Twenty-six miles northeast of Brownsville via Hwy-48 and the Queen Isabella Causeway, South Padre Island provides a strong contrast to the sleepy, historic towns of the Rio Grande Valley. Only the southernmost five miles of this 30-mile Gulf of Mexico barrier island are developed; sand dunes and tidal marshes dominate the remainder.
In the developed zone, multi-story hotels and condominiums line white-sand beaches on both the Gulf and Laguna Madre sides of the island. Rooms are easy to come by except during the annual spring break (mid-March) when some 200,000 college kids from all over Texas and the Midwest fill the hotels and beaches with round-the-clock revelry. Drinking is legal on the beaches here; you have been warned. To dive in, try the Padre Island Brewery (956/761-9585), at 3400 Padre Boulevard, for great seafood, sports on TV, pool tables, and microbrews; another popular spot is Louie’s Backyard (956/761-6406), at 2305 Laguna Boulevard, a bayside bar “as seen on MTV.”
Call the helpful South Padre Visitor and Convention Bureau (956/761-6433 or 800/343-2368) for a listing of hotels, condos, and beach home properties.
