Get your bearings
San Antonio lies just three hours from the Mexican border. The city’s center is divided by the
San Antonio River, site of the cool, leafy
River Walk, rimmed with riverside restaurants, shops, music venues and San Antonio hotels. Southeast is San Antonio’s
Downtown, including the Convention Center and the historic
San Antonio Missions. Look for family favorites
Six Flags Fiesta Texas and
SeaWorld of Texas theme parks on the city’s western outskirts.
Music, dance and art
Czech polka dancers and Lebanese merchants share space with Mexican cattle hands and German farmers at the
Institute of Texan Cultures, creating a unique blend in this San Antonio museum. The
Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center celebrates Latino and Native American traditions at musical and dance performances, while the hot pink
Museo Alameda museum combines history, art and live performances to trace Latino culture in a San Antonio vacation.
Spanish missions
Follow Spain’s religious mission to Texas at the
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Five adobe missions lie within the park, their 18th-century wall paintings and gardens still intact. The most famous is the
Alamo, located Downtown, where 189 Texans died defending the fortress against Mexican General Santa Anna. The original chapel, barracks and a shrine to the fallen Texans lies within lushly landscaped grounds. For a good explanation of the battle of the Alamo visit the
Alamo … The Price of Freedom at the nearby IMAX theatre.
Tex-Mex, German and American flavors
Head to San Antonio’s
River Walk, with Mexican, seafood and steak restaurants edging its meandering course. Taste the flavors of San Antonio’s German roots at
Schilo’s near the Alamo for authentic bratwurst and Sunday evening oompah bands. Contemporary Japanese, Italian, Mexican and American menus can be found at restaurants in
Alamo Heights.
Mexican handicrafts and boutique buys
Fill suitcases with hand-crafted Mexican goods – silver and turquoise bangles, brightly colored wool blankets and leather goods – at
Market Square Downtown.
La Villita, San Antonio’s first neighborhood, sells Southwestern American crafts on the
River Walk. For upscale boutique shopping, head to
Alamo Heights, where stores display trendy dresses and custom-made leatherwear.
Fun for the family
Feel the splash of leaping dolphins and watch the antics of penguins and flamingos at the world’s largest marine theme park,
SeaWorld San Antonio. The park lies on the city’s western edge, as does
Six Flags Fiesta Texas, an amusement park spotlighting Texas’ diverse cultures with themed roller coasters, rides and restaurants. Elephants and lions amuse visitors at the
San Antonio Zoo in
Brackenridge Park, also home to the
Witte Museum, with a hands-on science tree house, hummingbird gardens and native Texas tarantulas.
