Stop the presses! It’s a travel post! I know, I know…it seems like these posts are a thing of the past. Not true, my friends. Thanks to something called the good old fashioned road trip, we escaped for a little R&R in our home state of Texas and not surprisingly, it was exactly what we needed. We spent a restful (and socially distanced) few days along the coast on South Padre Island (SPI). Have you been? After sharing a bit on Instagram I had so many of you request a blog post all about it. Well, I give the people what they want! This is your Eat+Stay+Play travel guide to South Padre Island, Texas!

Be sure to check out all my Eat+Stay+Play travel guides under the Travel menu above or go here!

Know Before You Go

First, let me preface this whole thing by saying that I’ve only been to South Padre Island twice (you can read about our first time here). I’m not an expert on the area and I haven’t been to or done everything there is to do there. So I’m sure I’m leaving some awesome stuff out. Please feel free to leave me a comment with your suggestions, as this is far from the last time we will travel there.

Second, South Padre Island has been known to be the host destination for hard-core co-ed partying and the like (pre-COVID, at least). If you’ve been reading my blog for longer than 5 minutes you’ll know this is not who I am and not how we typically travel. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with having a socially distanced throw down, but that ship has sailed for me. I’m more of a let’s finish this bottle of rosé and watch the sun go down kind of girl these days. 😉

Where To Eat

The Cafe On The Beach at The Palms Resort – We loved this place so much that we had dinner here twice, once the first evening and again on our last evening. It was a great way to bookend our trip. I’ve heard this place described as having a Three’s Company vibe and that’s not a knock against it at all. It totally has the 70’s yacht rock feel to it – something I absolutely love! Dress is casual and the view of the beach is great. Well spaced tables on the outdoor patio and a cool sea breeze made it very comfortable. The food and drinks are also really good. The oysters Rockefeller and the grilled tuna were my favorites.

The Painted Marlin Grille – Another great spot and one we will dine at again! The Painted Marlin Grille takes waterfront dining to the bayside of the island, making it a perfect sunset dinner spot. Again, tables were well spaced and the open air design of the restaurant makes it incredibly comfortable. They have a really fun cocktail menu and the food was delicious. You come to the Texas coast for an experience like this.

Where To Stay

We rented a condo at Sapphire and had a great experience. I loved having coffee and wine on our balcony with a view of the ocean over the resort-style pool. With a full kitchen, Paul prepared an awesome shrimp boil that we enjoyed on the balcony one evening. Social distancing is well practiced here, and the pool area is large enough to really spread out. You have private boardwalk access to the beach, too! I definitely recommend this place.

Outfit details: Dress (palm print sold out, but other prints here) | Wedges

Where To Play

Hmmm…I don’t know. Maybe the pool or the beach? I’m being a bit sarcastic but seriously, if you’re a Texan and you’ve never been to South Padre Island (SPI) before, the beach may surprise you. It’s unlike most Texas beaches in that the water is clear and the sand is whiter. I was raised further up the Texas Gulf Coast and the beaches we went to were honestly…pretty gross. But hey, a beach is still a beach so I’m not complaining. Imagine my glee when I first stepped onto the sand on SPI, wading into the ocean up to my chest and holy crap, I can still see my toes! Amazing…

The pool at Sapphire was also a much welcomed respite. I brought a ridiculously large and juvenile pool float that I probably enjoyed way too much. But, YOLO.

On a previous trip to SPI, we went to Sea Turtle, Inc. and I highly recommend this experience. We went before their expansion/renovation and it looks even more amazing now. We weren’t able to visit this time, but I’d love to go back. This group does amazing work!

Sunsets tend to be pretty amazing, and you can grab a selfie on the bayside if you time it right. There’s a great park area next to The Painted Marlin that is perfect. You could also plan a little picnic here and capture some beautiful shots. A good photo op is something I look for when we travel anywhere. Keep in mind that the pandemic is still going on, so we kept it simple, socially distanced, and safe the entire trip which limited our activities some but didn’t limit our ability to enjoy ourselves.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you’re taking little trips, even if it’s just to your own backyard. A change of scenery is important, and one day we will get back to all the amazing travel we did before. Until then, stay safe, everyone! 

xo – Erin

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Eat+Stay+Play: South Padre Island, Texas appeared first on CathedralsandCafes.com. If you see this content published anywhere else, please email cathedralsandcafes@gmail.com.

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