South Padre Island is both a geographical location and a municipality located on South Padre Island. Town South Padre is located near Brownsville, Harlingen, and McAllen, TX. North Padre Island is located near Corpus Christi, TX, about two hours north. Travel from South Padre Island to Matamoras, Mexico takes about 45 minutes by automobile. South Padre Island is often referred to by the initials SPI.
South Padre has about 6000 full time residents. The tourist population fluctuates during the year with the slowest season being fall and the peak season during Spring Break and Summer. The principle industry is tourism focused on beach and water activities including boating, fishing, kiteboarding, surfing, building sand castles, birding, and simply relaxing on the beach.
There are a variety of vacation accommodations including hotels, motels, resorts, condos, and beach homes. Numerous restaurants, bars, and nightclubs offer food, beverage, and entertainment to fit any budget or preference.
The Playabum is a full time resident of South Padre Island. He is semi-retired sharing his time with his wife of 26 years and his interest in photography, videography, creating websites, and photography. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado and a retired Naval Aviator.