South Padre Island Travel Information
White sandy beaches, warm Gulf waters and plenty of things to do
make South Padre Island a popular vacation spot, the quintessential
beach town, for Spring Breakers and families. Most restaurants, shops
and attractions are along Padre Boulevard and behind the buildings lie
the beaches, replete with marshes, sea grass and beach umbrellas.
Take a right off Queen Isabella Causeway, and you'll find
Dolphin Cruises, public beaches and the Schlitterbahn Beach Water
Park. Across the street, Sea Ranch cooks up the best seafood on the
island. A left off the Causeway puts you on the main strip, where
buildings range from high-rise hotels and office buildings to strip
malls and small storefronts. You can find standard beach fare on the
strip, but you can also rent dune buggies or even go bungee jumping.
New restaurants open every year and increase the sea-cuisine’s
variety. Then the buildings taper off, leaving only wild beaches until
the road ends at the sand dune—the sand dune’s location shifts
depending on the strength of the winds and surf. During Spring
Break, it's advisable for families to go to the Island early to avoid
the crush of college Spring Breakers at the crack of noon. While the
hotel beaches can get rowdy and standing-room-only, the public beaches
off the right of the Causeway usually retain their family atmosphere
even in the middle of Spring Break. Just before the Causeway is
Port Isabel, a historical fishing town. Towering over the town is the
recently restored Port Isabel Lighthouse, first lit in 1853. The
Lighthouse is open to the public: from the top, you can see from
Laguna Madre to beyond the Gulf of Mexico. Nighttime fishing off the
pier can't be beat. Stores and restaurants converted from (or
emulating) old beach shacks may not sound like much, but they offer
shrimp and fish (especially red snapper) pulled right out of the Gulf.
South Padre Island is accessible by Highway 100. Just cross the
Queen Isabella Causeway.
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