Susan Brown
Gulf Coast to Golf Course
South Padre Island Area Guide
The electrifying island expanse of South Padre is one of the nation’s favorite vacation getaways offering sun, sea, and sand. South Padre Island is a thirty four mile long peninsula located on the southern tip of Texas extending into the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Known by locals for decades as the best kept secret in the Lone Star State, the island’s white sand and high-end condominium homes have, in recent history, become some of the most highly regarded and fiercely pursued development property in the country. South Padre features lavish resorts, delectable restaurants, exotic retail shops, sensational clubs, and incredible recreational opportunities!
History
South Padre is the largest stretch of undeveloped ocean beach in North America and the longest Barrier Island in the world. Until recently, its lush forested shorelines and pristine beaches were reserved for the small collection of locals in-the-know.
The earliest adventurers to arrive in the area were Spanish Explorers led by Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, who charted the island as the White Island, or “Isla Blanca,” on a map in 1519.
Native American Karankawa Tribes inhabited the land for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the Spanish, and roamed the area as recently as the mid-19th Century before stubbornly refusing assimilation and defying their European conquers by instead choosing self-imposed demise.
By the early 19th Century, the Mexican government had begun to dole out land grants to potential settlers. One such settler was Padre Jose Nicolas Balli, who worked alongside his nephew to establish the “Rancho Santa Cruz” on the current site of Padre Island. This settlement became a ranching operation populated by considerable herds of cattle, horses, and mules.
The history of South Padre is also littered with fables and myths of legendary shipwrecks filled with treasure and precious goods. It is rumored that millions of dollars remain hidden at the floor of the Gulf of Mexico to this day.
In 1846, Port Isabel became an important military encampment in the skirmish between Texans and their foes in the Mexican War. This island port became an important trading and supply depot for the US Military and also served as temporary home for famous US figures such as Zachary Taylor, Robert E. Lee, William Sherman, Abner Doubleday, and James K. Polk.
By the dawn of the 20th Century, South Padre was still a remote, undisturbed and undeveloped fishing village referred to as being “at the end of the world” by President Harding. At this time, reports of automobile size fish and turtles became common.
The 1940’s saw the establishment of a US Air Force Base near West South Padre adjacent to the Laguna Madre where fighter aircraft were docked and tested. South Padre also served as an exotic location for Hollywood film productions and television shows.
At the onset of the 1970’s, South Padre became one of the most frequented tourist locations in the country, with hundreds of thousand of visitors arriving each year to enjoy the sun and sea of Texas’ “best kept secret.”
Today, settlement has continued, slowly transforming South Padre from a quaint fishing village to a rapidly developing vacation oasis.
Florida International University’s Dr. Stephen Leatherman, or Dr. Beach, has aptly named South Padre one of the three best beaches in the United States as millions of visitors have made it one of the most frequently enjoyed stretches of exotic escape in the world!
Parks and Recreation
South Padre Island Golf Club
With every bend and dip of their pristine fairways, Landmark Land’s South Padre Island Golf Club demonstrates their reputation as one of the finest clubs in the Rio Grande Valley. Offering special vacation packages, membership benefits, and years of proven leadership and innovation, this outstanding recreational oasis nestled amongst naturalistic splendor has attracted enthusiasts from across the region for more than thirty-five years!
Cameron County is arguably the fastest growing metropolitan area in Texas, and goes to great lengths to extend a warm welcome to both its seasonal visitors and permanent residents. As home to the most beautiful beaches in the state, South Padre offers something for everyone, including roughly a dozen finely appointed public parks fit with hiking, fishing, water skiing, and more. South Padre offers safe, high-quality outdoor opportunities to its visitors along the finest coastline in Texas!
Cameron County Parks and Recreation
33174 State Park Road 100
South Padre Island, TX 78597-6409
Phone: (956) 761-3704
Isla Blanca Park
Widely considered the crowned jewel of the immaculately maintained South Padre Island system, this one mile stretch of white sand beach offers a plethora of water front facilities, amenities, and opportunities including jetty fishing, surfing, boating, and swimming. The beach offers webcam views of the pristine beaches to allow guests to check conditions before visiting, and also includes the esteemed Las Cabanas residence cabins which feature air conditioning, ceiling fans, bunk beds, kitchens, and patios.
