A quarter century (gasp) has lapsed since I last visited South Padre Island –– a barrier island located off the southern tip of Texas best known for its beautiful beaches and calm, clear waters.
Back then, my time on South Padre Island was spent mostly on the beach, alongside a slew of raucous college spring breakers there to have a good time with friends. This past summer my husband and I, along with another couple we once spring-breaked with on South Padre Island all those years ago, returned for the first time in 25 years. This time, we experienced the 34-mile-long coastal paradise in a whole new way –– alongside our combined six kids ranging in age from 10- to 17-years-old.
Kids of all ages will have fun splashing in the clear, calm waters of South Padre Island. Photo by Mauri Elbel
As a native Texan who has grown up vacationing on Gulf Coast beaches my entire life, I can honestly say I was blown away by the clear, blue-green Gulf of Mexico waters that lap South Padre Island’s golden shores. From early morning beach strolls and afternoons spent splashing in the waves to endless opportunities for family-friendly fun, South Padre Island sets the scene for a memorable family vacation that’s worth the nearly 6-hour drive from Austin.
When you’re ready to venture past closer-to-home popular beach destinations like Port Aransas and Corpus Christi and double the distance, here are a few not-to-miss experiences awaiting you in South Padre Island.
Take a morning stroll to experience South Padre Island’s clear blue-green waters without the crowds. Photo by Mauri Elbel
Hit the beach
I’ve read recent travel articles calling South Padre Island “the Caribbean of Texas.” As someone who has lived in the Caribbean, I would argue with the accuracy of this depiction. But having frequented Gulf of Mexico beaches my entire life, I can attest that South Padre Island boasts the most beautiful beaches and clearest water I’ve ever encountered on the Texas Coast. A stark contrast from the chocolate-milk waves that bathe much of the Texas Coast, South Padre Island’s Gulf waters are noticeably bluer, clearer and calmer.
South Padre Island is part of Padre Island, the world’s longest barrier island stretching approximately 113 miles along the Texas Coast, separating the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre and protecting the shallow, high-salinity lagoon from the wild open ocean. During the day, its broad golden beaches are bustling with families relaxing beneath oversized umbrellas, building sandcastles with their kids, and splashing in the waves. But take a sunrise or sunset beach stroll to experience a less crowded, more tranquil scene play out on the same stunning strip of sand. We got to enjoy both versions of beachside bliss on our recent trip, and I especially appreciated not sharing the sand with cars and trucks. No motor vehicles are allowed on South Padre Island’s city beaches, which, in my opinion, makes for a more peaceful and pristine (not to mention safer) beach experience.
Margaritaville Beach Resort on South Padre Island offers direct beach access for its guests and a sprawling sparkling pool. Contributed by Margaritaville
Stay at Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
There’s no better place for beach loving families to rest their heads than at Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island, located on the southern edge of South Padre and perfectly situated on a tranquil, traffic-less stretch of sand. As soon as you set foot into this Jimmy Buffet-themed resort that opened its doors in 2023, you’re transported into a tropical state of mind, beginning with the ice-cold margaritas handed to you upon check in.
Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island effortlessly marries family fun with laid-back coastal vibes. Our family of five loved our spacious stay in a coastal-themed two-bedroom condo featuring a fully-equipped kitchen, large living area, and private balcony with sweeping, panoramic ocean views. Margaritaville boasts premium one-, two- and three-bedroom beach-themed accommodations just steps away from Mother Nature’s endless wave pool, accessed via the resort’s private boardwalk. (You can also rent everything from beach chairs and umbrellas to sandcastle supplies from a beach hut on site.)
Enjoy dinner without having to leave the resort at Margaritaville’s LandShark Bar & Grill which offers a versatile menu served up with sunset ocean views and entertaining live music. Credit Margaritaville Resort South Padre Island
After hitting the beach, unwind at the resort’s sparkling pool while sipping a margarita (or frozen concoction of your choice) from the swim-up bar. Then end the day with a crowd-pleasing dinner at Margaritaville’s LandShark Bar & Grill, which offers a versatile menu spanning crispy coconut shrimp and fish and chips to hearty burgers and tropical steak tacos, all served up with ocean views and breezes, stunning sunsets and entertaining live music. Even though summer break has ended, at Margaritaville, the care-free beach vibes play on well into the fall and winter months –– the resort’s sprawling pool (the largest in the area) is heated year-round and South Padre Island is known for its plentiful sunshine and annual temps that average in the mid-70s. More at Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island.
