Paradise on a Budget

IN SEARCH OF A WINTER HAVEN, MY HUSBAND AND I STUMBLED UPON an island paradise at the southernmost tip of Texas, boasting fewer crowds, less strain on the wallet and more RV-accessible campsites than the Florida Keys.

Named for Padre Nicholas Balli, who obtained the land from Spain in the mid-1700s, South Padre Island is called the "Tropic of Texas" for its temperate climate and oceanside landscape. Such ideal conditions have attracted many residents.

The last in a chain of barrier islands stretching along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, South Padre guards southern Texas from the onslaught of hurricanes, but that's not all it offers. Known for its treasure-rich history and exceptional fishing, this Texas-style paradise provides budget-conscious motorhome travelers with warm breezes, fresh seafood and abundant outdoor activities in every season. Whether spending a weekend or an entire season, you'll certainly find no shortage of things to do.

Crossing the Queen Isabella Causeway, the 2 1/2-mile high-rise bridge that spans the Laguna Madre from Port Isabel to South Padre, you might smirk at the posted signs, warning motorists to heed low-flying sea gulls and pelicans. Of course, it's difficult to mind kamikaze seabirds when there's such a sight before you. At the crest of the causeway, the only road onto the island, you can see South Padre splayed out for 34 miles, a jungle of towering condominiums, windswept sand dunes and wooden fishing piers. (The causeway bridge was out of commission for a few months last fall, but has been completely repaired.)

On holiday weekends, driving onto the island can be slow going, and finding a place to stay is often a challenge. But with two RV parks and miles of beach, South Padre usually provides plenty of spots to park a motorhome.

Surrounded by palm trees on the balmy southern peninsula, Isla Blanca County Park offers 450 full hookups, quick access to the beach, prime fishing spots and fresh seafood at the Dolphin Cove Oyster Bar. At $18 per day, $100 per week or $260 per month, paradise on the gulf has never been so affordable. For slightly higher prices, Destination South Padre RV Resort (a Good Sam Park) offers more luxury, including a swimming pool, a fitness center and a boat launch.

If you'd prefer a private beachfront location, dry-camping on the island's uninhabited beaches is a popular alternative. Several points along Padre Boulevard allow access to 29 miles of prime gulfside sand. The farther you go, the more solitude you'll find, but beach driving is harder than it sounds.

At low tide, it's best to traverse the hard-packed sand near the water's edge. When the tide's high, motorists must drive closer to the dunes, in deep ruts formed by other vehicles; however, the soft sand can be a potential tire trap. Tow-truck drivers can charge a pretty penny to bail your motorhome out, which is why, despite the appeal of our very own nature preserve, we chose to stay in Isla Blanca.

Once you've found a spot to park, it's time to explore the island. From shopping to seafood to surfing, South Padre offers something for everyone, whether you've brought the kids or not.

The weather is perfect all year-round: hot and breezy in the summer, cooler in the winter months, but still warm enough to attract the snowbirds. With this mild climate, South Padre offers an ideal haven for sportsmen, nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.

If fishing's your game, you've come to the right island. The cheapest method may be to pack your own fishing gear, obtain a Texas fishing license and some live bait from a local bait-and-tackle shop and find a good spot to cast from.

Small bands of anglers sit on the rocks along Dolphin Cove or venture out onto the jetties in the gulf, hoping to reel in a trout or two and perhaps spot a family of dolphins in a shrimp boat's wake. Surf-fishing on the beach up north allows more chance for solitude and less chance of snagging a swimmer. Fishing from bayside piers, especially near sunset, is a superb way to angle for redfish, speckled trout or black drum.

Fishing boats in the Sea Ranch Marina offer daily trips for $15 per person, though rods and reels cost extra. For a heftier price tag, anglers can go deep-sea fishing for blue marlin, tuna, red snapper and shark on the family-operated Murphy's Law or a private charter.

However you manage it, fishing on South Padre is ideal if you enjoy cooking local delicacies in your motorhome. If you'd rather eat out, though, most seafood restaurants, like Amberjack's Bayside Bar and Grill, will broil, blacken or fry your catch for you.

The Sea Ranch Marina houses more than just fishing boats. Large cruise ships, such as the 70-foot Fish Tales, offer dolphin-watching trips, birding excursions and marine-ecology tours for roughly $10 per person. More intimate nature tours, like Colley's Fins to Feathers, may have less boat space but provide more one-on-one interaction with the dolphins. For a firsthand look at the island's migrating birds, stroll along the Laguna Madre Nature Trail, a free-of-charge boardwalk through the coastal wetlands near the Convention Center. There you'll spy egrets, herons, terns and perhaps the alligator that lives among the reeds.

