General Information
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South Padre Island is a barrier island in the state of Texas. South Padre Island was formed when the creation of the Port Mansfield Channel split Padre Island in two. The resort city of South Padre Island, a popular vacation destination, is located on the island.
Before the arrival of European settlers in North America, the island was inhabited by native tribes. Western settlement is considered to have been started by Padre Jose Nicolas Balli, who set up a cattle ranch early in the 19th century. He and his family were driven out by the Mexican-American War and were unable to return because of the American Civil War.
Most of the island was closed by the National Park Service until 1962, after which settlement was allowed, and incomers began to establish an economy on the island and neighboring Port Isabel. Being mainly coastline, the island's main source of income is tourism, with tens of thousands of college students flocking to the island every Spring Break. In winter, the island hosts "winter Texans": people (often retirees) from colder states who winter in the warm Texas climate. Isla Blanca Park, a preserve and recreational park, is located at the southern end of the island.
South Padre Island is a resort town in Cameron County. The town is located on South Padre Island, a barrier island along the Texas Gulf Coast accessible via the Queen Isabella Causeway from the town of Port Isabel. South Padre Island is named after José Nicolás Ballí (Padre Ballí), a Catholic priest and settler.
South Padre Island is home to many water sport activities, with personal water craft rental, kiteboarding and dolphin watches being the most popular. Other favorites are horseback riding adventures on the beach and ecological tours that explore Padre Island National Seashore.
Fishing is also popular. Every year, the Texas International Fishing Tournament is held in late summer, with winnings totaling almost a quarter million dollars. Other fishing tournaments include the Ladies Kingfish Tournament, the Hooters Tournament and the Redfish Rodeo, just to name a few.
In March, the island is a popular spring break destination for college students from around the world. The rest of the year it is a popular family resort destination, with July being the most crowded.
Good views of the nearby SpaceX South Texas launch site at Boca Chica has attracted hundreds of tourists.
The town of South Padre Island is located at the southern end of South Padre Island, with the town limits extending from the northern edge of Isla Blanca Park in the south to the end of development north of Wharf Street in the north, a distance of 6 miles (10 km). The Queen Isabella Causeway is the only road access to the mainland; it leads 2.5 miles (4.0 km) across Laguna Madre to the city of Port Isabel. Brownsville is 25 miles (40 km) southwest of South Padre Island.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
