Right on the water at the southern tip of downtown, the Emerald presents guests with tough choices between the sand, the hotel's two bars and its indoor pool. It’s looking a little careworn, but the location is hard to beat. Most rooms have balconies, but 1st-floor rooms in the annex open onto a shared walkway above the beach.
Emerald Beach Hotel
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.2 MILES
Learn about Gulf Coast marine life, just across from downtown at the southern end of North Beach. Three large handling tanks let you get close to sharks,…
2.31 MILES
Moored just north of the ship channel and aquarium, this 900ft-long aircraft carrier dominates Corpus Christi bay. The Lexington served in the Pacific…
1.99 MILES
Enjoying a spectacular seafront setting, across from the Museum of Science & History, this modern museum focuses on changing exhibitions of contemporary…
1.7 MILES
Originally a neighborhood of old homes, Heritage Park has morphed into a theme park of old homes. A dozen Corpus houses, from humble to grand and dating…
8.36 MILES
Overlooking Oso Bay, this city-run nature reserve of 162 acres has 4 miles of trails to wander. The surrounding wetlands are a haven for birdlife, and…
Padre Island National Seashore
21.62 MILES
The 60 southern miles of 'North' Padre Island that lie beyond Corpus Christi city limits are protected within the Padre Island National Seashore…
15.35 MILES
This well-equipped park covers 4000 acres and has 5.5 miles of beach. It is popular with surfers, but given the normally calm nature of the gulf you may…
Fulton Mansion State Historical Park
29.06 MILES
This imposing 1870s mansion comes as a surprise amid other more modern – and modest – shorefront buildings. It was built by George Fulton, who was clever…
Nearby attractions
0.68 MILES
This is the least exciting of the three main piers for visitors, but the views back towards downtown are nice.
0.88 MILES
Once a small display area tucked inside Surf Club Records, this museum has now taken over completely with a range of displays on the history of surfing in…
0.89 MILES
Home to a view, a few chain restaurants and the luckless Niña Ship Replica.
1.05 MILES
The life-sized statue of late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez (1971–95) still draws an estimated 30,000 well-wishers every year more than two…
1.09 MILES
The busy fleet of shipping boats that dock here, along with the various restaurants and activities that have set up shop on the jetty, make this the most…
1.11 MILES
This small space hosts contemporary-art exhibitions, which rotate every four to six weeks, with a penchant for emerging artists. The often-provocative…
1.7 MILES
Originally a neighborhood of old homes, Heritage Park has morphed into a theme park of old homes. A dozen Corpus houses, from humble to grand and dating…
1.88 MILES
This small but well-curated museum is worth a look if you have an interest in art from across South and Southeast Asia, but particularly from Japan. There…