United States
Texas (TX)
Texas Gulf Coast
Port Aransas
Things to Do in Port Aransas
San Jose Island
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San Jose Island

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See all things to do
San Jose Island
4

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
46 within 3 miles
Venetian Hot Plate
421
1 mi$$$$ • Italian • Seafood • Vegetarian Friendly
Irie's Island Food
860
1 mi$ • Quick Bites • American • Seafood
Coach’s Island Grill
86
0.9 mi$ • American • Cafe • Grill
Virginia's On The Bay
1,448
0.9 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Seafood
Roosevelt's at The Tarpon Inn
276
0.9 mi$$$$ • American • Seafood • Vegetarian Friendly
La Playa Mexican Grille
468
1 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Southwestern • Seafood
Tortuga's Saltwater Grill
150
1 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Seafood • Vegetarian Friendly
Crazy Cajun Seafood Restaurant
418
0.9 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Cajun & Creole • Seafood
The Gaff
155
0.9 mi$ • Bar • Pizza • Pub
Stingrays Taphouse and Grill
349
0.9 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pizza
See all
Attractions
20 within 6 miles
The University of Texas Marine Science Institute
198
0.5 miAquariums
Wetland Education Center
2
0.4 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Piers & Boardwalks
The Port Aransas Ferry System
884
1.6 miFerries
Port Aransas Beach
2,107
1.4 miBeaches
Roberts Point Park
105
1.2 miParks
Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center
525
2.2 miNature & Wildlife Areas
Mustang Island State Park
551
1.6 miState Parks
Port Aransas Fishermans Wharf
281
0.9 miPiers & Boardwalks
Horace Caldwell Fishing Pier
78
0.9 miPiers & Boardwalks
Port Aransas Museum & Farleys Historic Boat Shop
21
1 miHistory Museums
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See what other travelers are saying
  • Beth B
    Bel Air, Maryland86 contributions
    jetty boat to great shelling St. Jo. Island /San Jose
    The jetty boat departs from Fisherman's wharf, a short but exciting ride against the waves to the landing for about $18 per adult. Drop off and pick-up can be challenging if you do not manage time. We missed the 12:10 return by mere minutes and had to wait an additional 2 hours in the scorching sun (NO SHADE). Best case scenario would be to rent bicycles and ride at least 5 miles down the beach where the shells are larger and less picked over. San Jose Island stretches 21 miles of shore- covered in unique and beautiful shells. We recommend bringing a bucket for shells, toilet paper for the sand dune, and lots of water.
    Written March 13, 2023
  • Maps34860032624
    Indiana2 contributions
    Great time for Granny & Granddaughters
    It's a nice island with many interesting things to do. I traveled with 3 granddaughters. We rented a golf cart to get around the island and were able to do and see everything. You are able to drive on the beaches! We visited the FIRE IT! ceramics shop and the girls painted their own souvenirs of the trip. We visited the ARK tour @ The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute. This is an actual graduate level program you are able to experience, and the kiddos get to see live sea turtles. We ate at local restaurants every night-Crazy Cajon had the best seafood boil ever! They also have a tamed down version for the kids. We stayed at the Best Western which had a heated swimming pool and the girls loved being able to swim late at night. They also offered FREE cold bottled water and have a small library which we all enjoyed. It was a great trip and I would go back. It wasn't a crazy spring break party town when I was there and I was glad for that.
    Written April 5, 2023
  • savytraverlor43323
    Lino Lakes, Minnesota481 contributions
    Beautiful remote beach and good fishing
    You need to take a jetty to get to this area but it is worth it. Jetty cost is $18 for both there and back. The beach has beautiful solid sand just like the beach in Port Aransas. There is nothing there except beach. You need to bring your own supplies. Also no bathroom. We went to go shelling. Left disappointed because we didn't find any great shells like we were hoping to find. We did see some dolphins and there were about 20 people fishing along the jetty.There has been a lot of wind the last couple of days so I hope the overturned garbage cans the reason for the tons of plastic all over. Wish city did better job grabbing the garbage. It is a public beach on a privately owned island.
    Written February 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
143 reviews
Excellent
81
Very good
27
Average
18
Poor
6
Terrible
11
Steven J
Fort Worth, TX15 contributions
Trash, plastics, and debris greet you.
Jul 2021
Shocked at the amount of trash / plastics/ debris everywhere. This is not at all the deserted island utopia we were expecting ( and bitterly disappointed considering 5 passengers aboard the ferry cost $90. ) We stayed and hour and easily picked up a grocery bag full of plastic bottles, debris, you name it. If everyone visiting would bring a bag of trash back with them, maybe it would be restored to its original beauty and worth visiting again.
Written July 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MichelleGarcia84
90 contributions
Go check it out
Jun 2021 • Couples
You have to know what you are getting into going to this island, it’s primitive. No bathrooms, fresh water, etc. also no road, no hundreds of people, it’s quiet, it’s clear cool water, walk a way down the beach and you end up alone, just you and the sea birds! I love the quiet, natural beach! Tons of shell beds up near the dunes (you need to walk away from the main beach area if you plan to shell hunt) the water was so clear (in June) you could see sting rays, fish, various kinds of crabs (there are lots of crabs on the island) be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen and water. A good hat or an umbrella. Last boat off the island leaves at 6, don’t miss it or you will be staying with the snakes (yes, there are snakes in the dunes) and crabs overnight. This area is beautiful! If you go, pick up a reusable mesh trash bag, available as you board the jetty boat to get here, and leave it better than you found it. Tickets to get here are available at fishermans wharf.
Written June 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeff
Corpus Christi, TX868 contributions
I love surfing St. Joes and shell hunting
Jun 2020 • Couples
I go to St. Joes when we have had many big surf days with SE winds. It won’t be heavy there but a mellower wave that can get pretty nice. The best part is no crowds in the water or the beach. It is a nice to spend a day or less out there getting away from the crowds. Bring all food and drinks and catch the Jetty boat to and from there; was from Woody`s last time I went there. My wife likes walking the beaches while I surf since not many people are there for finding shells.
Written May 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad
Albuquerque, NM314 contributions
Tons of Seashells, Zero Crowds, Awesome
Mar 2021
We took the 5-minute ferry from Fisherman's Warf. A little spendy, but worth it.

