Galveston Island is known for its great restaurants, historical charm and first-rate attractions, but it’s also a popular place to take it easy. Possibly it’s the Island mentality, but most Islanders are more casual and relaxed than people from some other places. And it doesn’t take long to adopt this easy-going attitude.

While there is a lot to do in Galveston, it’s also a place where it feels comfortable to do little. At 10.4 miles long, the seawall lining the Gulf of Mexico is the world’s longest continuous sidewalk and attracts walkers, joggers, bicyclists, surfers, sunbathers, skaters and sightseers year-round. It’s a great place to exercise or just sit to watch a flock of brown pelicans skim across the waves at sunrise.

Enjoy lots of amenities at the Island’s many spas where you can relax with a massage, facial or “manis and pedis.” Galveston provides the perfect recipe for water sports. Take generous amounts of water, add semitropical temperatures and gently stir with a sea breeze. Sailors can feel the salt spray from either the Gulf of Mexico or Galveston Bay in just minutes after setting sail. Offatts Bayou is a popular gathering spot for weekend sailors who want to weigh anchor and relax. Its protected waters are smooth sailing for one-person or two-person sailboats. When the conditions are right, the bayou’s glassy waters are good for skiing, too.

Surfers, wind surfers and kayakers test their skills against Mother Nature throughout the year on Gulf and Bay waters. Oh, did we mention the fishing? The Galveston Bay area hosts more sports fishermen than any other spot on the Texas Coast, for a good reason. More than 100 species of fish are caught here regularly, including speckled trout, redfish, flounder, golden croaker, drum and Spanish mackerel. Anglers can cast their lines wade fishing, and from rock piers and boats in either the bay or the Gulf. Seawolf Park, located on Pelican Island, is an especially busy fishing spot when the flounder are running from the Bay to the Gulf as the weather begins to cool in the fall.

The Galveston Island Yacht Basin and a number of area marinas are hot spots of maritime activity. If offshore fishing is your sport, try to land kingfish or red snapper from the Gulf’s green waters. Hire one of the many charter-fishing services for your own private fishing trip, or buy a day pass on a party boat with other anglers.

For birding, Galveston Island is one of the top locations in the U.S. Water and shore birds are common throughout the year and migrating birds during the spring and fall migrations. On dry land, outdoor sports enthusiasts can play tennis at one of 20 public courts; golf at the municipal course, Moody Gardens Golf Course or the private Galveston Country Club; play baseball or softball at one of 16 ball fields; and picnic at one of 17 public parks. Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, soccer and Little League offer Galveston youth a variety of outdoor activities.

With all of these inviting outdoor activities, there’s no excuse to be a couch potato.