A 30-foot ramp angles upward toward a setting sun and a sweeping view of the Bahia Grande plains of coastal South Texas.

It’s the high point of the South Texas Ecotourism Center in Laguna Vista. From there, the view stretches eastward toward the Port of Brownsville. SpaceX is off in that direction as well at Boca Chica Beach. The rectangular-shaped ecotourism center lays behind the soaring ramp. In all, there’s 10 acres at the center, which celebrated a grand opening in late January.

The center is on Highway 100 entering Laguna Vista if traveling west from Los Fresnos. It packs an intriguing mix of native habitat, butterfly gardens, photo blinds and winding wetlands. It all leads to the ramp and the overview of the Bahia Grande. The project took 18 months to complete in getting through all of the recent shutdowns and supply chain shortages. 

County Commissioner David Garza was a driving force behind the center’s creation. He states it was important to get the project completed, no matter the challenges that arose. 

“We needed to show our commitment to the community,” Garza said. “The center is going to fit in perfectly with Laguna Vista and South Padre Island, and all of the birding centers and wildlife areas we have in the Valley.”

Offering A Different Look

The Laguna Vista center offers a coastal prairie alternative to the more mesquite-and-thorny brush habitat of many of the Valley’s birding centers. Both versions have their own forms of beauty. Garza sees them as blending together nicely to boost the region’s burgeoning eco-tourism industry. 

It all leads to tourists staying longer and boosting their impact on the Valley’s economy as they visit the area’s wildlife destinations and enjoy the world-class diversity of bird species found here, he said. 

“It all connects people to our natural resources and the flora and fauna here that is so unique,” Garza said. “We want to give people the opportunity to learn more about the beauty of our area and what makes the Valley special.”

Garza sees the new center as giving Laguna Visa a new look and attraction as a gateway to South Padre Island. He said visitors will stop at the center as they travel to and from the Island. The commissioner praised Laguna Vista and its leadership for their cooperation on the project and the donation of the 10 acres for the center. The property where the center sits was once owned by Frank and Mary Yturria. The couple gave Laguna Vista the property years ago.

“Building this center is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in partnering with the city of Laguna Vista,” Garza said. “One of our goals is to attract visitors to the Laguna Vista area while seeing an ecosystem that is reflective of who we are in South Texas.”

Educating & Informing

It’s not only tourists that the county commissioner envisions coming to the center.

Garza said the facility will have a major educational component for area schoolchildren. Field trip visits to the center complete classroom projects. He said students can go on informative scavenger hunts in identifying the hundreds of native plant species on the grounds. There is an indoor classroom and exhibit spaces at the center to go with educational program offerings at the center. 

Valley students will be able to immerse themselves in the native habitat of their region and see conservation in practice, the commissioner said. Then when they make their way to the top of the 30-foot ramp, Garza promised that they will be “treated to a vista of the Bahia Grande unlike any other.”

The $9 million project received the vast majority of its funding – $7.9 million – from the county’s hotel/motel venue tax and motor vehicle rental tax. The remaining funding came from two grants given by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. The project’s architectural firm is Megamorphosis of Harlingen and the general contractor is Noble Texas Builders of La Feria.

The center’s address is 44487 Texas Highway 100 in Laguna Vista.