Port Aransas Welcomes Back Tourists
Mustang Island’s beaches are back in shape, while its hotels, restaurants and vacation communities continue to reopen with major upgrades, expansions and improvements since Hurricane Harvey’s wrath.
PORT ARANSAS, TX—A lot has changed since the 18-mile seaside community of Port Aransas on Mustang Island was on the verge of doubling in size. After Hurricane Harvey devastated the island last August, the community is welcoming back throngs of tourists for what’s expected to be a busy summer season.
The island’s beaches are back in shape, while its hotels, restaurants and vacation communities continue to reopen with major upgrades, expansions and improvements since Hurricane Harvey’s wrath, according to the Port Aransas/Mustang Island Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau. Known as Texas’s fishing capital, Port Aransas is welcoming anglers back to its channels, back bays and public piers starting this summer to catch their favorite species. While fishing tournaments take place throughout the season, the two biggest include the Port-A Pachanga Bay Fishing Tournament next weekend and the 83rd Deep Sea Roundup, claimed to be the oldest of its kind on the Gulf Coast, from July 13 to 15. Half of the island’s fishing guides are also now operational.
Port Aransas will also be the site of this year’s Texas qualifying events for the 2018 World Food Championships held from October 3 to 6.
Most of the destination’s vacation homes have been rebuilt. This includes second-home investment properties, including land lots or newly completed homes by preferred builders. The average price for an upscale vacation home in Port Aransas is about $400 per square foot–about half the cost of similar high-end homes in other more expensive US coastal destinations.
And, hotels and restaurants have reopened.
The iconic Port Royal Ocean Resort, with 210 condominiums, waterslides and in-pool cabana bars celebrated its grand reopening on June 1.
The destination’s Hampton Inn is expected to reopen by August with the Holiday Inn also opening this fall.
Upcoming developments from Cinnamon Shore, Palmilla Beach and other tourism partners look to double the number of accommodations to 8,000 and reach 10 million visitors in the next five years.
Cinnamon Shore, an upscale master-planned beachfront, family- and pedestrian-friendly community, features 200 single-family beach homes and 85 Town Center residences with poolside restaurants and retail space opening this summer. The 2,100- to 2,400-square-foot penthouses are priced from $790,000 and come with private elevators. Town Center retail spaces feature a market, bottle shop, coal-fire pizza restaurant with outdoor seating, plus a candy and ice cream store. Cinnamon Shore homes range from $500,000 up to $4 million. Lots are priced from $150,000 to $1.4 million, GlobeSt.com learns.
Cinnamon Shore’s owner, Sea Oats Group, is also investing $1.3 billion in new vacation homes on a 300-acre expansion. The Palmilla Beach Resort/Golf and Club master-planned community’s new luxury two-bedroom seaside condos opened over Memorial Day weekend starting in the $500,000 price range. The condos feature open living areas, covered garages and large covered balconies. One-bedroom condos can range from $395,000. Palmilla Beach homesites start in the $200,000s and go up to $1.4 million. Single-family homes can range from 1,800 to 6,000 square feet and range in price from the $700,000s up to $4 million for the larger-sized home option, GlobeSt.com learns. Palmilla Beach plans to open a mixed-use development that could include a fitness facility, gelataria and a coffee shop.
Sunflower Beach Resort and Residences, on 50 acres of protected dune preserves, features 21 single- level poolside condos and development of 25 new one- and two-bedroom beach cabins priced from $382,000 to $499,000 in a new community called The Camp. The planned mix of custom-built homes, luxury beach cabins and condos are complemented by a central beach club, direct beach access and a short walk to downtown Port Aransas.
In other developments, a 2,000-person conference center is being planned, plus a large sports complex and amphitheater.
Of the three major Texas beach destinations, South Padre Island, Galveston and Port Aransas on Mustang Island, Port Aransas is the quieter of the three. It is located on a barrier island with protected dunes flanking the long stretch of beach and the least developed with 18 miles of uninterrupted beachfront property, The Chamber and Tourism Bureau calls it the “most laid-back” Gulf Coast beach destination.