Port Lavaca on Texas Time Travel
April 9, 2025
Great birding opportunities abound throughout the coastal community of Port Lavaca, making it a favored destination for birders expanding their “life” lists. Port Lavaca’s Formosa Wetlands Walkway and Alcoa Birding Tower along the Lavaca Bay shores provide an easy and relaxed way to become familiar with the region’s wetland and shorebird species, allowing birders to explore the surrounding saltmarsh environment without getting their feet wet. Port Lavaca, established in the early 1840s and now serving as Calhoun County seat, features the restored Half Moon Reef Lighthouse, first installed above a submerged shoal along the eastern side of nearby Matagorda Bay in 1858 to signal safe passage to mariners sailing into the bays from the Gulf of Mexico. The Calhoun County Museum explores the history of the Texas Mid-Gulf Coast, including the nearby town of Indianola, lost to a hurricane in 1886. Community theatre is alive and well in Port Lavaca, and the restored Main Street Theatre offers a lively performance series several weekends throughout the year.