Travel + Leisure Names Port A Runner Up Best Small Beach Town!

Port A is Back on the List of 'America's Best Small Towns' for 2023

On the heels of Port Aransas making  the Travel + Leisure list of "Best Small Towns in Texas," our hometown has made the esteemed travel magazine's list of "America's Best Small Towns" of 2023 as a Runner Up for Best Small Beach Town!

Boca Grande on Gasperlla Island, Florida, earned the top spot, but Writer Cynthia J. Drake gave a nod to Port Aransas as the only other winner in the Small Beach Town category. She captures the heritage of the town.

"Port Aransas located on a stretch of North Padre barrier island 40 miles east of downtown Corpus Christi, has long been cherished by Texans as a relaxed getaway for beachgoers and anglers."

Her piece touts the new  Patton Center for Marine Science Education, where visitors learn about local wildlife and sea creatures, along with its free admission. As fans of Cinnamon Shore and Port Aransas know, the new education center is just one the beach town's many options for activities. Beyond the peak season roster of events at Cinnamon Shore, where families can take sandcastle lessons, hear live music, or book beach yoga, the city we call home offers rich fishing waters and other attractions, as noted by Cynthia's article:

"For an ideal getaway, take professional sandcastle lessons; sail a jetty out to secluded San José Island; and zoom across the beach in a rental golf cart. On weekends, participate in a lighthearted local tradition: belt sander races at The Gaff...”

It's a feather in the city's cap to get this mention, and we're proud to contribute to the options in Port A for luxe accommodations with resort amenities. As Cinnamon Shore grows, it's attracting new families from Texas and the South with more beach homes, more on-site restaurants, and new amenities including pickle balls courts at Cinnamon Shore South, new fishing ponds and pavilions, more parks, and more.

Why A Small Town Category?

The editors at Travel + Leisure want to highlight the byways and lesser known vacation destination, which sometimes offer the biggest surprises. Here's the background:

"We launched America’s Best Small Towns to shine a spotlight on the lesser-visited destinations we want you, our readers, to know about this year, be it for natural beauty and outdoor adventure (think beaches, mountains, lakes, and deserts), or specific topics of interest, such as great restaurants or vineyards, interesting culture, and soothing wellness experiences.

We’ve selected winners and runners up across seven small town categories to let you in on our travel secrets. We hope they inspire you to go out and get to know the places that are quietly making our country such a wonderful place to explore."

Stay at Cinnamon Shore

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Published on Tuesday, September 26, 2023