The island itself has no one. Tons and tons and tons of seashells. There is also debris that washes ashore, but still awesome.

We took a nice long walk out onto the jetty. It is .75 miles in length. There were great views of the dolphins in the bay and ocean along the way.

Totally awesome. We'd recommend it and do it again.
Written March 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jby
Fort Worth, TX89 contributions
St. Joe's
Jul 2017
We have been going to St. Joe's Island (no one calls it San Jose) since 1970s.

We came two weeks after July 4 weekend and it was prettier than I've ever seen it.

The beach was all but deserted, compared to Port A which was packed car to car.

You buy your ferry ticket inside the store. The store has a small array of canned drinks, ice and some candy, so get your supplies elsewhere.

We brought a big-wheeled garden cart, World Market $29.00 porch umbrella that unscrews into two piece, cooler, beach blankets purchased from any of the Port A beach market stores, boogie boards, a dog, an Igloo of water and ice just for the dog, chairs and towels. And sunscreen with bug spray. Very. Important.

We walked 3,000 steps on the iwatch and came to a stretch of beach with NO ONE ON IT BUT US.

What an amazing day. The dog made it her business to keep every seagull airborne, catch every frisbee toss and learn that waves are her friend. This is as close to heaven and our Creator as you may find in the real world.

The skies were overcast in the beginning enough to shade out the most glaring rays, then cleared to azure blue. Not a jelly fish in sight. The beach was entirely free of debris. But no seashells either.

The water was more clear than any day at the beach I have ever seen before. Almost Virgin Islands clear. We actually snorkelled along the sand bar, though we didn't see anything.

Be prepared to wait for the ferry back. You'll be hot, tired, ready to be done. They run every hour until noon, then 2,4 and 6 is the last one.

Bring a hat and umbrella to wait for the ferry. The rocks are hot and the sun is unforgiving that time of day.

Stay out of the dunes. Keep the dogs out of there, too- snakes :/.

That said, the rest is bliss.

Eat at Fins -though not the grilled shrimp- stay WITH DOGS! at the cleanest place in Port A: Seashell Village.

We've been to England, Scotland, France, Italy four times, Germany, Spain, Africa and beyond. Port Aransas St. Joe is number 2, under Florence, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Loggiata Dei Serviti and the Golden View for dinner. That, my intrepid friends, is saying something.

