Article Menu
Top 10 Active Spring Vacations
Location Map

Cancun, Mexico
Florida
Caribbean
Padre Island, TX
New York, NY
New Orleans, LA
Hawaii
San Francisco, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Paris, France

Related Features
  More Top 10's:
Spring Parks
Spots to Relax and Recharge
Spring Birding

Related Resources
Top 10 Index
GORPtravel

online favorites
DESTINATIONS
GORP Top Ten
Active Spring Vacations
By Sheila Resari
South Padre Island, Texas

Situated so far south it's nearly on a latitudinal par with Miami, South Padre combines Texas-size partying with 34 miles of tropical beaches. Looking for a two-nation spring vacation? Mexico is a mere 25 miles away. So if you feel ready to Padre, here are a few of the more outdoorsy activities to liven up your experience.

View of the beach at South Padre
It's time to Padre!

Swimming, hiking, off-road driving, bird watching, fishing, or just beach-combing—do it all on Padre Island National Seashore's 70 miles of white-sand and shell beaches. Just across the water from South Padre, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge offers an April explosion of wildflowers and intermittent "migratory fallout"—where birds heading back north are stopped in their tracks by a cold front. While you're there, explore the uninhabited (and nearly inaccessible) tidal marshes of the Arroyo Colorado River by kayak, and keep an eye out for the endangered ocelot. South Padre is also a key stop along the 500-mile Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, which marks key spots for birders to observe some of the Lone Star State's 613 documented species.

Back to * Location Map


Book an Active Vacation
starSouthwest Vacations
bulletHit the Trail! — Hike the wilds of the desert southwest.
bulletTake a Two-Wheel Tour — Classic slickrock mountain biking and canyon-country road rides.

Return to * Top


Article © Sheila Resari. Photo © GORP.



Road Trip Guides

National Park Guides

Hiking Guides

Today's Gear Guy

Gear Guides
[from Outside magazine]