Large pods of dolphins live in the waters around South Padre Island year-round. Photo by Mauri Elbel
Take a sunset dolphin cruise
We arrived to South Padre Island just in time to board the boat for a sunset dolphin cruise with Isla Tours. The Gulf waters surrounding South Padre Island serve as a year-round home to large pods of dolphin, and the best way to see them up close in their natural habitat is on a dolphin watch cruise. For just $18 per person, you can spend a fun-filled hour and a half watching Atlantic bottlenose dolphins aboard a 67-foot, double-decker boat as you cruise along the lower Laguna Madre with Captain Murphy’s Isla Tours. The definite highlight of our trip was witnessing more than a dozen playful dolphins swimming beside the boat, showing off their tricks and watching them leap high out of the water as passengers encouraged them with claps and cheers. On the way back, our kids also enjoyed the eco-tour that gives passengers educational hands-on interactions with local sea life spanning star fish and conch to puffer fish and rays. While I’m not a big fan of handling live sea creatures, I did witness them being released back into the water. The sunset as you roll into the bay at golden hour is pretty spectacular, too. More at www.islatours.com/dolphin-watch-tours.
Merry Christmas is a permanent resident at Sea Turtle Inc. who was found stranded and cold-stunned in late December in the early 1980s. Credit Sea Turtle Inc.
Visit Sea Turtle Inc.
Sea turtles have always been our favorite sea creatures, so naturally, we had to take a tour of Sea Turtle Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit which protects sea turtles through conservation medical care, applied research and education. For nearly half a century, Sea Turtle Inc. has been rescuing and rehabilitating sea turtles, and earlier this year, the nonprofit unveiled a brand new 15,000-square foot sea turtle hospital –– the largest enclosed sea turtle hospital in the world.
At Sea Turtle Inc., you can learn about everything from the anatomy of a sea turtle to distinguishing characteristics about various species, including Loggerheads, Atlantic Green, Leatherback, Hawksbill and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles –– the smallest and most critically endangered of all sea turtles. Padre Island also serves as a critical nesting habitat –– find details about nesting season (April-August) and public hatchling releases here.
You can witness Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatchling releases on South Padre Island, which are organized by groups like Sea Turtle Inc. and involve releasing baby turtles to the Gulf of Mexico to help the critically endangered species recover. Credit Margaritaville Resort South Padre Island
RELATED: Watch for nesting sea turtles on Texas beaches
Today, Sea Turtle Inc. treats more than 100 sea turtles annually with patients recovering and receiving treatment in their state-of-the-art hospital until they are healthy and strong enough to be released out into the Laguna Madre or the Gulf. But it also serves as a home to former patients who are unable to be released back into the wild, and a tour of the facility gives you glimpses into the lives of permeant residents like Gerry, Hang Ten and Merry Christmas. While there, you can also witness Sea Turtle Inc.’s team provide medical care for sea turtles in its hospital, watch sea turtle feedings, attend sea turtle talks throughout the day, and even pledge your support with a symbolic adoption of a sea turtle patient, resident or hatchling. Sea Turtle Inc. is open year-round (closed Mondays for maintenance), and admission is $15 per adult, $10 per senior or military, $8 per student and $5 per child. More at www.seaturtleinc.org.
Writer Mauri Elbel’s daughter, age 10, holds a juvenile alligator at South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center and Alligator Sanctuary. Photo by Mauri Elbel
Watch birds, hold gators and feed tortoises
Located next to Sea Turtle Inc., the South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center and Alligator Sanctuary is another educationally enriching spot for families to duck out of the sun and deep dive into the coastal landscape and wildlife. During our brief visit, our kids experienced snakes crawling on their heads, holding juvenile alligators, and hand-feeding crispy lettuce to several resident tortoises. Meander along the bay-front boardwalks, partake in a naturalist-led birding tour, or sit in on a “snake talk” at this nonprofit organization that’s also an alligator sanctuary providing a safe-haven for more than 50 rescued alligators. Before you leave, make sure to say “later, gator” to Big Padre –– the resident 57-year-old, 12.5-foot, 800-pound rescued American alligator. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for students, military and seniors, and $5 for children 4-12 years. More at www.spibirding.org.
If You Go
Getting there:
Stay:
Do:
