Things to do at South Padre Island:

First of all, if you are driving and never been to South Padre Island, make sure you know the difference between South Padre and Padre. I know a group of spring breakers who didn't know there was a difference. The difference is about 150 miles and make sure you go to South Padre. Now, what to do. The beaches are not necessarily lined with beauty, unless you are only worried about the people who hang out there. The beaches are basic flat sand beaches with no showy rocks deep in the sea but still pleasing to look at. During spring break time, mid-March, the water will be around 68F.

If you love to consume alcohol, then you'll love the beaches even more. Bring you own cooler almost anywhere on any beach at South Padre. College Students including fraternities and sororities hang out, young midwest adults visit, fishermen with mullets, cowboys and cowgirls. Everyone parties on the beach in the Sun..

Night time is the time to go to the clubs or have a few drinks in your hotel room with the group you came with. Louis's Backyard is an excellent place to dance and meet people. But don't focus on just one place, ask around to find out which venue is hot at the moment, these things change.

Going to Matamoros, Mexico was a must for us back in 2005. This may have been the highlight of our trip and it is a great place to party. A place called the Black Cat has reasonable prices and is run professionally, however, it is about a 1/2 mile walk on the main road coming in. On the way to Black Cat, you will see other tavern/clubs along the way worth checking out. I think this is a safe journey into Matamoros, but you should look for travel warnings (down below) before you go.

South Padre Island adventures:

There is everything to do here! From parasailing tours to snorkeling and from renting a surfboard to renting a boat, it is all available. It is not necessary to book this stuff ahead of time, however, companies that advertise online are often a little safer to go with.

Where to stay at South Padre Island:

It is possible to find a place with once you get there, but at the places where it is really fun like the Bahia Mar, you must book in advance. Now, we are not endorsing Bahia Mar, not all was perfect, but we did have a good time there. Expect to pay about $120 a night at any of the jumping places. You will be allowed to have four in the room, they give you wristbands and are very strict about letting people without them in.

South Padre Island travel tips:

This should be a very easy and fun vacation, whether you come during spring break or not. If flying, they do have an airport near South Padre and this very convenient. Corpus Christi airport may be too for away if you are entertaining the idea of a rental, but if you choose to fly into Corpus Christi, this city is worth checking out. Don't worry about crime at South Padre, but if you are going there to party, drink responsibly. Just like other spring break venues, South Padre has seen its share of tragedy..

Warnings: Check U.S. Department of State and more U.S. Department notes

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