San José Island

Visitors who want to experience the natural beauty of San José Island must take a short ferry ride from Port Aransas, which is about 40 miles northeast of Corpus Christi. Visitors can only access the sands below the vegetation line on the island's 21-mile-long pristine coastline. However, there is plenty to do on the beaches. Birding, shelling, and fishing are popular activities. Keep an eye out for sea turtles while swimming or fishing from the island's jetties; the marine animals are frequently spotted in the area.

To get to this pristine island across from Port Aransas, you'll need to take a boat. You'll be limited to the beach once you arrive (San José, or "St. Jo" as the locals call it, is privately owned, so there are no restaurants or stores), but that's what you've come to enjoy. The jetty is ideal for fishing for flounder or speckled trout, the water is startlingly clear (a rarity in Texas), and the area is extremely safe, quiet, and clean because no cars are permitted on the island.