Texas Beach Getaway on Mustang Island is a Charmer
Seven hours south of Dallas, Texas is a magical place on the coast of Corpus Christi. It’s called Mustang Island. On a relatively remote setting are the new Lively Beach resort condominiums that are dog-friendly.Â
Set amidst 46-acres of which 35 are the surrounding marshland conservation, and the other 11 have modern 3-story buildings beachside condominiums. The views are stunning. Starting from the complex grounds is a wooden boardwalk leading through the dunes to the vast expanse of the beach.Â
It is a flat beach, allowing for cars to park on it. Miles and miles of beach. The resort offers rental golf carts outfitted with a cooler seating up to six people to explore the area. The only time we saw cars was on a windy day when the windsurfers parked to come out and do acrobatic feats on the windswept ocean.
I was there to celebrate my birthday in January 2021. We practically had the place to ourselves. We brought our 60-lb Siberian Husky who enjoyed her first visit to the ocean.Â
Our studio unit came well equipped with a full kitchen, lots of storage space, all the utensils and cookware needed. There was a queen size comfortable bed with a large window to lay back and enjoy the view outside. Large TV, desk with chair, futon sofa, end tables, and a large bathroom made it feel relaxing and enjoyable. Note that all dog-friendly units are on the bottom floor only.
Upstairs, on the third floor are the largest units which get a panoramic vista of the ocean. Also up top of the buildings are many open seating areas to relax and unwind and hang out.
The complex has a huge swimming pool. Adjacent to that is the fire pit area with large Adirondack chairs. We roasted marshmallows one starry night with no one around.Â
The main common area has several outdoor grills with tables and benches, even including an outdoor sink. Plenty of prep space to make a feast for family and friends to gather and enjoy.Â
Mixed throughout the open area are more Adirondack chairs as well as bean bag toss gameboards, and other assorted outdoor games. As you go up the steps to get to the boardwalk, you’ll discover tables tucked away allowing for further expansive views of the terrain. Never felt crowded the way its designed.
We walked about a mile south to the nearby jetty to do some interesting bird-watching. Egrets and Pelicans abound because of the handful of fishermen whom they might steal a fish from. The sidewalk leads inland parallel to the jetty making for a long walk through the natural marsh area and back around to the entrance of the complex.Â
If you get in your car to explore the area further, you can go south to Padre Island or north to Port Aransas. We did both on different days. We found another resort a few miles up the road that had its own village of shops and restaurants. We stopped to eat at an Italian restaurant.
Even though the location feels remote, civilization is just a 10-minute ride over the bridge to Corpus Christi. There you can shop for groceries, or find restaurants and other shops.Â
It’s an ideal location to relax and getaway from it all. Right on the beach, away from traffic, noise, and lights. Sunsets are magnificent.Â
The other big plus to this resort is that it was built responsibly and sustainably. The landscape was made to be drought resistant. No pesticides are used. Ten-thousand paver bricks were repurposed to build garden walls and patios instead of thrown in a landfill. Water is filtered and reused for filling the ground water table. The structures were built to withstand 285 mph winds as well as withstand above flood levels. There are also EV charging stations.
That said, the only thing I worry about is the possibility of flooding in the coming decades. I used this tool to zero in on Mustang Island. It looks like it can get flooded by 2040. Hopefully, before then, the developer and the city of Corpus Christi figure out ways to mitigate climate change flooding. I want to be able to go back and visit Lively Beach in the years to come.
