Three Reasons People Choose South Padre Island Over Other Resort Towns

Deciding what is the perfect resort town to visit during vacations generally depends on the person´s taste; nevertheless, they are certain characteristics that are appealing to everybody.

South Padre Island is in the Rio Grande Valley, which lies in the southernmost tip of South Texas, and it is a resort town that has always been part of my life; I have visited this island since I was a kid. It is only 5 hours away from my hometown, San Pedro, which is very close to Monterrey, Mexico; so vacationing in this island has became a habit to my family and I many years ago.

However, after I moved to San Antonio, TX. I started coming in spring break

image from http://www.sopadre.com/about/

and I was really surprised with the craziness that goes on in South Padre Island; it is nothing like I have seen before. Thousands of college students from all around the United States come to the island to have a good time; they go to the Coca-Cola Beach, which according to The Travel Channel is “The largest beach party on the entire planet”, to party all day long and then continue parting in bars or clubs.

However, I had never understood what is it that makes South Padre Island so attractive to tourists?

After taking some time to reflect and doing some research I found out which are the main factors that attract visitors to this island.

In general, most of the tourists who visit come from cities that are close to South Padre Island; the island´s proximity to their hometown is something they consider very appealing. On the other hand, the weather of the island and the cleanliness of its beach are other factors that make this 5,000 inhabitants island so attractive to tourists, even those who do not live that close.

Most of the people from the Rio Grande Valley have been or at least have heard about South Padre Island. The island is about 30 minutes from Brownsville, the largest city of the Rio Grande Valley; consequently, many people from Brownsville, and other cities in the Rio Grande Valley, usually come to hang out during weekends, spring break, summer, or any other season.

Due to the island´s proximity to the Mexican states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, numerous of Mexicans often come to the island to rest and/or party. They mostly come during the Holly Week and summer; however, plenty of wealthy Mexicans own condos and/or properties in the island, which means they come very frequently and own an important part of South Padre Island.

Seeking to escape from the snow, ice, and cold weather of the north, college students, families, and retirees from the northern cities of the country and even Canadians, find comfort in the warmer weather of this sub-tropical island. These are known throughout the Rio Grande Valley as the “Winter Texans”.

Another reason South Padre Island is so attractive to visitors is its clean beach. The Natural Resources Defense Council

named the island´s beach as one of the 12 cleanest beaches in the country. The cleanliness of a beach definitely is one of the qualities people take in consideration when choosing where to travel.

After realizing about these important factors, I understood why South Padre Island is so popular. Only a few resort towns have these qualities all together; Close(with some exemptions), Warm, and Clean.

Take it or leave it!