Among the sights in Port Isabel is the lighthouse, which was built in 1853 and is now a State Historic Site. You can climb to the top for a bird's-eye view of the coast. Boats from Port Isabel's fleet can be seen docked all around the harbor area, and you can watch them head offshore every morning. Fresh shrimp, fish and other sea critters are available in local shops and restaurants.
Although it can be tricky to get to because of access routes, the Padre Island National Seashore, located on North Padre Island, provides plenty of recreational opportunities.
Said to be the longest barrier island in the world, North Padre Island is indeed quite a stretch of sand (113 mi/182 km). The island extends from Corpus Christi almost to the Mexican border, with much of that part of the national seashore.
Within the national seashore, visitors can enjoy long stretches of beaches, swimming, camping, bird-watching, surfing and fishing. There's a paved road that extends as far as the visitors center. Beyond that, you have to drive on the beach, and you won't get farther than about 5 mi/8 km without a four-wheel-drive vehicle. (You can hike, of course, but remember that there's no water along the way and no shade.)
A better way to reach the remote parts of the seashore is on a charter boat. They leave from Port Mansfield, Port Isabel and Port Aransas.
If you're just going for sun, the beach closest to the ranger station (accessible by car) is often nicer than those farther down the island. Trash that washes up in the more remote areas isn't picked up, and the beaches can look very dirty until a storm comes along and pushes sand up over the litter.
Keep in mind that the Gulf of Mexico is not the Pacific Ocean or the North Atlantic—don't expect huge breakers crashing against the shore or gorgeous stretches of white sand lined with vegetation (even without the man-made litter, the beaches are often strewn with seaweed). But the beach at Padre Island has a nice, tranquil quality.