Andy Bowie Park
This campsite located near the South Padre Convention center borders the Laguna Madre Nature Trail and offers camping, rental facilities, group rentals, private beaches, as well as horseback riding, beachfront access, and off road adventures! The bayside of the park offers water-front activities from fishing, to parasailing, to windsurfing.
Adolph Thomae Jr. County Park
This gated resort near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge offers lit fishing piers, picnic areas, playgrounds, barbeque pits, boat ramps, nature trails, and a thirty five lot RV park along the gorgeous unfettered shoreline of South Padre’s most unique public park along the palm fringed Arroyo Coastline.
Edwin K. Atwood Park
Located just a mile from Andy Bowie Park, this public facility offers beachfront pavilions, concession stands, beach access, and twenty miles of immaculate shorelines.
South Padre KOA
1 Padre Boulevard, South Padre Island
Phone: (956) 761-5665
http://www.southpadrekoa.com/
Peninsula Island Resort & Spa
340 Padre Blvd, South Padre Island
Phone: (956) 761-6095
Tarpon RV Park & Marina
226 Basin Street, Port Isabel
Phone: (956) 943-2040
http://www.tarponrvpark.com/
Laguna Seca Park
1338 Texas 100, Laguna Vista
Phone: (956) 943-6578
Palo Alto Battlefield
Brownsville, Texas
Phone: (956) 541-2785
Attractions and Activities
Schlitterbahn Beach Water-park
For good reason, the proprietors of this breathtaking amusement park are known as the first family in water-parks. They have pioneered unique and adrenaline pumping technologies to elate the masses; whether you’re a seasoned water slide enthusiast or out for a sun soaked day of relaxation in one of the park’s numerous tide pools and winding rivers, this Beach front water-park is sure to offer an amenity fit to make your day.
Sea Turtle, Inc.
Come face-to-face with these majestic inhabitants of the deep in an expansive exhibit founded in 1977 by the “turtle-lady” aimed as rescuing and preserving these wonderful creatures. Proceeds from the attraction go to sea turtle conservation as well as endowments to assist biology students as they build the skills to work for turtle advocacy.
Dolphin Research and Sea Life Nature Center
The electrifying tanks and habitats built and maintained by the caring professionals of the Dolphin Research and Sea Life Center support rehabilitating examples of shore birds, marine life, aquatic mammals, turtles, colorful sea-shells, and much more! Ideal for class trips or family outings, this fantastic collection of educational resources and professionals provides boat tours, interactive exhibits, and even travelling field trips allowing the excitement to come right to your door! http://spisealife.org
Sandcastle Lessons
Become a world-class sand architect at this premier set of lessons provided by Boomerang Billy’s. Instructors Andy Hancock and David Goins can help you learn to build the sandcastle of your dreams through easy multi-step instructions aimed at allowing you to show your creativity while having a blast on one of the finest shoreline expanses in the nation!
Sandy Feet Sand Castle Lessons
117 E. Saturn Lane
South Padre Island, TX 78597
Phone: (956) 459-2928
Air Padre Kite-boarding
Try your hands, and feet, at one of the fastest growing water sports in the world! This ideal counterpart to the extreme winter sports of snowboarding and skateboarding allows riders to take complete control of the wind as they leap thirty feet through the air off either flat water or roaring ocean waves. Air Padre is one of the first, and finest instructional kiteboarding schools in the state and offers lessons, repairs, sales, and complete support. Don a waterproof radio helmet while receiving full support from a certified professional as you learn to manipulate the wind and waves en route to becoming a complete master of this burgeoning sport! http://www.airpadrekiteboarding.com/
Island Equestrian Center
The Wells Family has operated exciting island attractions for more than four generations and today offers all-wheel drive beach safaris, petting zoos, ATV rentals, local tours, and, of course, horse back riding beneath the idyllic South Padre sunset! Saddle up and enjoy the scenery as never before while riding with the whole family in unique horseback riding tours along the shores and coves of the Lone Star State’s most prized wild-land stretches. http://www.horsesonthebeach.com/
Laguna Madre Nature Trail
The fifteen-hundred feet of this pristine boardwalk cross over bird-inhabited marshlands populated by exotic coastal and migratory birds as well as hundreds of other outstanding scenic locations filled with bush dwelling creatures. More than 400 species have been documented in the area, with world-class ornithologists routinely trekking the area. Visitors can even catch glimpses of the area’s fish, lizards, butterflies, and alligators!
Events
http://www.spichamber.com/calendar.php
http://spionline.com/cal.html
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