It’s Time to Plan Your Spring Escape to the Island

With miles of beautiful beaches and sunrises over the Gulf, South Padre Island continues to be the ideal destination for families, friends, and couples looking for a safe escape. You can plan a trip filled with some of the most unique activities like kayaking, horseback riding, and surfing; or plan a trip where the most active thing you do is carry your towel out onto a pristine stretch of beach and enjoy the rhythm of the waves.

Either way, you’ll build up an appetite—it’s all that Gulf fresh air. Fortunately, dining options abound on the Island. There’s family-friendly fare at Blackbeard’s and Dirty Al’s or elegance and romance at F&B and Liam’s Steakhouse. All four locations offer to cook your catch, so if you manage to work on a fishing trip, you can enjoy the freshest possible seafood imaginable prepared by chefs who know how to make the most out of every type of fish.

Bring your binoculars and visit two wildlife gems on the Island: Sea Turtle, Inc. and the South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center, and Alligator Sanctuary. There you’ll spot some of the beautiful wildlife including wintering birds, rescued sea turtles, and several alligators. Both are along Laguna Madre Bay, the world’s largest hypersaline lagoon, bustling with life and relatively calm water, popular with fishermen and lovers of beautiful sunsets.

We know that spontaneous road trip opportunities may arise from time to time. If you arrive to South Padre Island and need any ideas or itinerary suggestions, the SPI Visitor Center has your back. Grab a map of our island, pamphlets, or simply ask about the Sea Turtle Art Trail, and make your stay memorable.