Remember the year you went to Disney and didn’t have enough money to buy those blingy personalized Mickey ears? Or the year you went to Steamboat Springs for a week, but only had enough money to pay for three days of ski passes? Budgeting for your vacations is a very adult but extremely vital part of the vacation experience, and because we at The Dunes don’t want you to miss out on anything fun and exciting during your Port Aransas vacation, we have prepared this guide to budgeting for your 2025 Texas escape to Port A. Happy planning!
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Parking, Fishing Licenses, and Pier Fees
We are starting small and leading up to the bigger expenses, because as every traveler knows, every penny counts, and you don’t want to forget to budget for the smaller expenses as well. Parking at the beaches of Port Aransas will cost you a one time $12 fee; it’s an annual fee, so if you plan on returning again in 2025, keep your receipt and you won’t have to budget it in a second time. If you are planning on fishing during your stay (and we will get into more on fishing later), you will need to purchase a fishing license for $16 per person for an all water type, meaning you can fish in salt water or fresh water. These can be purchased online if you want to be prepared and have your license before you arrive, or you can pick one up at the Family IGA once you arrive. And finally, the Horace Caldwell Pier has been a historic part of our Port A lifestyle since opening day in 1962, but if you want to check out all it has to offer, just know that it costs $3 per person and $4 per pole to experience it to its fullest.
Let’s Talk Food
Part of the reason you chose The Dunes for your Port Aransas vacation escape was the fully equipped kitchens that allow you to save a few bucks by eating at home, but you don’t want to skip the restaurant landscape altogether. Texas food is delicious and you deserve to indulge, and fortunately, most local restaurants run in the $10 to $20 range, keeping your food budget easily in check. Enjoy Texas barbecue in MacDaddy’s Family Kitchen (118 Beach Street), Tex-Mex at Cancun Grill & Cantina (1023 TX-361 E), and a thick and juicy steak at Blue Water Cowboy Saloon & Mercantile (229 Beach Street), all without breaking your budget. If you do want to indulge in a special occasion meal, however, you can plan on spending between $50 to $100 for a decadent seafood dinner at The Phoenix Restaurant & Bar, located at 3500-A Island Moorings Parkway. Fresh, sweet, and locally sourced, the ambience, the service, and the food make this place one of our favorite spots to celebrate in, especially when we can get a patio table with views of the harbor.
Here for the Fish
Port Aransas is known as the Fishing Capital of Texas, and as such, a large portion of travelers are here for the fish. You have choices, of course, on how much you can spend on this activity, keeping it low price and low key by fishing from the Port Aransas jetty for free, except for the cost of the fishing license, of course, and we have already discussed the $4 per pole costs of fishing from the Horace Caldwell Pier. But if heed the siren’s call of the deep waters, you can plan on spending thousands of dollars for a multiday trip into deep waters or as little as $54 for a 3.5-hour bay fishing expedition, both of which are offered by many local charter companies. The $12,000 expedition, offered by Coastal Charters, 900 Tarpon Street, is truly a luxury experience lasting 36 hours on a 56’ Hatteras Convertible Yacht, taking guests out 150 to 175 miles into the deep waters where yellowfin, blackfin, and blue marlin will be the catch of the day. Deep Sea Headquarters, located at 440 W Cotter Avenue, offers the lower priced charter, as well as some more extensive and expensive ones.
Saving Money with The Dunes
Your Port Aransas sanctuary, however, doesn’t have to take the largest hit out of your budget, even as you have chosen The Dunes and our luxury rentals in Port Aransas for your accommodations. Reasonably priced, especially when you consider the luxury amenities we offer, it can be cheaper to rent one of our Port Aransas condo rentals on the beach than it can be to rent a hotel. When you figure in how you can eat at home whenever you like and the fact that we don’t charge parking fees, you can save your pennies for the more expensive stuff when you choose The Dunes. Reserve your favorite today!