Michael J. Ellis Beach(North Padre Seawall, North Padre Sea Wall, Padre Island Seawall Beach, Seawall Beach)

Located on Padre Island in Southern Texas, Michael J. Ellis Beach – also called North Padre Seawall Beach and Padre Island Seawall Beach – is a beach with light brown sand and a nearby seawall. 

Michael J. Ellis Beach and the area around it offers many amenities including lifeguards, showers, restrooms, changing rooms, and rental facilities for sunbeds and beach supplies.  Dogs that are either trained to follow voice commands or are on a leash are allowed here. 

Michael J. Ellis Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, picnicking, swimming, boating, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, skimboarding, jet-skiing, wake-boarding, water-skiing, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and wildlife watching.

This beach is ideal for surfers because the clear and shallow water here occasionally offers fun surfing waves.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, surf, or windsurf here, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents. In addition, jellyfish also live near this beach and are known to cause painful stings.

If you like beachcombing, you can find a variety of interesting shells at this beach.  In addition, small bonfires are also allowed here and this beach offers a fun waterfront bonfire experience.  There is also a cement walkway near this beach that offers a fun waterfront jogging experience.

Michael J. Ellis Beach has a wheelchair-friendly ramp for visitors with disabilities. In addition, this beach also offers beach wheelchairs to disabled visitors between 12 pm to 5 pm.  If you want to use a beach wheelchair, you can contact Corpus Christi’s Parks and Recreation Department at (361) 826-4180 for more information regarding availing beach wheelchairs.

Getting to Michael J. Ellis Beach is easy – this beach is located near 14926 Windward Drive and there is a free parking lot near this beach.  This beach is easily accessible from Texas State Highway 358.

If you are planning to visit Michael J. Ellis Beach, we recommend being careful because there has recently been a rise in cases of coyote attacks around this beach.  In addition, the water here is also known to sometimes have a lot of trash and high amounts of seaweed.

This beach officially received its current name – Michael J. Ellis Beach – in 2011 and it was named after Michael J. Ellis, who was the former operator of a local newspaper named Island Moon.

There are many attractions near Michael J. Ellis Beach.  Mustang Island State Park is a state park that has a beach namedMustang Island State Park Beach and it also offers many fun activities including sunbathing, swimming, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, camping, geocaching, hiking, biking, and wildlife watching.  The state park also has a vibrant coastal dune landscape and you can see many unique kinds of animals here including green sea turtles, rare aplomado falcons, pocket gophers, and crabs.  Padre Island National Seashore is a waterfront 70 mile-long protected coastal area that has multiple beaches including Padre Island North Beach, Little Shell Beach, Big Shell Beach, Padre Island South Beach, Closed Beach and Malaquite Beach.  This national seashore offers many fun activities including sunbathing, kayaking, canoeing, boating, swimming, camping, hiking, wildlife watching, biking, and fishing. 

In The Game Funtrackers is an amusement park that offers many fun rides and things to explore including go-karts, bumper boats, a laser maze, and an arcade.  Lakeview Park is a recreational park that offers a duck pond and it also has many other amenities including a playground, a walking trail, benches, and picnic areas.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve and Learning Center is a preserve that has many amenities including an amphitheater, a bird sculpture, a playground, hiking trails, a pavilion, restrooms, and a learning center.  This preserve offers a fun way to explore the local coastal wetland landscape and it also offers a unique insight into the local biodiversity. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Michael J. Ellis Beach within a 25-minute drive.  Black Sheep Bistro offers a variety of excellent dishes including pork chops, steaks, pastas, risotto, burger, seafood, and salads.  Ol’ Steakhouse Co. is a steakhouse that is known for serving outstanding steaks, along with many other delicious dishes for lunch and dinner including chicken dishes, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, and pastas.  Doc’s Seafood & Steaks is known for excellent seafood and steaks, along with excellent soups, salads, chicken dishes, burgers, sandwiches, and tacos.  New York Pizza Company offers amazing pizzas and it also serves delicious chicken wings, salads, pastas, and garlic bread.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near the beach, Catfish Charlie’s is known for serving excellent catfish and it also serves amazing Southern-style dishes including gumbo, Southern-style seafood, and chicken fried steak.

If you are looking for a hotel near Michael J. Ellis Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Omni Corpus Christi Hotel is a 40-minute drive away and offers many amenities including a pool, multiple restaurants, a pool, racquetball courts, gift shops, fitness center, and a salon.  A more affordable accommodation option is Lively Beach – this condominium complex offers many amenities including a boardwalk, a pool, sunloungers, rooftop sundecks, and barbecue areas.  Another moderately priced hotel is the 3-Star Wyndham Corpus Christi Resort North Padre Island that offers many amenities including a pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and a gift shop.  The 3-Star Holiday Inn Express & Suites Corpus Christi-N Padre Island, an IHG Hotel is another moderately priced hotel that offers many amenities including a pool, a whirlpool, a fitness center, and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Hawthorn Suites By Wyndham Corpus Christi Padre offers many amenities including a fitness room, a convenience store, and complimentary breakfast.