207 miles SW of Houston; 377 miles S of Dallas; 143 miles S of San Antonio; 691 miles SE of El Paso

The bay area around Corpus Christi offers visitors the greatest variety of activities of any place along the Texas Gulf Coast. This and the following three sections cover the major destinations in the bay area. These destinations are only about 45 minutes from one another at most, so you can hop around pretty easily. Whether you stay in Corpus, Port Aransas, or Rockport, you'll find great lodging, fantastic food, and lots to do.

Corpus Christi is a major deepwater seaport, with a population of just under 300,000, but it has the feel of a much smaller place. The downtown is easy to enjoy, and everything is pretty close together. The two biggest attractions are the State Aquarium and the USS Lexington aircraft carrier, which are right next to each other on the bay just north of downtown, across Harbor Bridge.