South Padre Island

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South Padre Island, Here I come!

A May 2003 trip to South Padre Island by Zetty Carrillo

South Padre Island Bay Fishing June 2005More Photos

The clean clear blue water of South Padre Island cannot be matched by any other beach in the United States. South Padre Island is a small island right over the bridge from Port Isabel, Texas.

  • 8 reviews
  • 1 story/tip
  • 5 photos

Inverness at South PadreBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Inverness at South Padre Island"

South Padre Island Beach
We own two weeks at The Inverness in South Padre Island. The unit we have is a two-bedroom, two-bath unit. The Inverness has replaced the kitchen appliances with brand new ones. They have put in new granite-look countertops and have painted and repainted the cabinets to match. They are replacing the furniture as well. The resort is right on the beach. The beach is always very clean. They clean it every morning. There is a large balcony on each unit, and they all have beach views. These are not luxury units, but they are very clean in the units, and they have all kitchen amenities. This would be considered a three-and-a-half-star resort. The pool area isn't anything to brag about, but it is sufficient. The resort units sell for very cheap compared to a hotel right on the water. The resort does not offer any activities. There is a separate section with two Jacuzzis for adults only. The pool closes at 11pm. There is a large Jacuzzi in the pool area also.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Zetty Carrillo on July 7, 2005

Inverness at South Padre
5600 Gulf Blvd South Padre Island, Texas
(956) 761-7919

Inverness at South PadreBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

Best Things Nearby:
This resort is right on the beach. You don't have to walk to the beach because you are on it! Nearby are a few night clubs that have live bands, and a small variety of restaurants.

Best Things About the Resort:
All the units in this timeshare have an ocean view. All the units have a full sized, fully equipped kitchen. The bedrooms are good sized, and the front desk help are very nice and efficient.

Resort Experience:
The condos are right on the resort. The living room has a leather look sofa and love seat. The sofa makes into a bed. The water is ultra clear, and the beach is cleaned every morning. It is very family oriented. There are two pools. One is adults only. They also have three Jacuzzis. They have a parking garage to park in, which is nice in the summer. It keeps the car cooler.

  • Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
  • Activities: Not Available
  • Amenities: Very Good
  • Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
  • Family Friendliness: Excellent
  • Service: Excellent
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Zetty Carrillo on June 25, 2003

Inverness at South Padre
5600 Gulf Blvd South Padre Island, Texas
(956) 761-7919

Royale Beach And Tennis ClubBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

Best Things Nearby:
There are some gift shops and a few restaurants nearby. The beach is right there also.

Best Things About the Resort:
We stayed in one of the penthouses for the weekend and the units were so large! It also had a large sundeck on the roof with lounge chairs and a bbq pit.

Resort Experience:
The resort is on the beach, but you still have to walk a little ways to get to the beach.

The two-bedroom unit we had was on the top floor and it was huge. The bedrooms had a large vanity area also and their own bathrooms. The kitchen was very large, with a washer and dryer in it. There were four large bar stools on the other side of the counter. The living room was large, with huge sofa sets that made it into another bed. It had stairs going up to the sundeck on the roof.

The sundeck was huge, with nice lounge chairs on top and a bbq pit. The pool was large, but not beautiful. There wasn't much landscaping either, however, the nice large unit and the beach made up for that.

  • Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
  • Activities: Excellent
  • Amenities: Good
  • Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
  • Family Friendliness: Excellent
  • Service: Excellent
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Zetty Carrillo on June 25, 2003

Royale Beach And Tennis Club
400 PADRE BLVD South Padre Island, Texas 78597
956-761-1166

South Padre Island Brewing CompanyBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This is one of the best restaurants at South Padre Island. Everything we had there was good from the spaghetti, to the large hamburgers, to the grilled chicken and anything else on the menu. The service is good here also.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Zetty Carrillo on June 25, 2003

South Padre Island Brewing Company
3400 Padre Blvd South Padre Island, Texas 78597
(956) 761-9585

Blackbeard's Days Inn-South Padre IslandBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Blackbeards"

Very nice restaurant that even has tables outside. The landscaping is nice also. The restaurant is known for their steaks. They do serve a few other dishes also, but not many. There isn't much of a kids menu. The lunch prices are not cheap either. However, their steaks are delicious, served with a huge baked potato, salad, and fresh bread.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Zetty Carrillo on June 25, 2003

Blackbeard's Days Inn-South Padre Island
3913 Padre Blvd South Padre Island, Texas 78597
(956) 761-7831

Louie's BackyardBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Louie's Backyard is a restaurant by day and a nightclub by night. It is very well known in the area. They have live entertainment. The food is just okay there.

At this particular club, you can never really tell. Sometimes there is a younger crowd there, sometimes it is mixed with an older crowd. Several locals from nearby go, and there is a special club room there for the locals and they get their drinks a little cheaper. They have to show their ID when they go in.

  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Zetty Carrillo on June 25, 2003

Louie's Backyard
2305 Laguna Blvd. South Padre Island, Texas

Fishing at South Padre IslandBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

The Pirate's Landing is where the boat is located. It has two decks. They furnish the fishing rods and the bait, and take you out into the bay either from 8am - 12pm or from 7pm - 11pm. They move around to different spots several times. We caught a lot of fish that were kind of small compared to deep sea fishing. However all the fish added up.

The crew expect to get tipped. They will help pull your fish in, or help you get bait your hook. They will also clean the fish for you for a small fee. The kids really enjoyed the trip, and it was a good experience for them.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Zetty Carrillo on June 25, 2003

Fishing at South Padre Island
In the bay, or out in the Gulf of Mexico South Padre Island, Texas

Fishing at South Padre IslandBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Bay Fishing, South Padre Island, TX June 2005"

South Padre Island Bay Fishing June 2005
At the Pirate's Landing in Port Isabelle, they have bay fishing, deep-sea fishing, and dolphin-watching excursions. My husband and I always take our boys fishing at least one time while we are there for the week. They love it. My 5-year-old caught the most. He caught eight fish, and he was so proud.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Zetty Carrillo on July 7, 2005

Fishing at South Padre Island
In the bay, or out in the Gulf of Mexico South Padre Island, Texas

Matamoros, MexicoBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Matamoros, Mexico, is only about 45 minutes away from South Padre Island, TX. It is right over the border from Brownsville, TX. We always go there for at least lunch or dinner one of the days of the week when we are in South Padre Island. There are several restaurants that are really cheap right over the border, and there are also the souvenir shops and the pharmacies on the main road into Matamoros.

About the Writer

Zetty Carrillo
Zetty Carrillo
San Antonio, Texas

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