Padre Island National Seashore - Malaquite Visitor Center

Its been awhile since we been back and it was great. Enjoyed the windy day. The visitor center gazebo area/parking lot does need lights though. Once the sunset it is very dark, had to use my cell phone light but other than that its always clean and a fun place

Fantastic place for experiencing driving on the beach. You can camp on the beach too. Great fishing. Flat, baron, and very exposed to the elements, but beautiful wildlife ocean and land. The visitors center is worth a visit too There is one campsite, it's on a FCFS basis.

Not a lot to see here. We were hoping to observe more nature. Maybe we were here at the wrong time if year. We were able to see pelicans, seagulls, and lots of washed up jellyfish on the beach. It is a good place for sun and sand. There are restrooms, showers, and a gift shop here.

Beautiful weathered visitor center that was not open due to the government shut down. Disappointed in that. We traveled from Canada to this spot and couldn't get a stamp for my national parks passport. The scenery and the seashore was worth it though.

Love this place secluded and just a great place to enjoy the beach ! As well as peaceful place for a couples getaway! Local birds are always willing to give you an opportunity for a photo ! Plenty of bathrooms for a pit stop as well as a bird viewing hut. This is also the place for the famous turtle hatching and release! So grab your partner and give the National seashore a visit ! Entry fees are reasonable too ! Enjoy !😊

Great visitor center, life of information, knowledgeable staff, huge outdoor area, nice bathhouse, rocking chairs overlooking the seashore was great!

We loved visiting this amazing park just about 45 mins drive from downtown Corpus Christi. Our son lived getting his National Park Passport stamped. The visitors center is located near Malaquite Beach. They have a shower, several different restrooms, and a few stations to rinse off the sand. There is an amazing amount of wildlife on the island especially birds. I actually saw a medium sized turtle swimming in the ocean while we were at the beach. A lot of the island has beaches that can be driven on and there were several people there fishing when we visited. It cost $10 for a day pass and it was worth it. Our son said this is now his favorite beach. The park service workers were friendly and incredible. Be sure to visit the visitors center to learn more about this unique place. It is the largest undeveloped barrier island in the US.

Nice place, helpful staff and everything is in good working order. The view are excellent.

Big shout out to fellow Yelper Guy H for the recommendation. Padre Island National Seashore in Corpus Christi is a pristine coastal haven. With miles of untouched beaches, it's a haven for nature enthusiasts. We had to drive to this location which was only a 3-minute drive from our condo. Favorite spot on the Texas coast. Far and away one of the best beaches in my opinion. 66 miles of beach so I'll undoubtedly always find a moderately private spot to set up camp for the day. I wouldn't say it has white sand but not brown, and the water is clear. Restrooms are located at the front entrance and parking is permitted on the beach with a parking pass which can be picked up at the local convenience stores for $12 as of writing this review. A great spot for fishing, hanging with the pups as I did and just having a chill day.

Nice beach but the national park lacks advertised amenities and national park employees are grumpy and rude. Admission is $10. The main park building provides a nice area to picnic with plenty of tables. Unfortunately, the showers are out of order. So a main advantage of the national park (showers to clean up after the beach) versus going to the free part of the beach is missing. Also, the public restrooms are old and offer little room for changing. And the bathrooms are not maintained (no paper in paper towel dispensers). Park employees are super grumpy. One park employee screamed at us for feeding a seagull in the parking lot area. Overall verdict- skip the national park and go to Mustang Island State Park.

Another no frills setup; free with a national park pass. Strongly recommend a 4x4 setup so you don't get stuck in the sand. Fishing both ocean and bayside.

To be completely honest, when you are driving through the marsh area towards the beach, you seriously question where you are going and what is so special about it. Even when you get to the visitor center parking, you still kind of wonder why. Once you make the short trek (like less than 1/4 mile) to the beach, you are blown away. This is an amazing seashore and not very busy for a Saturday. There were a lot of beached jellyfish and I could see some in the water as well but nothing crazy. I highly recommend this and most National Parks, Recreation Areas, and Seashores. I will definitely be back during turtle hatching season.

