A Weekend in {Rockport}

The City by the Bay
South-Bound 35

Day One

Hit the Beach: Rockport Beach Park has everything beach-
goers want for a relaxing day: golden sandy stretch of beaches studded with palm umbrellas and salty, emerald water gently breaking on the shore. Bring a beach chair, a cooler, and a book. It’s the perfect place to do what we all know we need but keep putting off: to unplug, so ditch the phone.

Day Two

Catch and Cook: Laguna Madre, the bay between Texas’s mainland and the barrier islands of North Padre, Mustang, and South Padre, is a renowned fishery for redfish, speckled sea trout, black drum, sheepshead, and many other sport fish. There’s a good chance of catching a fish with your own gear and little to no experience on Rockport’s public pier or a private dock. However, local fishing guides are easy to come by, and an excellent place to start is Rockport’s certified Orvis dealer Swan’s Point Landing. If you’re new to fishing the Texas coast, it’s always beneficial to go with a guide at least once to learn the basics from a pro.

If you’re lucky (or skilled) on the water and manage to land some keepers, many local restaurants will cook your catch. Try Paradise Key Dockside Bar and Grill at the Rockport marina for a grilled, fried, blackened, or jerked treatment on your bounty or Los Comales for a spicy South Texas take on seafood where grilled fish tacos are an obvious choice.

Day Three

If you’ve had your fill of relaxation, get out on one of the area bike trails. Aransas Pathways is the best guide to bike trails and kayak canals for a self-guided tour to see local birds and wildlife. Visitors often spot whooping cranes, foxes, blue crabs, and more than 300 bird varieties but watch out for gators.

Where to Stay