South Padre Island offers real estate at the tip of the Padre Island barrier off the coast of southern Texas, in the Gulf of Mexico. The barrier extends south from Corpus Christi Bay to Brazos Santiago Pass and is separated from the mainland by Laguna Madre. It is 110 mi long and up to 3 mi wide. Consisting largely of sand dunes with sparse vegetation, the entire Padre Island barrier, including South Padre Island, is a popular resort, with excellent fishing and abundant bird life.
Until 1964, South Padre Island and Padre Island were one and the same. In that year, the Port Mansfield Gulf Channel was completed, permanently making one island two. The northern island fell under the auspices of the federal government and was declared Padre Island National Seashore.
South Padre Island, meanwhile, became a tourist mecca, especially after the Queen Isabella Causeway was completed in 1974, connecting the island's beautiful white beaches to the South Texas mainland.
The Laguna Madre is a wide, 609-square-mile body of water that separates South Padre Island from Port Isabel and the rest of the South Texas mainland. Shallow Laguna Madre also offers first-rate fishing and calm waters for windsurfing.
Since the mid-1970s, spring-breaking college students have taken advantage of the awesome year-round weather and perpetual party-time atmosphere that make this barrier island town one of the Gulf Coast’s top vacation spots and top choice for second home real estate.
The island’s sub-tropical temperatures rarely rise above 85° in the summer or drop below 65° in the winter, and steady easterly breezes sweep past palm trees and sandy dunes, providing windsurfers of all skill levels with some of the best conditions imaginable.
Golfers find that South Padre and the Rio Grande Valley sport some of southeastern Texas’s best courses, including the championship-caliber South Padre Island Golf Club.
Anglers find the clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico and landlocked Laguna Madre Bay ripe with flounder, red snapper, amberjack, whiting, kingfish, marlin, and sailfish.
South Padre’s dining scene is as diverse as it is plentiful, with restaurants serving Polynesian, Mediterranean, Italian, and New American fare.
For the late-night crowd, the island springs to life with terrific bars and dance clubs, and countless thatch-roofed huts and beachside cabanas serve cold brews and mixed drinks well into the night.
Fun places like Louie’s Backyard, with its bungee tower and outdoor dance floor, and Club Rio Beach, a huge park that boasts everything from thrilling pavilion rides to rocking concerts, round out the Padre Island night scene.
South Padre Island is one of the premiere spots in the state to observe wildlife in its natural state, and to find that allusive bird to add to your list. One of the best spots in the United States to see all of the regularly occurring rails, South Padre has over 300 recorded species to date, and the list continues to grow, as do the bird watchers.
South Padre Island is also very close to Matamoros Mexico. Guide companies offer shuttle services to our southern neighbor daily. Mexico is known for inexpensive public markets, a terrific dining scene, and bustling nightspots.
The natural beauty of its beaches, its vibrant business climate and the friendly people that call the Island home matches South Padre's rich history. The white, sandy beaches of South Padre are known throughout the United States (ranked as one of America's top 10 beaches), with the emerald water of the Gulf of Mexico serving as the perfect backdrop for spectacular sunsets.
That's why South Padre Island is the best value in beachfront real estate in the United States.