Tip: Check out the national forestry site on this location. There are places that you cannot go without a 4WD and camping is subject to weather and access. Pros: $10 for the day pass. Showers. Tables. Shade options. Parking off beach as you cannot drive on the beach. Few tourist venture out this far so staking out a quiet space is easy. There are about half dozen tables in the beach. Cons: It is 20 mins even after the CC bridge. It is a decent hike from parking to beach ... do not load yourself down.

Nice spot for fishing and shelling. There is plenty of mosquitoes so make sure you pack bug spray. Another thing to note is that the tide is very strong so be prepared.

I love how you can camp all along the beach. To my knowledge, this is one of the only nice beaches in Texas. We came here for a surf trip, and it was so nice to be able to walk a few feet from the tent to surf in the waves. The sand is very smooth, but the beach is full of hazards like jellyfish, man o' wars, and ants (the worst of them all). I got attacked by an ant in the dunes. We didn't have to pay at all to enter the seashore or to camp, which is probably not usual. Camping along the beach is primitive, while there is great car camping with bathrooms, showers, and a water filling station at the Malaquite Campground. We went there first and saw it was full, so we went to the beach. I had no cell service along the beach, but some people got signal by standing up in the dunes. The visitor center is huge but was closed.

Came here on a whim during a weekend vacation to Corpus Christi. We spent a few hours here 2 days in a row and had a great time exploring the nature and trying not to get saltwater in our mouths. I recommend visiting if you are on Padre Island and looking for a cool place to go on a daytrip.

I have not been here since I was a child when my parents took me camping on the beach. I remember this place was grand and walking up in the morning hearing the wind and waves crashing. It was fun times and excited on my return. I drove south from North Padre Island for about 10-20 miles passing condo developments into a land nothing except wetlands and sand dunes. At the guard post you pay $10 to enter the premises and provided with a map. I drove slow to see if I spot any some interesting wildlife from the road. I saw hawks, cranes and seagulls. I stopped at the National Park sign to get some photos of my wife and I. During this a truck with fishing gear drove by and quickly made a u-turn, but not in time where a park ranger pulled him over. This police matter looked serious and did not want to hang around, so we drive off quickly. We arrived at the Malaquite Pavilion where it was a combination of restrooms, changing and showering facility, museum, gift shop, and picnic area. You learn all about Padre Island history here, and main concerns are sea turtles and trash. The park officials are very nice and will help you out, and provide special vip assistance to those with special needs. The store carries a bunch of items for younger kids where I purchased a sea turtle adoption packet, pin and magnet. Afterwards we walked down the boardwalk through the sand dunes to the beach. There was a not any people here being a Monday even thought still summer. The beach was huge and recommend walking in sandals until you reach the wet sand, for it was very hot. The red flag was out so swimming was dangerous even though I saw a few in the water. There is no lifeguards so you are on your own. We walked along the water edge seeing sea gulls moving out from our way. You cannot feed wildlife here and visitors are continuously reminded with signs posted. If you see a sea turtle or nest then alert the park officials. There are some covered picnic tables but recommended bring some sort of shade. However I did not see anyone setup the huge canopies, perhaps down the beach where camping is allowed. There are a few hiking trails. You cannot drive on the beach here except the area dedicated for camping. After enjoying walking around we got back into the vehicle and explored the rest of the park. The road basically ends at the beach for campers. If you want to explore further south then would need to backpack along the beach. Overall it was a excellent experience seeing a natural beach setting.

Stunning and beautiful! Clean and has many conveniences for comfort. Spent an entire day frolicking in the water, playing in the sand, walking down the beach and just relaxing. The beach was clean, without one speck of garbage, the water was clean and the sand was perfect for making castles. The giftshop had many fun finds that I was able to bring back for nice memories from our vacation. After a long day, we were able to rinse off in the outdoor showers and there were clean bathroom facilities at the headquarters. Out of all of the beach time we had along the islands, this was by far the best spot and the water was a bit warmer than farther north on Mustang Island.

