Butterfly Garden in South Padre, TX, is anything but an "overgrown vacant lot" (referring to…read moreStephanie H.'s review on 7/11/2021). I wish more flowers had been planted, but I love these community gardens. I have read countless articles about the butterfly and other highly important pollinators populations diminishing. Kudos to this neighborhood or whoever for keeping it mostly tidy, trash-free, weed-free, and a tribute to so many loved ones. According to a magazine that was in our room, this particular butterfly garden is part of the "National Wildlife Federation's Mayors' Monarch Pledge initiative. Mayor Barry Patel signed the pledge on October 22, 2016, declaring the City's support for Monarch initiatives." We saw only a few butterflies on May 29, 2025, however, it was a bit warm and breezy. More flowers and more butterfly baths, please!

One of the best ways to experience South Padre's wild side is to take a stroll along the Laguna…read moreMadre Nature Trail,. a boardwalk that meanders from the South Padre Island Convention Center out to the Laguna Madre wetlands. This is birding hotspot and also a butterfly hotspot--thanks to the beautiful Butterfly Garden. The Laguna Madre Nature Trail is a great place and best of all: is free and open 24 hours a day.. If you venture to the South Padre Island Convention Center, you will be very close--in fact, a short walk away from the Nature Trail. I rode the free Wave Shuttle there and the driver directed me to the Nature Trail entrance very near the Whaling Wall. I was there around noon on a very warm fall day. There are lots of shrubs, trees and flowers planted specifically to attract birds and butterflies. I just stood there and watched as many different kinds of butterflies flitted all around me. It was so wonderful. Then I walked back into a little area that had a small rocky area with water flowing through it. The butterflies and the birds seemed to like that too. Laguna Madre Nature Trail is a fantastic place to enjoy nature and the beautiful Gulf Coast area of Texas. Make sure you make the trek and get ready to become transfixed by some butterfly hot-spotting.

We've enjoyed Andy Bowie Park for so many years, but had been away for the past 8 since moving…read moreaway. We had gone to another part of the beach, further south from Andy Bowie, the afternoon before and the beach was clear of seaweed. But when we went Tuedsay morning to the Park, the seaweed had come in overnight. The parking is only $5, for however long you want to stay, and there are showers right by the parking lot. It's all close to the beach, which is convenient if you need to make multiple trips to your car. The showers aren't meant to be be all that comfortable, and they're not. But they come on, the water pressure is good, and they're not on timer knobs like they used to be. You know, the knobs that you press down and they slowly come up until the water shuts off, so the shower lasts 2 minutes and you have to keep pressing it. There are no shower curtains, and there's sand and water everywhere, but you're able to rinse most of the sand off before climbing back into your car. We got there in the morning, about 10:30, and stayed until about 6pm. There are umbrellas and chairs already set up; but if you do sit under the umbrella, you're going to have to pay. There's a young man who walks up and down the beach checking. They're like traps, so he checks periodically to see if he's caught anything. We paid $30 for the big umbrella and 2 chairs. The chairs were a little rusty and rickety, but they were ok for the afternoon. Even with seaweed, which still wasn't that bad, it was a very pleasant afternoon. The water was cold for me, but after several hours in and out of the sun, and the sun warming the water, it felt great on hot skin. The water was clear for the most part, until it kicked up the sand near the shore. The lifeguards on duty were on their toes all day, running into the water a couple of times, but thankfully no one needed them. There's plenty of space to set up your own towels/chairs without having to be shoulder to shoulder with the neighbor; but it was a weekday morning and there were several groups on the beach. It was a fantastic day, tired us all out, but we can't wait to go back.

You get what you pay for, I guess. Has hookups, but that's about it. Womens restroom has 2 stools…read more I have been here 7 days and one stool has been plugged & unusable since I got here. The rv lot has grass around it, but can't walk your dog because grass is full of sand burrs. The "gatekeeper" who was working when I arrived was pretty rude and not at all helpful. Luckily the gentleman the next day was very good. Corrected first guys errors and was super polite & professional. If the weather is nice, could maybe get higher rating, but with rain for days the restrooms are very wet and smellly

This is easily the best zoo I've ever been to. My heart goes out to the founders, curators, staff,…read moreand all those involved in the creation and maintenance of this zoo. The zoo is beautifully designed and is easy to walk. The layout lends to a great experience. I couldn't believe how close we could get to some of the animals! I had no idea this was the birthplace of Harambe, which made it all the more special. TITS OUT. I recommend this zoo to anyone visiting the Brownsville area