If you come away with a whole sand dollar, that's a precious day.
Written July 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Seachell19
Buffalo, NY35 contributions
Unique experience
I'm an avid sheller so when I found out I'd be visiting Texas I knew I'd need to visit the gulf coast and began to research the best shelling spots which led me to come here. I rented a bike the night before at Big Shells and took the first ferry over. My husband and I spent the whole day riding our bikes up the beach and never saw a single soul besides birds and crabs. Sure there's trash inland but just look toward the water. The beach was mostly clear. We collected buckets from the trash and filled them with sand dollars, starfish, scotch bonnets, angel wings, lightning whelks, rose petal tellins, and more. Shells I'd only dream of finding on Sanibel were abundant here. One of my favorite memories of all time. A truly unique experience...
Written October 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ATB412
New Braunfels, TX7 contributions
Undeveloped for good reason...
Jun 2013 • Solo
This island is a pristine getaway from the hustle of the Port Aransas beach. San Jose island is undeveloped by realtors because it is owned privately and exclusively by the Bass Family of Fort Worth, who inherited the property from Sid Richardson. The family has a beautiful home and compound, runway, road system, large cattle herd, horses, and game animals on the island. Only the beaches up to the high tide mark are open to the public. I do not reccommend exploring inland, as the property does have a 24/7 security team who may not take tresspassing lightly.
Written June 19, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chastain0001
Corpus Christi, TX4 contributions
Toxic getaway!
Mar 2017 • Family
Three words.... This Place Sucks ! It breaks my heart to report that what you may be expecting will be quickly dashed by what you will truly find on the island. First, you are greeted by plastic water bottles, random trash, and decaying animal carcasses! Next, we found several large blue plastic barrels labeled as toxic chemicals. This is where all plastic goes to vacation. The tar/oil that sticks to the bottom of your feet is a lovely souvenir. Yes, this island could be a gem, but it is not maintained and has sadly been turned into a dump. Shells were not to be found as previously promised by some prior visitors. Honestly, I pray that some authority puts the heat on the land owners to clean this up ASAP!!!!!! Save your money on the ferry ride- catch a floating plastic barrel in instead.
Written March 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Corine C
Temple, TX17 contributions
Spend the Day!
May 2013 • Friends
I shouldn't be telling you this (lol) but Sunday is the best day to go. You'll practically have the beach to yourself!
Great dolphin watching in the channel and shell hunting.
Love, Love, Love St Joe's...plan our whole trip around it.
Most Important Thing...if you're spending the day, you have to pack it ALL in...there's no shade, no fresh water, no facilities At All. but you can rent a cart at the wharf and bring in a shade tent and cooler. OH...and bring something to carry the shells back in!
Written May 7, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MammieB33
24 contributions
Clear water
Jul 2017 • Family
We've been going to the Island for years and we love it! The water is always so clear. It's been awhile since we've gone because was waiting on the grandchildren to get older they are now 6&9. I wouldn't suggest going here with children any younger as its uninhabited, no Port o potties, and sadly trash can be seen scattered because some visitors don't pick up after themselves!! Ugh!! Please don't let that take away from how beautiful the beach and water are tho!! They only have a couple of Volunteers beach clean up days a year there and the beach is privately owned so no the sea weed isn't scraped off daily and trash isn't picked up daily. It's a natural beach so be prepared take a trash bag with you and please pick up a few extra pieces of trash other then your own to take back and put it in the actual trash can when you return on the ferry! Their is a trash can there but it's usually running over! As I said we've been going here for years. Mostly for the clear water and shelling. When the water is calm you can snorkel here and see fish and crabs. This trip the water wasn't calm so didn't get to snorkel as we had hoped. Since the island is uninhabited take everything you need with you!! Lots of water and drinks, snacks, shade (canopy or umbrella) you will need it!! Take lots of sunscreen and actually wear it!! Don't know why but always get more sunburned when at the island and that's wearing spf 50! I've been to the island when you can pick up lots of large sea shells and been other times when you are lucky to find 1. Time of day (go early for shelling) and year may account for it too. It's best to wake up early and go early to the island before the heat of the day! The ferry runs once an hour until 12:15 after that it's every two hours! Trust me if you've been there since 9am you don't want to miss the 12:15 or 2:15 ferry and get stuck for two more hours in the blistering sun! On your way to the island leave your room early enough to get to Fishermans warf with plenty of time so that you can rent a cart (an old wooden wagon) to pile all your beach stuff in. It's a long walk from the dock to the beach. So you'll need a cart! I've never seen this place crowded so if you want a more secluded beach this is the place! People also go here to go to the jetty to fish. We had Luck fishing there. Even caught a small hammer head shark off the jetty fishing in the channel. This time my husband did some surf fishing and caught a 32 lb Sheephead. Lots of fun!! The price to ride the ferry has gone up a lot. It's 12$ per adult and 6$ for children. Kinda pricey! But it's fun to ride the ferry boat over for a quiet day away from the crowds. It's better when the water is calm and you can snorkel but we just love going. I would have spent every day there if it wasn't so expensive. Their used to be a huge Cross set back in the dunes there. I didn't see it this time.

If your expecting sea weed free and trash pickup don't go to this place. We didn't see trash all over the beach but as mentioned the 1 trash can there was over full. Also keep in mind things wash up on the beach and their isn't anyone that picks up everyday. If you can over look that then this is a beautiful place to spend a day! Also don't miss the last ferry of the day or you'll be stuck there over night.

Items to take with you
Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, water, drinks, snacks, trash bags, umbrella or canopy, first Aide kit, beach towels. And wear shoes the sand is Hot!!
Written July 8, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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