Stunning pristine beach with beautiful water. Padre Island National Seashore is a must stop for everyone! We were there in November, which I assume is the off season so it wasn't busy at all. There is one beach you can drive to and park and just walk over. They have restrooms and outdoor showers. There are so picnic tables near the parking lot as well as some on the beach. The buildings were closed, not sure if due to Covid or time of year. But you don't need to go inside. Do check the flag to make sure it is safe to swim that day. There weren't many people onsite and it was so peaceful. Bring chairs, a large umbrella, and towels and you could stay all day in paradise. It was just $10 for the day! We used our annual National Park pass. We'd love to go back and hike to other areas. Maybe even camp out. Imagine waking up with the ocean just outside your trailer. Make sure you visit if you are in the area. We went out of the way to get here on the way to Houston and it was worth it.

This is a lovely and peaceful seashore about 40 minutes outside of Corpus Christi. I learned about it when the concierge at the hotel told me about the turtle releases that happen on this beach all throughout the summer. Needless to say I was intrigued. There is a huge visitor center structure with a small gift shop and ranger area where they can answer any questions you may have about the National Park. From their boardwalk you can get out to the beach and relax. The water is very warm, in case you are curious - if I had to guess it is about 90 degrees in the middle of summer. The waves are small as per the norm on beaches in the Gulf of Mexico. When it's time to go, there are shower stations up the boardwalk so you can get all the sand off of you before going back to your car. There are also proper showers at the visitor center with changing areas and restrooms.

Ranger was very knowledgeable about the turtles. Would love to return when they are doing a turtle release.

Visited in July. The beach is well maintained and the entrance fee well worth it. Nice fine sand beach. Not very crowded. The water is super warm which is nice. Shore is shallow and great for kids to splash. If you like wave riding you have it too. Nice summer breeze helps cool in summer heat. Grab binoculars to watch pelicans fishing close to the shore. Probably the best beach you can find in Texas.

This is my favorite beach to visit. It is a natural beach area that spans about 60 miles. The fishing is great, the camping is fun and playing in the water is a blast. There are not gas stations, restaurants, or grocery stores close so you need to take everything for the day with you. Pack you cooler full of water, snacks, food and fill it with ice. If you plan to go past the first few miles down the beach I suggest having a 4x4 vehicle because the sand can get soft and you can get stuck.

I hate writing this review. Why? Cause I don't want everyone rushing out there. This place is pristine and a protected area. There is NOTHING out there. It's the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier Island in the world. Been there multiple times and it never disappoints. Always a good time and kids and pets love it. Water and sand are great. Beaches are clean mostly barring the occasional seaweed. I've camped overnight on occassions and the sunsets and sunrises are spectacular. Be warned, no cell phone service unless you camp on Malaquite Beach by the Visitor's Center. There, cell phone service may be limited at best, which is a good thing as you get to unplug and enjoy nature. $8 for the day

Okay we came across this place by just exploring! I must say it wasn't crowded at all and I wished we would have came here for an ocean swim visit. Unfortunately we didn't until at the end of our vacation. But nothing to worry, we still got our joy out of visiting this quiet area. Although no cell phone reception when you get to a certain point of the island. This is still the place to visit. It was very relaxing and the view every where here was great. This to me was a best kept secret of the area. My family are definitely coming back here for our next vacation trip. I really wished we would have came here for our ocean experience. You won't regret visiting this place. Make sure that you have a full tank of gas before coming out here. Once you pass Bob Hall Pier area we didn't see any gas stations at all. Oh and bring a roll of TP for any bathroom emergency for yourself or the family.

