Rio Grande Valley Travel Information
The Rio Grande Valley, on the southernmost tip of Texas, is a
semi-tropical paradise that borders Mexico and includes the Gulf Coast
shores. Palm trees and orchards of citrus trees line the roads.
Luscious, locally grown citrus fruit and vegetables are readily
available at roadside stands, including juicy red Valley grapefruits
and sweet Texas Vidalia onions. The area's year-round pleasant
weather brings flocks of Winter Texans escaping the Northern cold. It
also brings flocks of birds. The Valley is a flyway between North and
South America, creating some of the best birding and butterflying
opportunities in the country. To keep these populations healthy and
coming, National Wildlife Refuges have been established throughout the
region. The largest city in the Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville
is a mixture of American and Mexican cultures, which is reflected in
the area’s festivals, architecture and cuisine. A short walk across
the border to Matamoros lets you experience first-hand the exotic
sights, sounds and shopping of Mexico. In February, birders from
around the world come for the Brownsville International Birding
Festival. Dozens of colorful murals depicting its multicultural
heritage decorate buildings in Harlingen. A walking tour of downtown
Harlingen will bring you within the blend of New and Old World
influences. Also, birders can only be pleased with one more event just
for them, the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. Just a few
minutes away from McAllen are the Mexico border towns of Reynosa and
Nuevo Progreso. Shops and markets are filled with unique creations in
hand-blown glass, jewelry, ceramics and more. Don’t miss the exquisite
cuisine and refreshing margaritas. McAllen itself is another nature
lover's paradise: it's home to the 588-acre Bentsen-Rio Grande State
Park, and six wildlife refuges are within an hour's drive. Birders,
ever unable to get enough of the Rio Grande, flock to this area to
view Mexican species that rarely venture further north. The Rio
Grande Valley is the tip of Texas, at the end of U.S. 77/83.
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