The wide beaches along the Gulf of Mexico stretch for 34 miles on the eastern side of San Padre. Originally dubbed Isla Blanca by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, San Padre's sugar-white sands can serve as an inviting base of operations for a wide array of beach activities. Kite-surfing, sail-boarding, snorkeling, swimming and surfing are all active beach pursuits popular along the Gulf shores. Perch under a beach umbrella with your favorite book or simply work on your tan for a relaxing experience. Sand castle-building is a popular San Padre Island pastime and many classes are offered by local beach vendors. Personal watercraft rentals, sea kayaks, sailboats and sunset excursions can get you out on the emerald green waters that surround the island.
The waters surrounding San Padre Island are fertile fishing grounds for a wide variety of game fish, attracting anglers year-round and providing a constant source of action on the other end of the line. Pompano fishing in the crashing gulf surf heats up during February and March while speckled trout and flounder can keep fly-fishermen occupied in Laguna Madre Bay on the western side of the island. By early summer, king mackerel, grouper and tarpon can be found off the rocky jetties. Deep-water charters shuttle anglers from the island to off-shore fishing grounds in search of giant marlin and sailfish. The flats all around the island heat up again in fall and winter months and can produce trophy-sized trout and redfish.
Surrounded by water and featuring large areas of wildlife habitat, San Padre Island is being discovered by an increasing number of eco-tourists and nature lovers. Playful pods of friendly dolphins are ever-present around the island waters and many operators offer sight-seeing tours to visit them up close. The Laguna Madre Nature Trail and the Padre Island National Seashore offer vast areas that can be explored by hiking trails, sea kayaks or horseback excursions. Bring your binoculars and try to identify some of the more than 380 species of birds that inhabit the area throughout the year. Sea turtles nest along the beach in fall each year and are a popular attraction during nesting season.
Air travelers can reach San Padre Island via the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. Rental cars or taxi service are available at the airport for the approximately 25-mile drive to the island. Visitors coming by car can follow U.S. Highways 77 or 281 from the north, or 83 from the west, to Texas State Highway 100, which will lead you to the island. Accommodations -- ranging from small inns to designer resorts -- line the sands along the Gulf as well as the bay. The Redfish Inn is a quaint bayside bed and breakfast with a wraparound balcony providing sweeping views. The Isla Grand Beach Resort sprawls over a 10-acre complex that offers 193 upscale cabana-style rooms overlooking the Gulf.