This place is lovely! $10 per car entry, and it's good for 7 days so bring the family a few times while you're in the area for a real bargain. We spent the day at Malaquite beach, and there are shaded picnic tables on the sand, a large shaded deck overlooking the beach, and showers and restrooms- so bring some food and drink and prepare for some fun! The park rangers were very nice, and have a first aid kit if, like me, you end up being stung by a jellyfish. They were very responsive and quickly provided a paste that took away the sting/burn. If you're looking for something a bit more remote and have a 4WD vehicle, you can drive down the island on their unspoiled beaches for something like 65 miles, finding the perfect spot to hang out and fish/relax in solitude. There are areas that don't require 4WD to access, such as Malaquite beach visitors center where we stayed, or what I was told is about 5 miles of beach that's 2WD friendly. So don't worry if you aren't into toughing it alone- there are options! They also offer tent camping and RV camping sites if you want to make a longer trip out of your beach vacay. The sign I saw said "first come first serve", so I guess make sure you have a backup plan incase they're full when you arrive. I can't wait to come here again! It was the perfect beach afternoon!

Visited this beach on the "free day in the park" which was also a Saturday! Despite that, it wasn't overly crowded and there was plenty of room to pop up a canopy and spread out. The gift shop is awesome, they have a lot of turtle themed souvenirs and a cute little "museum" like display about the beach. It is worth the extra 10 mile drive to go to this clean, week-kept beach.

This place is absolutely beautiful. We visited on the Friday before Labor Day and it felt like barely anyone was there! Super peaceful, beautiful skies and water. Great place to visit with your dogs as well! My fur-baby had a blast.

What a beautiful location! Clear blue skies, warm water, and white sand. The entrance fee of $10 was a bargain! The visitors center had everything: showers, bathrooms, covered deck area, souvenirs, and ice. A perfect summer day outing.

Best beach I been and seen when I was on my Anniversary last week. The cleanest area I've seen while I was there, which is unfortunate because almost majority has trash on the beaches because people take advantage of driving along the beach. Brings me along to the best part is being able to take your car or truck on the beach and set up a nice spot to enjoy the day. The sand is hard and packed enough to not get stuck as long as you watch put for dunes around the entrance from other vehicles driving through but the have construction truck plow for you to drive on. You can drive along most of the beaches along the coast. Malaquite beach that's further south of padre beach is the best and worth the 20 min drive from Corpus Christi. It's past the welcome center and is $10 for the whole week and a sensible price. The water is warm around this year and is refreshing, the color is brown from what I heard the rain storms that come in brings the browness to the tides so guessing happens time to time. Able to bring food and drinks with exception of glass and for the sake of the beaches here you best pick up after yourself. Good variety of wildlife is here, we saw pelicans, storks, other birds and even prairie dogs along the grassy area above the beach. Also should check out the catch and release of baby sea turtles that Rangers open for the public info is online and have a telephone number for hotline that let's the public know when releases happen. Highly advise to come early, we saw a release at the welcome center at 630am. Padre island best place for summers, pack up your car/truck for snacks, beverages, boogie boards beach toys etc. and enjoy!

Honestly I don't want people to know just how great this place is. Why, because it's one of the few places you can get away from the masses for solitude. No Developement here just wide open unspoiled beaches. Go as soon as you can. I've been Comming since the 60s and it's fantastic. While you are here spend 10 minutes filling a bag with trash. Mostly plastic that has floated up out of the gulf. Sad but true. So, pick up a few bottles, gloves, buckets, toys, etc etc

There IS a beautiful beach in TX!!! After years of Galveston, I finally made it to Padre and it was absolutely beautiful, clean, well kept, and absolutely what I want my beach to be. Love this place and will undoubtedly come again!

$10 per car for day use, but it's good for a whole week! We came back twice, but were only here for two days. We could have come back many more times. A lovely beach, sand as soft as flour. Small waves, big enough for a boogie board or wading for little ones. Large visitors center with picnic area, bathrooms, showers, and changing area. Cold water outdoor showers, too. Annoying gulls, but what can you do? All in all, a great seashore. We'll happily return any time we're in the area. Btw, the main beach area is called Malaquite beach, in case you were confused, like I was.

Beautiful pristine beach! Liked how there was security driving around making sure rules are followed. We were lucky to get a shaded picnic area right on the beach and had a fun time with a beautiful view.

My favorite place to hit the beach in Texas thus far!! Miles and miles of beautiful coastline and a lot less crowded than other beaches. Several camping areas depending on what kind of scenery you would like to see, hiking trails, bird watching, sea turtle releases and a visitor center which will give you a different appreciation for all things along the coast.

This is the best beach in Texas I have been to so far! We ended up here on accident while driving down the road just looking for a way less crowded beach then Port A. We were so surprised at what we found! A beach with hardly any people, CLEAN sand and CLEAR water!!! WHAT?! We walked along the beach area and saw shells and even a small stingray swimming along the shore. They have covered picnic tables and so much beach without tons of people. We also visited the visitor center to get more information, because we will definitely be coming back. This park has 60 miles of coastline, areas for camping and beach combing and a shell beach (definitely coming back for that). 4x4 vehicles are needed for some beach area access. Just stop in the visitor center to get more information or visit their website. Dogs are also allowed, but on the left side of the beach from the visitor center. If you are a disabled veteran you get a free lifetime entry pass! If you are looking for a quiet, clean beach to actually relax at, I would highly recommend spending your day here!

$10 for a day pass or $40 for a year so it was a no-brainer to get the annual pass. Stop by the Malachite Visitor Center. The beach there is family-friendly. Bathrooms and showers are available. If you drive past the Visitor Center, you can let your well behaved dog on a leash out for a swim. There is a dog wash off the Visitor Center parking lot. Bring a garbage bag for your trash and while you're at it, pick some rubbish that washes ashore. There is a vending machine for drinks and snacks but there is no kiosk. Bring a cooler with food and beverage. There is a WalMart and HEB Plus on the way. Lastly, make sure you have a full tank of gas before you get there. The last gas station is Valero.

Malaquite Beach is the only beach to visit in Corpus!! I am happy I did my research before visiting Corpus Christi because this beach is so beautiful. It's a beach within the Padre Island National Seashore entrance which is a nice drive outside of Corpus but absolutely worth it! $10/ parking pass for a full week for one car load, you can not beat this deal! Fresh air, sugary sand, and water as far as the eye can see. The park has a bathroom and shower facility along with a gift shop and visiting center. You can drive you vehicle along the beach and pick any spot, everyone has their own space! Which I loved, we had seen how crowded the beaches were within Corpus city limits. Take drinks, food, BBQ pit and a few accessories and you are set for an entire day. If I am ever in Corpus Christi again I will make sure we make plans to camp at Malaquite Beach. Visited August 2014

Everything was closed in the visitor center but kinda expected it, cause of COVID-19... but the beach was super awesome! 10 bucks a carload not too bad. We came here because the other beaches we attempted to go to were super packed. This beach had some people but not super packed and had distance between people. I think this might be my new go to beach!

I live here on Padre Island, we can actually drive on our beaches, we cook out and fish on the waters edge in our Jeeps. Byron Doucet, the Cajun!

I love this place! We have the "America the Beautiful" pass so getting into the park was free! We spent 14 days here and loved every minute. Three of those nights were spent directly on South Padre Beach and that was free. When the tides got too high we moved to the campground called Bird Island on the lagoon side of the island. The cost to camp here was $5, but with the "America the Beautiful" pass it was only $2.50 per night! The visitor center is great too! They have a lot to offer. I took an art class and went on a bird tour. They also offer the Jr. Ranger program, and had several other classes and talks, all for free! I can't wait to come back here!

For $10 you receive a 7 day pass to a 60 mile shoreline that is absolutely perfect to avoid the tourist crowds. It is a bit of a drive but totally worth it! We spent most of our day in the water and sitting under the beach umbrella (rental from the beach store for $30) and enjoyed the ocean breeze. So glad we came this weekend!

