Beautiful beaches, warm gulf waters, fishing, boating, bird watching, shopping and a diversity of year-round activities make South Padre Island one of the fantastic vacation destinations in the world. Check out our lodging offers on south padre island. South Padre as a destination weddings location Adds a  Taste of Tropical Texas, See if you can fit everything this tiny island has to offer into one trip! Nature tours, fishing, surfing, dining - plan ahead so you can fit it all in and still find time to lie on the beach 
 

We'll begin with the most obvious attraction at South Padre Island-the wide, clean, soft-sand beach. Unlike some other beaches in Texas, South Padre does not allow vehicles on the beach. That's a plus not only for aesthetics but for the environment and overall safety as well. It also means, however, that you should be prepared to pack a big beach bag!

If you're staying at our Gulf-side hotel it's just a short walk out to find your preferred spot of sand. There are no private beach areas, so take your pick. To get there from anywhere else, drive along Gulf Boulevard and look for the "Beach Access" signs. There you'll find free public parking and convenient wooden bridges leading you directly onto the beach.

 

 

On the Laguna Madre Bay

 

The Gulf waters are not the only venue for water sports enthusiasts visiting South Padre Island. The Laguna Madre Bay, between the island and the Texas mainland, offers a variety of ways for visitors to enjoy the water without the big waves.

Perhaps two of the fastest-growing sports at South Padre Island over the past several years are windsurfing and kiteboarding, and both owe their popularity to the windswept waters of the Laguna Madre.

Windsurfers head for South Padre to sail the bay because it ranges in depth from three to five feet, and wind speeds average about 18 miles per hour. Some of the more experienced windsurfers also test their skills at other South Padre locations, including the Jetties, Boca Chica, and the Ditch, site of some of the fastest windsurfing speeds achieved in North America.

Kiteboarding is a relatively new water sport in the States, and the Laguna Madre Bay at South Padre Island is widely recognized as one of the best spots in the country to learn and hone your skills. Imagine standing on a surfboard and being dragged across the water by a big parachute, and you've got the general idea. More-experienced boarders perform jumps, flips, and aerial tricks, making kiteboarding as much fun for the observer as for the participant.

Those who want their entertainment to be somewhat less athletic need only check out the many boat charters available on the bay side. Guided boat tours leave the bay several times a day for dolphin watches, sunset cruises, glass-bottom-boat and marine ecology tours, and deep-sea fishing trips.