Travel Channel

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Padre Island sucks! We left Thursday morning, stayed one night, drove home Friday. We were going to spend four days there.We hated the dirty water and thick muddy sand. All the way down the beach there are tire tracks, and tractors pile up the sand on the side of the beach. The same way snow plows pile snow by the curb. Putting down a beach towel to sun bath on tire tracks is not very appealing. Why people like Padre Island, I'll never know. It's so ugly! It's very built up with hotels and condos and very corny stores. The Travelodge we stayed in was horrible. EVERYTHING went wrong! The bed was hard and bumpy, and there was this beeping sound all night. The people at the front desk could care less about any problems with the hotel. Much more happened. I'm putting it in a nut shell.
Out of curiosity, I walked around some better hotels, and their beaches were every bit as bad. Same tire marks on the beach.
So be warned if you are thinking of Padre Island. This ugly island is expensive, and would be better to spend your money on other beaches.

I have to disagree with you littlepinetree1. My family and I have a tradition of going to South Padre Island for over 24yr's. We have always stayed in the Gulf Stream Condo's and the beach is always beautiful.
I am sorry that you had a horrible time there! Just like any place there's always a bad spot. Before you cross S. Padre off your list it might be wise to try a different hotel or part of the beach.

I agree about South Padre Island, and it being absolutly disgusting! If you have NEVER been to a beach and you go there, it MIGHT be fine, but if you have ANY expectations of a beautiful beach, you will be sadly disappointed. It is a "party beach", and the hotels reflect this. They are dirty, smelly, and generally less than adequate for the prices they charge. The water is also brown, and not attractive. It is a fine place to go if you are in college, 21, and looking for a place to party. If you are looking for a family vacation, search elsewhere.

I did look at beaches at the other hotels and it was just as ugly as the beach at the Travelodge.
I have heard of many people say how lovely it is there, but I don't get it. If you like brown water and lots of tire tracks on the sand, great! Maybe this does not bother some people.
I agree with Cathy that many vacationers there are drunk kids!!
I wouldn't go back there even if I won a free trip to Padre Island!

I would have to agree that South Padre isn't beautiful at all. I'm a native Texan, and the water is pretty nasty, tons of seaweed, and pretty much overrated. But hey, its one of the best beaches that we have here in Texas...it takes too long to get anywhere else!

i disagree. i've been to beaches all over the world, and if you hit padre in the right seasons, just like most beaches, it is lovely. we've been there when it is crystal blue and have seen dolphins right up close in the surf! of course if you go in the spring, the water can be cloudy and purging itself as it does every spring of seaweed...but you definitely didn't go to the right place! there is also port royal, resort near aransas pass as well, not as crowded.

a good beach to go to is lover's key in fort myers beach.the water is crystal clear and they have the best sea shells i've ever found.i've also always heard south padre is very overrated.the gulf coast in florida is the way to go.

I agree Padre Island is not what its said to be but who said Texans know anything about beaches!

I had a wonderful time camping on the beach in the park around Aransas (sp?). The sand away from the tide line was nice sand with wonderful dunes. But the closer you get to the surf the grosser it gets, I've never seen sand quit like it, a kind of disguting gelatinous goo. To say the least I never tried to go swimming, I was afraid of what I might be swimming in! I've heard that the gulf tide washes all the "garbage, chemicals etc.." back to this shoreline.