Twice we drove all the way down to the coast and bought hotel rooms for multiple nights hoping to see one of the turtle releases and twice the National Seashore underachieved. The beach is beautiful however I am incredibly disappointed in the turtle release program they have! They state on their website to plan your trip around the time the most turtles are expected to hatch. My family and I went down to the coast to watch the turtles hatch.... Well you can imagine our disappointment when no public releases happened. We later found out that the turtles did hatch they simply didn't want to host a PUBLIC release even though we planned for the dates that coincided with the release dates on their website.

Far superior to mustang island and port a beaches. Worth the drive- bath house is well maintained and the facility as a whole is very nice. Very few idiots driving up and down, the further you go, the less people you see all together. It's a great experience for kids and adults alike. Highly recommend.

Once you get past the long drive and the fear of running out of gas and no cell phone signal this is a great escape. The beach isn't over crowded and is a fun enjoyable experience. We return to this beach annually. Pack you meal and come spend some time on a great beach that you can drive right on.

Loved it here! Not a ton of people and clean. The visitor center is interactive for kids too. We went to Mustang Island State Park the 1st day, and then discovered this place---which was our favorite! Worth the extra short drive.

If ever in Corpus you can't pass up the pristine National Park. Although its $10 to enter, the pass lasts for a week. But even if its only for the day it's $ well spent. Nature is at its bests here. You can see meerkats, deer, pelicans, seagulls (of course) sand pipers and sea turtles. I've heard people seeing dolphins although I haven't and this is only my 2nd trip here. It's not a tourist hangout. There's a long stretch without a store except for the park store which is very basic. It's best to bring what you need for the day. Be sure to travel all the side roads if you have time to see it all, especially bird island basin. You don't want to miss the Laguna Madre at sunset. It's also the saltiest water in the world and 3 feet deep all the way across the canal. The windsurfing is the best in the nation. The pelicans, brown & white, are beautiful to sit and watch. North Malaquite beach is walkers only but if you travel down to south Malaquite beach, you are able to park your car beside you. Only 4 wheel drives past the 4 mile marker. I'm in love with this place and if you are a nature freak like I am then you will be too. Visit the visitors center im the park to read more info. Also, don't miss the turtle hatching releases they have during the Kemp Ridley nesting season. It is truly a must see. Amazing! If you are attached to your cell phone, this is not the place for you....service is limited if any.

Padre island National Seashore is such a wonderful place you for sure wanna check out from the beach to the visitor center their just so much to see and learn about the wild life. Every summer the Padre island National Sea shore does a thing to protect kimpes sea turtles and you can learn more at the Texas state Aquarium or stopping by the Padre island Visitor center and talking with a park ranger.

Extremely impressed with the clear water and beach which you can drive on and be completely private and alone!

Great to get away from everything. Beaches were great. The seaweed wasn't built up when we went. For $8 a day camping and $10 for 7 day access to the park it is well worth it. This was the first camping trip my kids have been on and they loved it and are ready to go back.

I went to Padre Island National Seashore for my one year anniversary with my boyfriend. We drove down from Austin on memorial day weekend. We were looking for a remote spot when the 'low oil' light came on. We immediately pulled over and my boyfriend checked the oil. It was indeed very low. Luckily, two rangers drove by a few minutes later and stopped to check on us. They carried spare gas, but not spare oil and couldn't offer us much help except to call a $1000+ tow truck. That was, initially. Once they found out we were spending the night camping and were from out of town and didn't know anyone in the area then one of the rangers, Luke, offered to come back the next day since we were camping and from out of town and bring us oil. The next morning he showed up with 3 bottles of oil. When we asked him how much we owed him, he said "don't worry about it." It was the nicest thing in the world and made our trip that much better. We were able to relax and enjoy our anniversary and had no issues at all the way home. I highly recommend Padre Island Seashore, not just for the beaches and fun, but for the extreme kindness, caring, concern, and generosity of the rangers who patrol the shores (especially Luke--thanks so much)!!!