How to Get to South Padre Island

First of all, lets get a little familiar with where exactly South Padre Island is located. The town of South Padre Island is located in South Texas right on the border with Mexico and parallel to the Florida Keys. The weather is generally warm and in the 80s during Spring Break, however, there are times when it may get cold due to a freak Northerner, but those times are rare. Be sure to pack some warm clothing just in case.

SPI does not have its own airport, but there are two major local airports that service the region. The closest one is Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport in Brownsville which is about 25 miles south of SPI. Valley International Airport in Harlingen is the second airport in the region and is about 40 miles west of SPI, and generally, this is the more popular airport for Spring Breakers because they usually offer better deals and have more flight choices throughout the country (they even have Starbucks coffee!). For those of you who have a private plane or can bum rides, you can get even closer to SPI by flying into the Cameron County airport (KPIL) which is located in the town of Port Isabel, about 12 miles west of SPI.

Check On South Padre Island Flight Fares Here

Valley International and Brownsville airports offer ground transportation through rental cars, shuttle services and taxis. It is expensive to take a taxi from Harlingen or Brownsville airport to SPI and the cost will generally run you about $70 one-way! Instead, some people just reserve rental cars at the airport, but here’s a better tip: Before you land at the airport of your choice (Harlingen or Brownsville), you should call Rio Grande Transit Transportation Services at 1-866-934-6882 and ask for the “Spring Break Special” of $30 per person—round trip! They will provide vans and large shuttle vehicles for Spring Breakers and generally fit large numbers of people in their vehicles, so everyone saves money. This is the easiest and fastest way to SPI, in my opinion.

Don’t want to fly? The highways running into the SPI region are some of the best in the state and generally see light traffic year round with average speed limits of 70mph. SPI is accessible via US Highway 77 to Park Road 100. It is a very easy drive and the land is relatively flat, but there is one warning: You will be driving through one of the largest ranches in the world, known as the “King Ranch” which spans for some 50+ miles, so be sure that you have at least half a tank of gas! There are no gas stations in the King Ranch region! There will be signs on the road telling you “last service station for 50 miles”, etc. Also, watch out for wild animals such as Javelinas (wild pigs), turkeys and stray cattle as they sometimes jump the ranch fences and cross the highway… I’ve seen some unfortunate Spring Breakers pull off to the side of the road after smashing into several wild turkeys.

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