South Padre Island, Texas

Incorporated in 1973, the small resort town of South Padre Island is on the southern tip of the storied Padre Island just across Laguna Madre, the bay separating the island from the mainland. Visitors find a wide range of accommodations from campgrounds and family motels to high-rise luxury hotels and condo rentals, marinas and seaside cottages. Restaurants feature fresh seafood harvested daily from the Gulf with Access via free causeway on Texas 100.

South Padre is known for its water sports, including jet skiing; bay, surf, and deep-sea fishing; parasailing, sailing, dolphin cruise, and windsurfing. Other island activities include bicycling, tennis, shelling, and horseback riding on the beach. The popular Laguna Madre Nature Trail for nature enthusiasts and bird-watchers is north of the city next to the convention center.