South Padre Island, Texas
South Padre Island is one of the nation’s favorite places for a vacation. The island is known for its sunny beach, but has so much more to offer than that. The unique charm that exudes from the island enhances the spirit of the island, luring people to return many times over to enjoy the atmosphere. Whether it is a family vacation or a group of college kids on spring break, South Padre Island welcomes everyone.
South Padre Island lies on the southernmost tip of Texas along the Mexico border, hugging the Gulf of Mexico in the south end of Padre Island, the longest Barrier Island in the world and the largest stretch of undeveloped ocean beach in North America. South Padre Island is over 34 miles long, with approximately 26 miles of it features pristine white sand with lush flora and fauna and beautiful wildlife. Those 26 miles are open for leisure, off road driving, camping, shore fishing and wildlife viewing. The other eight miles are devoted to all the necessities for a pampered life: lavish resorts, private condos, and shopping. All 34 miles of South Padre Island are designed exclusively for your pleasure.
South Padre Island is a beautiful island without a doubt, but what separates it from any other trendy vacation spot? Without question, it is the history of the island. According to some documents from the Spanish Archives, Westerners first walked the shores of Padre Island around 1519 when Spanish explorer Alonso Alvarez de Pineda surveyed the area as he charted the Gulf of Mexico for Spain. Historical evidence suggested Indians roamed the area until 1850. Historians claim that when their end came, these Indians committed suicide on Padre Island. The tribe chose death instead of slavery and conversion. These warriors killed their feeble old men, women, and children, and buried them on the mainland. They crossed back to the Island, burned their rafts, folded their arms proudly, and awaited their death by their conquerors.
Of course, any island is incomplete without a good tale of lost treasure, and rest assured South Padre Island has a good one. Four ships, laden with hundreds of passengers, silver and metals mined from the mountains of Mexico, set sail from Vera Cruz to Spain —hoping to cash in on the riches of the New World. But only one ship would make it. Caught in a raging storm in the Gulf of Mexico, three of the four ships were driven helplessly Westward, running aground on the merciless Texas coast (Padre Island). Over 300 passengers were able to make it ashore, but only two would survive an attack by cannibalistic Indians and eventually return to civilization to tell their bloody story. So what happened to the riches from the mountains of Mexico? To this day, local treasure hunters and beachcombers still find silver washed upon the shores. A dredging crew accidentally discovered two of the ships in 1954, but the third still remains a mystery. One can only imagine the riches that are still buried off the shores of the island, and the wealth it could potentially bring a tourist if they stumbled upon it.
Once you are worn out from treasure hunting, South Padre Island has something for everyone to enjoy. The Rio Grande Valley offers great golfing for all levels of skill, as well as other outdoor sports such as tennis, volleyball, and soccer. Keep in mind the warm climate allows sports normally reserved for warm months all year round. Water sports are a big deal in South Padre, especially windsurfing. The Laguna Madre bay separates South Padre Island from the Texas mainland and is recognized as one of the world's top windsurfing destinations. The sailing season off South Padre runs from September through May. Water depth varies from three to five feet, daytime winds average 18 mph, and the average yearly temperature is in the 70s. Novices and pros come to sail the bay, which features some of the fastest windsurfing speeds in North America. Aside from windsurfing, kiteboarding is fast becoming the hottest new water sport and South Padre Island offers year-round, world-class kiteboarding conditions. The Laguna Madre's waist deep water and consistent winds offer beginner to expert riders near perfect flat-water conditions to hone their skills. When you are worn out from all the watersports, I suggest stopping by The Café on the Beach. It is a beachside bistro open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I love their eggs benedict when returning from a morning run on the beach, and I suggest them to everyone. They are convenient if you never want to leave the beach. Full bar and table service is available, and they have breathtaking ocean views.
As a former student that visited the island with limited funds, my personal advice is to look at condos instead of hotels. Condos in South Padre Island typically can hold a much larger amount of people, driving down the cost of the accommodations since you are splitting it evenly amongst more people. Additionally, condos have full kitchens (you can make simple meals to save you even more money) and they let you bring in your own alcohol so you don't have to buy expensive pool drinks, and are often times about as nice as Presidential Suite in many hotels. Some condos to consider in South Padre Island are Inverness (where we stayed), Galleon Bay, and Saida Towers -- all very popular spring break locales. Be sure to make your reservations early, as bookings fill up fast in South Padre Island.
