Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Paragraphs
(
BOOKS
)
An excellent indie
956-433-5057; 5505 Padre Blvd;
10am-5pm Mon & Wed-Sat, noon-4pm Sun;
bookstore with a nice patio.
Orientation
South Padre Island is only a half-mile wide at its widest point. Laguna Madre, the shallow
inland waterway between the island and the mainland, is ideally suited for windsurfing
and bird-watching.
The southern, developed end of Padre Blvd is the main traffic artery, so it tends to be
crowded and noisy. In fact the stretch north from Dolphin St is a pedestrian nightmare,
with families trying to cross around SUVs doing 60mph. One block west, Laguna Blvd is
a more peaceful road for walking or cycling. To the east, running parallel to the beach, is
Gulf Blvd, which is mostly lined with large developments.
No ferry or bridge crosses Port Mansfield Pass. To reach Padre Island National
Seashore from South Padre Island you must either have your own boat or make the long
drive all the way around the mainland via Harlingen and Corpus Christi.
Information
South Padre Island Convention & Visitors Bureau
(
956-761-4412;
www.spichamber.com
;
600 Padre Blvd;
9am-5pm)
Getting There & Around
If you can get out to SPI, you won't necessarily need a car. The developed area is fairly
compact, easy for walking or cycling, and there's a shuttle.
TO/FROM THE AIRPORTS
Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport is 26 miles southwest. You can catch
Rio Gulf Express
( 800-574-8322;
www.flybrownsville.com
; fare $1; shuttles about every 90 minutes
6am-8pm)
to Port Isabel and transfer to the Wave for a journey time of just under 90
minutes.
Harlingen's Valley International Airport is 43 miles northwest. The
South Padre Shuttle
(
877-774-0050;
www.southpadreshuttle.com
; one-way/return $25/40)
offers door-to-door service; book in
advance.
BUS
