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While we love our sunny days spent on the beach in Port Aransas, we also get our fair share of rainy, overcast days. There’s no need to stay indoors on a rainy day in Port Aransas. I’ve compiled a list of my family’s favorite rainy day activities to get you and your kids through any gray day at the beach.
If you’re looking for rainy day activities in this sandy city by the sea, here are a few suggestions…
Copies of more than 12,000 photos and documents pertaining to the history of Port Aransas are available for viewing, along with artifacts, oral histories of island locals and movies of Port Aransas in the 1920s.
Want to read more about the history of Port Aransas? Check out the book, Images of America: Port Aransas, for detailed stories and old photographs from Mustang Island.
2. Learn a little about wooden boats and how they’re made
See a pictorial history of the Farley family boat builders alongside a preserved 1930’s tarpon skiff, the “Tina”, at Farley Boat Works. The Port Aransas Museum re-established the Farley Boat Works in 2011, and now boats are once again being born here.
Call ahead for their schedule of wooden boat-making classes, and plan to attend the annual Wooden Boat Festival in Port Aransas.
3. Paint your own ceramic creation at the pottery shop
Select your favorite ceramic pieces to paint and let the courteous staff at Fire It! Ceramics help you pick colors. Pieces are fired and ready within a few days. Painting pottery is a very popular activity on a rainy day in Port Aransas.
Spending your rainy beach day indoors doing something creative like painting pottery is a great way to use your imagination. Fire It! Ceramics allows you to bring in your own food and drinks to enjoy while you paint, so you can enjoy your time. Stir up your creativity and paint something nautical to remind you of the beach.
The Port Aransas Community Theater (PACT) provides a venue for live performances, movies, public interest presentations and much more. Check their schedule for upcoming performances for adults and children.
The PACT is located on Highway 361 and has plenty of public parking.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with all the sweet and sour candies you can fit in your bag at Winton’s Island Candy. Their specialty is saltwater taffy, homemade fudge and assorted popular candy sold by the pound. They even have sugar-free chocolate options too!
6. Learn about marine life at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute’s Education Center
The UTMSI Marine Science Education Center promotes marine science with self guided tours and educational movies. Visit the Ocean Emporium gift shop for souvenirs and education items. Over 40,000 visitors tour the facility annually.
7. Shop for souvenirs, t-shirts or Christmas ornaments at local stores
Use rainy days at the beach as the perfect day to get out and explore some of the local businesses and shops that are unique and only found here, like Lone Star Taste, Indigo Eclectic, Island Woman, Casa A Mano and My Coastal Home.
Support local family businesses that help make Port Aransas the best and friendliest place around.
More rainy day ideas to enjoy
We recently asked our followers on our Facebook page what they like to do on rainy days at the beach, and here are some of their responses.
Try your hand at a poker game at Bernie’s, daily at 3pm.
Watch the offshore fishing boats come into the marina and unload their catches around 5-7pm. Check with Dolphin Docks, Deep Sea Headquarters and Woody’s Sports Center to find out times.
Stop by Island Wine at The Shops at Port A for a Texas wine-tasting and acoustic live music
Take a nap. Sit outside on the covered balcony of your rental and be lulled to sleep by the pitter-patter of rain drops
Swing by the local seafood market or IGA grocery store to get ingredients to make a seafood gumbo, shrimp cocktail or seafood boil to enjoy in your home or rental, while enjoying the rain
Grab a hat and a beach sand bucket to walk the beach in search of sea shells. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a rainbow over the ocean.
Stop by Desserted Island for a warm brownie sundae or banana split. Challenge your friends to a game of foosball or checkers while you’re there.
Make an appointment at Balinese Wellness Spa for yoga, massage or spa services
Make the short drive over to North Beach in Corpus Christi to the Texas State Aquarium and USS Lexington Museum. The aquarium is open every day with indoor and outdoor exhibits, a large gift shop and coffee shop inside. The popular dolphin shows are outside and are scheduled several times a day.
Take a trip into downtown Corpus Christi to visit the historic two-story Whataburger by the Bay.
Regardless of the weather, there’s no shortage of activities to fill your days in Port Aransas. Don’t let the rain stop you from getting out and exploring all of the unique and fun things to do around town.
Then come back and tell me YOUR favorite thing to do on a rainy day in Port Aransas. Have fun!
Check availability for your travel dates before the best homes book up.
Jill Clark
Jill Clark is the creator of Port Aransas Explorer, an independent guide dedicated to helping travelers experience the best of Port Aransas, Texas.
After 20+ years of exploring the island, she created this site to share practical tips most visitors only learn after several trips — from the best beach access points and casual seafood restaurants to top sunset spots and dolphin-watching along the ship channel. Everything here is based on real experience and a genuine love for this little stretch of the Texas coast.