Taking a private walk through the wilderness north of the city is another way to appreciate the island's wildlife. Coyotes, jackrabbits, lizards, rattlesnakes and more than 400 species of birds and waterfowl dwell within the grasslands, beaches, dunes and tidal flats. Sea turtles, including the endangered Kemp's ridley, sometimes swim ashore during the nesting season -- an incredible sight. Some islanders have struggled to educate visitors about these creatures and save them from extinction.

Though a terrific spot for fishermen and naturalists, South Padre also boasts a wide range of water sports. Swimmers, surfers, tubers and boogie-board enthusiasts abound on the gulf side, while several operations offer personal watercraft rentals, banana-boat rides, parasailing excursions and sailboat cruises. If you're willing to spend a bit more, you may opt for scuba-diving lessons or rent a small boat and go water-skiing.

The Laguna Madre is also a prime location for swimmers, waders and windsurfers of all ages. Residents and tourists crowd the beach near the Convention Center, the official windsurfing access point, designated by a row of RVs and Jeeps along the shore. Some windsurfers look as if they've done this before, decked out in neon-tinted wetsuits, riding top-of-the-line boards. Others are just beginning the sport, perhaps taking lessons.

"You couldn't find a better place to learn," says Valerie Ekstrom, an island resident for 20 years. "It's shallow and warm. If you fall in, you're only waist-deep."

Vacationing families will find water fun tailor-made for the kids. The Aqua Dog, an amphibious vehicle, takes visitors across the bay to Barracuda Cove, where they comb the beaches for sand dollars and scan the landscape for exotic shorebirds. The Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark, which opened last summer, lures kids of all ages with four water coasters, two tube chutes, a wave lagoon, a surf machine and a five-story water funhouse.

For beach fun without the water, you can rent dune buggies from Island Fun Rentals or go horseback riding with experienced guides from the Island Equestrian Center. Beach-chair rentals are available for those wanting to sunbathe, or you can play a game of volleyball in the sand. With its consistent gulf breezes and miles of soft sand, South Padre is a perfect spot for kite-flying or building sandcastles.

If shopping's more your style, Padre Boulevard houses a wealth of shops, enough to fill an entire day of strolling. Like many tropical towns along the Gulf, South Padre has its share of gargantuan T-shirt shops, providing everything from beach towels to seashell picture frames. But dress boutiques, tattoo parlors, novelty shops and used-book stores also line the streets, offering lovely souvenirs or conversation with local characters. For a more exotic shopping experience, you can drive across the Mexican border, just a few miles south, or ride a tour bus to the bustling cities of Matamoros or Progreso for a day of bargain-hunting and sightseeing.

When you've tired of shopping, the island's elegant restaurants and casual cafes offer a medley of refreshments, from Mongolian cuisine and fried fish to cheeseburgers and spicy ceviche. Most offer cheap lunch specials and reasonable dinner entrees. We enjoyed oyster-and-shrimp po'boys for less than $8 from Amberjack's bayside patio and Mexican fajitas for two for $20 at the Palmetto Inn.

After hours, the island comes alive with lights and activity. Several watering holes along the bay offer the perfect spot to sip drinks and watch the gorgeous night sky, dance to live music or play a round of pool over beer and buffalo wings. Depending on the season, nighttime crowds can be thick in this area. There are also two movie theaters on the island.

More than just an affordable vacation spot, South Padre is an island rich with natural and cultural treasures. For beachcombers, there are miles and miles of seashells and wave-carved driftwood. Some treasure-seekers search the shoreline with metal detectors, hoping to find lost rings or coins. But local hunters research the island's complex past and, armed with shovels and metal detectors, seek the long-lost Spanish bullion or Civil War bullets they've read about.

South Padre is close to other activities as well. It's a short drive back to Port Isabel, a coastal community with its own share of seafood restaurants and fine boutiques, not to mention the longest fishing pier in Texas and a historical lighthouse with a terrific view of South Padre. Several 18-hole golf courses are found on the island also.

South Padre is busiest in the summertime, cheapest in the winter months and teeming with teenagers during spring break, but, no matter when you visit or how long you stay, you'll probably encounter one of the island's many annual events. South Padre is abuzz with activity throughout the year, including fishing tournaments, fireworks events and seafood cookoffs.

Yet, despite such liveliness, South Padre is a slow-moving, relaxing place to visit, where wearing a tie is rumored to be against the law. The natives refer to "island time," claiming that, after awhile, this laid-back attitude becomes contagious.

Like many island residents, you may cross the causeway in your motorhome and end up staying for decades. Or perhaps you'll find yourself returning every winter to savor the ambiance of this island paradise at the tip of Texas.

Article by: Laura Raitman

Photos by: Laura Raitman