Texas Coastal Bend Visitor Information

Refugio, Texas

Ranches and stately restored homes befitting Texas oilmen and cattlemen are at every turn in Refugio County.

Mansions and Antiques

Located on one of the main travel routes between Houston and Corpus Christi, Refugio has the elegance of the Old South with its mansions built in the 1870s through the turn of the century. The styles range from primitive Greek Revival to elaborate Victorian. Antiques stores in town are a goldmine. 

The ranches began as Spanish land grants, settled by Irish colonists.

Oil and gas brought boom days to the county in the 1920s and 1930s and oil production continues to be a top industry. Several local ranches have opened their doors to overnight stays, hunting expeditions or just a ranch experience for "city slickers".

Bird Alert

Green Kingfishers (rare bird alert) call the Lions Club Park their home. Some ranches, located on the Great Texas Birding Trail, are open to the public and boast more than 400 species of birds and a variety of wildlife. Farm and ranch stores offer saddles, birdhouses or cowhides for the unique souvenir.