Texas Tourist Guide - South Padre Island
South Padre Island lies on the southernmost tip of Texas along the Mexico border, hugging the Gulf of Mexico in the south end of Padre Island, the longest Barrier Island in the world and the largest stretch of undeveloped ocean beach in North America. South Padre Island is over 34 miles long, with approximately 26 miles of it features pristine white sand with lush flora and fauna and beautiful wildlife. Those 26 miles are open for leisure, off road driving, camping, shore fishing and wildlife viewing. The other eight miles are devoted to all the necessities for a pampered life: lavish resorts, private condos, and shopping. All 34 miles of South Padre Island are designed exclusively for your pleasure.
South Padre Island is a beautiful island without a doubt, but what separates it from any other trendy vacation spot? Without question, it is the history of the island. According to some documents from the Spanish Archives, Westerners first walked the shores of Padre Island around 1519 when Spanish explorer Alonso Alvarez de Pineda surveyed the area as he charted the Gulf of Mexico for Spain. Historical evidence suggested Indians roamed the area until 1850. Historians claim that when their end came, these Indians committed suicide on Padre Island. The tribe chose death instead of slavery and conversion. These warriors killed their feeble old men, women, and children, and buried them on the mainland. They crossed back to the Island, burned their rafts, folded their arms proudly, and awaited their death by their conquerors.
Of course, any island is incomplete without a good tale of lost treasure, and rest assured South Padre Island has a good one. Four ships, laden with hundreds of passengers, silver and metals mined from the mountains of Mexico, set sail from Vera Cruz to Spain —hoping to cash in on the riches of the New World. But only one ship would make it. Caught in a raging storm in the Gulf of Mexico, three of the four ships were driven helplessly Westward, running aground on the merciless Texas coast (Padre Island). Over 300 passengers were able to make it ashore, but only two would survive an attack by cannibalistic Indians and eventually return to civilization to tell their bloody story. So what happened to the riches from the mountains of Mexico? To this day, local treasure hunters and beachcombers still find silver washed upon the shores. A dredging crew accidentally discovered two of the ships in 1954, but the third still remains a mystery. One can only imagine the riches that are still buried off the shores of the island, and the wealth it could potentially bring a tourist if they stumbled upon it.
Once you are worn out from treasure hunting, South Padre Island has something for everyone to enjoy. The Rio Grande Valley offers great golfing for all levels of skill, as well as other outdoor sports such as tennis, volleyball, and soccer. Keep in mind the warm climate allows sports normally reserved for warm months all year round. Water sports are a big deal in South Padre, especially windsurfing. The Laguna Madre bay separates South Padre Island from the Texas mainland and is recognized as one of the world's top windsurfing destinations. The sailing season off South Padre runs from September through May. Water depth varies from three to five feet, daytime winds average 18 mph, and the average yearly temperature is in the 70s. Novices and pros come to sail the bay, which features some of the fastest windsurfing speeds in North America. Aside from windsurfing, kiteboarding is fast becoming the hottest new water sport and South Padre Island offers year-round, world-class kiteboarding conditions. The Laguna Madre's waist deep water and consistent winds offer beginner to expert riders near perfect flat-water conditions to hone their skills. When you are worn out from all the watersports, I suggest stopping by The Café on the Beach. It is a beachside bistro open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I love their eggs benedict when returning from a morning run on the beach, and I suggest them to everyone. They are convenient if you never want to leave the beach. Full bar and table service is available, and they have breathtaking ocean views.
As a former student that visited the island with limited funds, my personal advice is to look at condos instead of hotels. Condos in South Padre Island typically can hold a much larger amount of people, driving down the cost of the accommodations since you are splitting it evenly amongst more people. Additionally, condos have full kitchens (you can make simple meals to save you even more money) and they let you bring in your own alcohol so you don't have to buy expensive pool drinks, and are often times about as nice as Presidential Suite in many hotels. Some condos to consider in South Padre Island are Inverness (where we stayed), Galleon Bay, and Saida Towers -- all very popular spring break locales. Be sure to make your reservations early, as bookings fill up fast in South Padre Island.
Texas Tourist Guide - South Padre Island
