Most people who think of traveling to Texas and taking a ride will probably imagine themselves on top of a horse. But in Corpus Christi, it’s all about kiteboarding. With 192 square miles of shoreline along the beautiful Corpus Christi Bay, a growing community of locals are making the sport a mainstay for beach visitors. The gentle winds along the coast create ideal conditions for beginners and experts alike, and getting out on a kite offers unbeatable views of this gorgeous, semitropical bay. A handful of schools, like Kite Academy, give lessons.

If you’re looking for a stunningly picturesque swimming hole, look no further. Located in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin, Hamilton Pool is a natural pool created by the collapse of an underground river. The river’s dome—or ceiling—fell in due to erosion thousands of years ago, and left a grotto-like pool with overhanging walls and a waterfall. (It’s so striking that Terrence Malick used it in his 2011 film, The Tree of Life.) Legend has it an eight-year-old boy “discovered” it in the 1880s after his German immigrant parents bought the surrounding property, but the Tonkawa and Lipan Apaches lived in the area before the 19th century, and likely made use of this beautiful fresh water pool. Today it’s open to the public, and can be accessed by a short hike from a parking lot and trailhead. 

In San Marcos, a city northeast of San Antonio, mermaids aren’t just the stuff of children’s books and Disney movies—they’re real. Here, a squad of “aquamaids” formed in the 1950’s at Aquarena Springs theme park. These young women, outfitted like mermaids, used hoses to breathe underwater and performed synchronized swimming and underwater ballet for awe-struck visitors. While their performances stopped in the 1990s, their story still remained dear to local residents. In 2016, the Mermaid Society of Texas was created to “foster harmony between environmental sustainability, the arts, and economic growth.” Every year, San Marcos puts on The Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest, which features a parade and Mermaid Art Ball, which has allowed the mermaid to remain a local mascot. Once the mermaids have inspired you, head out on the San Marcos River on a kayak or floating tube, and practice your synchronized swimming moves.

On this barrier island off the coast of south Texas, you’ll find an unexpected surfing destination. While it might not boast the mega-waves of Hawaii or California, you can have a great time renting a surfboard or taking a lesson from the South Padre Surf Company, which offers one of the best ways to get to know the local waters: standing—or attempting to—on a board. They are Texas’ first surf school, and their teachers are surfing aficionados eager to share their passion. These easy waters are an ideal learning spot for beginners and kids. And when you’re done, South Padre Island offers plenty of resort-town amenities like hotels, restaurants, and parks

This nature preserve is one of Texas’ hidden wonders. Along the Gulf Coast near the Louisiana border lay 4,141 acres of marshland and beach, which has long been a destination for bird watchers and sun worshippers alike. Here you can catch sight of the once-endangered and still-captivating roseate spoonbill, a shockingly pink bird that has found safe harbor in the state park’s waters. After going for a walk along one of the park’s many trails, hit its five miles of beaches for an afternoon near the water, far from the bustle of the city.

If you’re looking for a little more art and architecture with your aquatic activity, hitch a ride to Fort Worth’s modernist Water Gardens. Here, architect Philip Johnson’s system of pools creates a concrete archipelago. The park opened on its four-acre site in downtown Fort Worth in 1974, in an area once known as Hell’s Half-Acre thanks to its profusion of brothels and saloons. Today, you’ll find a meditative, calming area surrounded by trees, where you can take a break from the bustle and heat of downtown. There are a few pools to experience: the meditation pool, which is all peace and tranquility; the aeration pool, whose 40 nozzles are constantly spraying hundreds of gallons of water and creating a gentle mist; and the Active Pool, the gardens’ centerpiece, whose steps end at a vortex of water below. The latter was used in the 1976 film Logan’s Run, giving the site a bit of sci-fi credibility.

Just as you don’t need to fly to the pacific to learn to surf, you don’t need to abscond to a far-off island to learn to scuba: you can do it right here, in the waters of Terrell, Texas. Here on a 22-acre, spring-fed lake, you can learn to scuba dive in waters as deep as 65 feet. This family-owned operation has been teaching locals and tourists to scuba for over 20 years, and offering a rare opportunity for scuba aficionados to hit the waters without hitting the coast. Scuba Ranch offers Scuba certification, which you’ll need to get if you want to use their facilities; however, if you’re more of a snorkeler, they also offer snorkel rentals for those not certified. The surrounding park also includes outdoor space where you can grill and enjoy nature above-ground. If you’re on a scuba mission here, don’t miss Sisco the shark, the park mascot and 51-foot metal shark who hangs out 22 feet below water—his mouth is constantly open, but swimming through it is certified safe.

If you want to get off the beaten path, head to this beautiful 70-foot waterfall in the Colorado Bend State Park in the Texas Hill Country two hours northwest of Austin. The fall, which is fed by the Colorado River that gives the park its name, sits among beautiful moss-covered rocks. You can reach it by a three-mile round-trip hike, of moderate difficulty, with a bit of rough and rocky terrain. You can also camp and fish nearby, in and along the river.

Here you’ll find some of the clearest water that the state of Texas has to offer. Possum Kingdom Lake, situated in the rugged Brazos River Valley, was the first reservoir built in the Brazos River Basin. It’s a popular spot for boating, water skiing, fishing, and swimming—some even scuba here.

While the story of the lake’s name is debated, most believe it came from Ike Sablosky, a Russian Jewish immigrant who arrived in Mineral Wells, TX in 1905. His best hunters worked in the Brazos Valley, which Sablosky began calling the “possum kingdom.” Luckily, a day spent out on the lake is unlikely to put you face to face with any real-life possums.