By Laura Moran
Although a relatively unknown vacation spot for northern students, South Padre Island is a popular spring break destination in Texas and a well-kept secret in United States beach locations.
With Mexico just 30 miles away, this area is known as one of the nicest, cleanest and safest beaches in Texas, according to www.spadre.com.
“I wouldn’t necessarily choose South Padre as a vacation spot,” said Matt Hedstrom, a middler business administration major. “But this year with the [hurricane] damage done to places like Cancun, I could see myself considering it as an option.”
The town of South Padre Island is located on the Gulf Coast of Texas. The entire island is about a three-block area and practically everything there is within walking distance. For the few places that aren’t, the island offers free shuttle service.
There is plenty to do while staying in South Padre Island. During the day, students can spend time on the beautiful beaches, wading in the warm gulf waters, fishing, boating, bird watching and shopping.
In addition, the South Padre Surf Company holds surf camps every Saturday in March. Board rental and lessons are $40 per person and include three hours of surf time, a wet suit and safety instruction.
More adventurous visitors can head over to Aloha Charters, which offers deep sea and bay fishing, diving, sailing, wave runners, sightseeing, swimming and snorkeling, fireworks cruises, party cruises and parasailing.
For those who just want to rest their feet and relax, the Radisson Hotel offers daily beach activities and entertainment.
During the spring break season, many hotels and restaurants on the island offer special activities as well. There are games for college students on the beach and parties at night. The Radisson Hotel has a beach concert area and sponsors a number of performers throughout the season. Last year’s spring break performers included J Kwon, Nina Sky, Petey Pablo and many other contemporary acts.
For nightly entertainment, vacationers can make their way to a number of bars and clubs on the island, including restaurant nightclubs like Louie’s Backyard, The Quarterdeck and Jake’s.
Because the Mexican border is so close, many spring breakers, especially those not yet 21, choose to head south for the night life.
“I would definitely consider going down to Texas for spring break if I had a bunch of friends to go with,” said Sara Davidson, a freshman business administration major.
STA Travel, located in the Curry Student Center, offers travel deals to the area. Each package includes seven nights in a hotel, roundtrip airfare, hotel taxes, a complete schedule of South Padre’s parties, optional excursions to Mexico and on-location staff.
STA’s best package is to the Gulfpoint Condos. These beach front properties are best for groups traveling together. They are three-bedroom condos with a living room, bathroom and small kitchen that can house six people for $928 total.
