Each February for 19 years, countless volunteers spend 10 days on the water along the Texas coastline. They search the bays for abandoned crab traps left to foul shrimpers’ nets, snag anglers’ lines, “ghost fish” and create unsightly views. To date, they’ve hauled off more than 38,000 of these derelict traps. From Feb. 19-28, Texas coastal waters will be closed to crabbing with wire mesh crab traps to facilitate the…
Usher in 2021 New Year’s Eve with a fireworks display over the Laguna Madre. The show will start at midnight with best views of the fireworks coming from the island’s Entertainment District. Brought to the Island by the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Watch as boats of all sizes cruise by in their holiday finest during the Lighted Boat Parade & Firework Show on the Laguna Madre Dec. 12. Designated viewing areas throughout the route offer free public viewing as the bay sparkles with the light of the boats. Firework show begins at 8 p.m. on the Laguna Madre Bay. To register as a boat participant, contact Marisa Amaya at marisa@sopadre.com or 956-761-3834.
Want to learn about the history of one of the Rio Grande Valley’s best-known enterprises and the geography of the Laguna Madre? If the answer is yes, hop on one of several charter boat companies based in the South Padre Island-Port Isabel area for a tour of the Port of Brownsville and the surrounding Laguna. The deep-water facility can be seen off State Highway 48, but an up close look…
Many of the country’s beach resorts have a place where the locals and visitors alike like to hang out. South Padre Island has its Entertainment District as well. It’s a place with about a dozen businesses that cater to families and to those who enjoy dancing, dining, fishing or who simply like to watch the many beautiful sunsets over the usually tranquil waters of the Laguna Madre. There are also rides for…
The stretch of the Arroyo Colorado that winds from Harlingen to the Laguna Madre is well known as a recreational hotspot in Cameron County. From Arroyo City to the bay, the banks are lined with residences, many with private boat docks, and the Adolph Thomae Jr. County Park boasts a busy public boat ramp. But there is a different kind of marine traffic that navigates this section of the arroyo,…
Hotelier Barry Patel is upping his ante in the South Padre Island tourism economy with the construction of a Courtyard by Marriott near his Hilton Garden Inn on the north end of the coastal town. He is wagering the Island’s future will deal him a full house. “I am very optimistic about the Island,” said Patel, a former mayor. “The things that the city has done in the last three…
Palm Street Bar & Grill on South Padre Island used to be just a place to grab a sandwich, enjoy a spirit or listen to good music. Not anymore. The bar and grill, now operating under the name Lobo Del Mar Café, has transformed into a potpourri of entertainment, art, food and people under the direction of a large family group of entrepreneurs. Sitting at the end of West Palm…