Pictures of South Padre Island (beaches, best, comparison)

[Trainwreck20]

Padre Island gets quite wide in areas and has some very definitely 'inland' looking areas on it. This could be on the island somewhere, but I don't really know if it is or not. The ground is just a little too solid looking and there are a few too many tall plants, but you never know...

This is the photo gallery from the NAtional Park Service, and it has some neat pictures, too...
http://www.nps.gov/pais/photosmultim...otogallery.htm

[TexasNick]

Originally Posted by ColdCanadian

Where does it look like this?

I love how the landscape is mixed with prickly pear, yucca (and maybe palmettos?) as well as other dune-like vegetation.

That was taken at the LAGUNA ATASCOSA Wildlife Refuge which is near South Padre Island. More info: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/laguna.html

According to the docents at the little museum there, Laguna Atascosa is probably the closest you'll get to what it used to look like in South Texas when the Spanish explorers came in the 1500s. The area has been protected since the 1940s when it was used as a gunnery range for WWII pilots. The south Texas landscape is a unique blending of temperate, subtropical, coastal, and desert habitats. Mexican plants and wildlife are at the northernmost edge of their range, while migrating waterfowl and sandhill cranes fly down for the mild winters. This combination makes Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge world famous for its birds, and home to a mix of wildlife found nowhere else.

Now, the area is beautiful, but there are months of the year where the water gets really muddy/dark and almost black due to high winds causing strong under water currents that push the mud/clay around in the water. Also, on certain months, there is tons of seaweed thrown all over the beach and it's not a pretty sight.

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by TexasNick

That was taken at the LAGUNA ATASCOSA Wildlife Refuge which is near South Padre Island. More info: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/laguna.html

According to the docents at the little museum there, Laguna Atascosa is probably the closest you'll get to what it used to look like in South Texas when the Spanish explorers came in the 1500s. The area has been protected since the 1940s when it was used as a gunnery range for WWII pilots. The south Texas landscape is a unique blending of temperate, subtropical, coastal, and desert habitats. Mexican plants and wildlife are at the northernmost edge of their range, while migrating waterfowl and sandhill cranes fly down for the mild winters. This combination makes Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge world famous for its birds, and home to a mix of wildlife found nowhere else.

Now, the area is beautiful, but there are months of the year where the water gets really muddy/dark and almost black due to high winds causing strong under water currents that push the mud/clay around in the water. Also, on certain months, there is tons of seaweed thrown all over the beach and it's not a pretty sight.

Neat, thanks for the link!

What water goes almost black? The salt water between SPI and the mainland?

[TexasNick]

No, it's not "black". Sorry for using that word, but more murky/brown like Galveston area. It's just not the blue/green water that you see in the pictures above. It's not consistent like Florida. Personally, I prefer SPI 10000x over California/Florida because of less crowds.

[minniemouse]

Incredible!!! Those photos are very, very beautiful…

I look for to be there in August!!!!!!!
Is the water hot?

[bb5745]

In August, the water temperature in the Gulf will top out at 80 to 85 degrees - very comfortable! I just went for my first swim of the year yesterday and the water is 75 degrees right now.

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by bb5745

In August, the water temperature in the Gulf will top out at 80 to 85 degrees - very comfortable! I just went for my first swim of the year yesterday and the water is 75 degrees right now.

80-85 F is equal to 27-30 Celcius. 75 F is equal to 24 C.

(in case you were wondering )

[minniemouse]

It's fantastic! I have already loved this place!

[theS5]

I will tell you which is better - SC coast Visit Hilton Head Island or the beaches of Charleston. No comparison.
SPI is the best of the TX coast but pales in comparison to the beaches on the Atlantic.

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

absolutely GORGEOUS pictures.........wow
for those who put down SPI and Padre,,,,,,,,they have NO clue-go to Coastal GA or South Carolina and you tell me which is better-Texas Gulf Coast by far!
plus its dog friendly and 4x4 friendly here in Texas!

[Muhnay]

Awesome Pictures.. makes me almost want to put up with the border to live there.