Let me start by saying this is my childhood zoo. It holds a very special place in my heart, so what…read moreI'm about to say comes from a place of love. More mister fans could be placed throughout the zoo. It's so humid and hot that the little shade, along with the sparsely located mister fans throughout the property, isn't sufficient enough during the hotter times of the year. Yes, I have noticed that there are fans and some other locations with smaller patches of canvas shading, but it's not enough; maybe the zoo can look into plants that will provide shade and vine plants that will grow and climb and create shade naturally in time. This location is currently going through a lot of remodeling. A lot of animals were not out. This could be due to the heat and humidity, and also, maybe they got relocated due to the remodeling. Trash. My biggest pet peeve is the trash that's lying around on the ground or an empty soda cup in the sections of the zoo where, before entering the doors, it states "no food or drink allowed." But somehow, while looking at the lionfish and seahorse, I found a kid's cup on the step, empty. I don't understand why people don't just pick up after themselves. I don't care for the zip line, but I get it; it's a tool to draw people into the zoo. I know the zoo is doing everything it can to improve itself, but it also needs to focus on the current exhibits it has, as well as the animals whose enclosures are outdated.

Excellent park! My 3 year old kept very busy and did not want to leave! I also appreciate the…read moreshade from the sunlight.

Not the best Brownsville has to offer, that's for sure, but it's not to shabby…read more Nice big playground and basketball court. The restrooms were closed and we didn't get to stay long, as always, one of the kids always has to go at a devil of a time.

I really like this park. It's brand new in a developing community. There is plenty of parking on…read moreone end and you have to cross a long bridge to get to the park. It has many gazebos to picnic in in private and two large one for big party's next to the water. It's clean and spacious. It has a huge waterfall next to a another water feature for the kids to cool off in the valley heat. At night they light up the waterfall and looks beautiful. Has clean restrooms and security guard in the evenings. You can bring bicycles as they is a track all around the park.

Love this place! Our grandchildren could be here all day! Just wish they would leave the splash…read morepark on, the children are always disappointed when it is not functioning.

The actual parasailing was really fun and I thought it was worth the money. On September 5th @12pm…read morewhen we were heading back to land after parasailing one of the workers went on a random rant on how Mexico is bad and he doesn't trust Mexicans because we kill their children with drugs. You can have ur own opinion but as a paying customer I don't need to hear that. There was children on the boat everyone was uncomfortable. Will NEVER come back here again he yelled "trump2028" once we got off. KEEP POLITICS OUT OF VACATIONS

Our group of 5 went. They staff was extremely friendly. The quick trip to the boat was fun on the…read morebanana boat. The captain and deck hand was kind and friendly. Overall, highly recommend. Would do it again

This experience was a 10/10 my husband & I did the sunset tour with The Original Dolphin Watch that…read morelasted for about 2 hours. My husband booked, paid & check-in online that was an easy process. We arrived & waited until departure time, the captain & rest of the staff were very professional, we had an amazing time & we got lucky enough to see some dolphins!! If you are visiting the island I would recommend checking The Original Dolphin Watch for a great time. You are able to bring snacks & drinks while you are on board. Overall, our experience was great:)

Best dolphin tour on the island, they had spots available since one night before and we enjoyed our…read moretime there. My mom and daughter loved this and the weather was amazing. A very important note, is that they are very punctual with the times, so don't be like me and arrive late (they were super accommodating) but please make sure you are there at least 15 mins before. Cannot recommend them enough!

Where is the 6th star? I absolutely love this place; not…read moreonly do you get to see these beautiful animals but Sea Turtle Inc has a hospital where turtles can be rehabbed and released if possible. These are the type of places where you want to visit & are 100% worth it! If you are visiting during the summertime they have hatchling releases where you get to see tiny little turtles heading to the ocean at 6:45 am or 7:45am you can check their Facebook page for more info. My husband & I were there a few weeks ago but they didn't have any public releases during our stay in SPI but I am looking forward to get the experience this!

This was a nice lil surprise stop we took on our way out for the holiday. I don't think it's worth…read morethe admission price but it goes towards a good cause and there are options to donate more if you'd like. The turtles were all pleasant to see and full of information that was interactive for the kids. The workers were nice and knowledgeable too. Our favorite was Mama (the cat)! We are allergic though so couldn't pet her, although she was nice to everyone who did. The Spotify playlists were also fun little treasures to take with us after our leave. Note: parking lot is small and spots are kind of tight but it's free.