South Padre Island (SPI) is a beautiful barrier island about an hour due east from our winter home in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of Texas. We wanted to make a trip to this popular tourist destination before the spring break madness begins on March 9th. So, we caught some perfect 80 degree weather and took off for a day to explore.
It was a very easy drive over with limited traffic. Exactly one hour from here. That is one of the huge advantages of the RGV over Florida. No real traffic issues here whereas in Florida the high winter population creates traffic jams everywhere. Our current plan is to winter in Florida next year, so we understand the traffic issue up front.
Port Isabel is a small town that is the last stop before crossing the Queen Isabella Causeway bridge over to the island. At Port Isabel, we toured the lighthouse and a couple of museums before having lunch at Joe’s Oyster Bar. A very popular place for lunch, as the small shop was packed. I had the grilled fish, shrimp, and oyster platter. It was very good, while Pat had the fried fish and shrimp. I had planned to take photos of our food, but with food in front of me, those plans were quickly forgotten!
The Port Isabel Lighthouse (1852)
From their website: “Of the 16 lighthouses originally constructed along the Texas coast, Port Isabel is the only one open to the public. With a perch 50 feet above the ground, it is popular with photographers and other visitors, because they can enjoy great views of South Padre Island and the beaches.”
We climbed the 75 winding stairs, including three short ladders, to get to the top and enjoy the harbor views while resting from the climb. It was a windy and hazy day so the pictures are not the best.
Across the street were the two joined museums that we also toured after the lighthouse. They were well done providing the history of the area from the Spanish occupation through current times, including how this port city managed during the Civil War.
South Padre Island (SPI)
After lunch we were off to cross the long bridge over to SPI. The island is very commercial with condos and hotels all along the beachfront and other businesses along the main road through town.
We stopped at one of the many free public parking and beach access areas and walked the beach for about three miles, stopping only for a beer at a beach front bar. The patio bar had some live music and about 50 people from a local RV park. A little too crowded, so we took our drinks and went back to walking.
By about 3pm, we got on the road and headed back west to our home stopping only for a couple of lattes. It was nice to get out and see some new and different sights. That is another one checked off of our must-do list while in the RGV!
Thanks for following along on our travels. We have been busy making travel plans for the spring/summer/fall/winter and will share them very soon. Please subscribe to be notified of any updates and leave a comment if you wish.
Take care and God Bless.
Looks like a great day trip. Thanks for sharing.
Robert