown at the southern end of North Beach. Three large handling tanks let you get close to sharks,…

3. Art Museum of South Texas

0.7 MILES

Enjoying a spectacular seafront setting, across from the Museum of Science & History, this modern museum focuses on changing exhibitions of contemporary…

4. Museum of Science & History

0.78 MILES

This fun museum explores Texas' natural history, and displays gold bars and huge disks of silver recovered from three Spanish ships wrecked nearby in 1534…

5. Museum of Asian Cultures

0.89 MILES

This small but well-curated museum is worth a look if you have an interest in art from across South and Southeast Asia, but particularly from Japan. There…

6. Heritage Park

1.02 MILES

Originally a neighborhood of old homes, Heritage Park has morphed into a theme park of old homes. A dozen Corpus houses, from humble to grand and dating…

7. K Space Contemporary

1.55 MILES

This small space hosts contemporary-art exhibitions, which rotate every four to six weeks, with a penchant for emerging artists. The often-provocative…

8. Peoples St T-Head

1.57 MILES

The busy fleet of shipping boats that dock here, along with the various restaurants and activities that have set up shop on the jetty, make this the most…