First Impressions
My first impression of San Antonio was that it was a ghost town. I had gone in with such high hopes for our overnight trip, and upon stepping out of our hotel, the only scenery in sight was old abandoned buildings and boarded up shops. There was no one in sight. The first person we stumbled upon was a priest walking into the cathedral in the main square. The cathedral and the buildings around it were beautiful though; I instantly felt as though I was back in Spain with the plaza mayor and cathedral giving 18th century.
The San Antonio river runs through the city, and there are stairs located on the main level of the city where cars drive, that lead down to a whole other level of the city that runs along the river. In a way it has a Venice-esque type of feel with the river being the main roadway for this part of the city. Now, I wouldn’t go in with hope of gondolas and Italian men in striped shirts singing as they row you down the river; picture more of a 25 seater floating raft and a tour guide in khaki shorts.
Coming from Houston, it was a quick three hour drive to San Antonio. This was my first time visiting, and we stayed for just over 24 hours, squeezing in as many of the sites and as much yummy food as possible. For a city with so much history and one of the best river walks in the US, there was so much to see in such little time.
Where to Stay
For about $100 we stayed at the Riverwalk Plaza Hotel, located on the river. This hotel is a bit further from the busier areas of the river, which ensures a better night’s sleep I’m sure, but it’s still just a block away from the main square and the cathedral and less than a 10 minute walk to get to the main part of the river where the majority of the restaurants are located. There are a variety of options when it comes to hotels in San Antonio, and if staying closer to the action is more your style, look into staying at the Hilton Palacio del Rio, the Hyatt Regency San Antonio, or the Omni La Mansion del Rio. These hotels will, inevitably, come with a higher price of almost $100 more, so definitely weigh your options and make your selection based on your main priority, whether that be balling on a budget or having your hotel as close as possible to stumble into at 2am after a night out. My typical go-to is staying at an Airbnb, but I noticed that, for lack of residential space downtown and on the Riverwalk, there were not many options close by, and given that proximity is of great importance to me, I opted for a spot closer to downtown, but still in my price range.
The Riverwalk
The Riverwalk is by far the most popular part of San Antonio, although some conservationists would disagree, claiming that the Alamo occupies that title. Most people who go to San Antonio are looking forward to wandering up and down the river, being shaded by towering cypress trees, serenaded by mariachi bands, and refreshed by a grande frozen margarita. The Riverwalk has a variety of restaurants lining both sides, but know that food is a bit more pricey there, given that this is the main area of the city. It is definitely worth grabbing dinner and sitting out on the patio chairs to watch the hustle and bustle of the river nightlife coming alive. When we arrived in San Antonio, the riverwalk was pretty much dead at around 5:30/6:00pm, but by the time 6:30 rolled around, the pathways became more and more congested. Don’t expect a less than a 20 minute wait after 6:30pm on a Friday. Between the tourists, bachelorette parties, and the San Antonio residents, the river fills up pretty fast. To my surprise, there is no railing nor step down when it comes to the separation between the path alongside the river and the river itself. I learned that each year, the river is drained,uncovering countless purses, watches, and other personal belongings. I wouldn’t be surprised if at least five intoxicated people fall into the river every night. You are allowed to have an open container on the Riverwalk, so most everyone you pass by has a drink in hand. There’s a number of drink carts and spots to grab the drink of your choice to go. After dinner at the Iron Cactus, it was a short walk to one of the pick up and drop off spots for the Go Rio River Boat Tours. The boat tours run from 12:00pm to 10:00pm each day, and are priced around $14 per ticket. We snagged some tickets and proceeded to find a drink somewhere to take along on the tour, which lasts about 35 minutes. We found some drink spots that reminded me a lot of Vegas with twenty different frozen drinks to choose from all lined up. I settled for a peach margarita on the rocks; from my experience, the frozen drinks are just a stomach ache waiting to happen. The man in line in front of us for the tour thought it was a good idea to get a 2 foot tall frozen drink and mix all of the flavors together, so to each his own. There are a few different pick up and drop off locations for the boat tour, but I would definitely recommend doing it, as you get to see the Riverwalk from a whole different perspective and perhaps pick up on some fun historical facts from the tour guide.
Remember the Alamo...and the Missions
If you enjoyed listening about the history of San Antonio on the boat tour, you should put it on your list to visit the Alamo and the Spanish Missions. All five locations are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, meaning they are protected by the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization because they hold historical and cultural value. This places these locations right up there with the Colosseum in Rome, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China, all of which are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Visiting the Alamo and the four missions is for sure worth the money, considering they are free to visit. The only thing that might end up costing you is parking to visit the Alamo because the Alamo is located in the downtown area. If your car is parked at your hotel, it’s worth walking to the Alamo or taking a Lyft or Uber given that 2+ hours of parking is going to end up costing you $15-$25. If you’re not that into history, the Alamo is going to be pretty anticlimactic for you, but if you have the time, definitely go just to say you did. When it comes to the four Spanish Missions: Mission Concepcion, Mission San Juan, Mission San Jose, and Mission Espada, you are going to need to drive to each one as they are each about a mile apart. There is free parking at each one, and there is also a bike trail connecting all of them as well if you’re into that. I would not recommend walking just because it would be quite a long trek, and if you have ever been to San Antonio, you know how hot it can get. I got some great pictures at each of the missions, the Alamo being the least instagramable of them all, so if you go to the Alamo first, don’t think that the rest of the missions are going to look the same. Make sure you give yourself time to see them all, they are about 7 minutes apart driving. We made the mistake of starting out at 4pm when they are going to close at 5pm; we really had to hustle to see them all, and I missed out on hearing some of the historians talk about the locations, which was disappointing to me, but at least I made it to all of them. Plan your time with when they close in mind. Also, for those of you still trying to figure out what the heck a mission is, they are basically a plot of land where the Spaniards set up a community of sorts to spread Christianity in the 1700s and 1800s. What’s remaining is essentially the church portion of the mission, which is what you can see in my pictures below.
Market Square
After the Riverwalk and the missions, I would say my next favorite spot in San Antonio was Market Square. Market Square is located about a ten minute walk from the main area of the Riverwalk, and it’s definitely a must-see. Market Square is the largest Mexican Market in the US. Think all things embroidered, bright colors, souvenirs, home décor, and more. There’s an outdoor portion you can walk through and then also two large buildings with more shops. If you’re looking to bring anything home from San Antonio, you will definitely find it in Market Square. I got myself a Mexican throw blanket, most commonly known as a serape; it’s going to make a perfect yoga blanket for me. While you’re in Market Square, I recommend stopping at Mi Tierra Café y Panaderia. It’s a super cute Mexican restaurant and bakery; even if you don’t have time to stop for a meal, at least go in and see how immaculately decorated it is and perhaps buy a Mexican pastry for the road.
More to See
Obviously being in San Antonio for just 24 hours wasn’t enough to see everything the city had to offer, so there were a few more places I didn’t get to see that might be of interest to you if you’re planning a two or three day stay. The Tower of the Americas is one of those places, and I usually never miss an opportunity to go to the highest point in the city to see everything from above. My favorite spot in NYC was at the top of the Empire State Building looking down at everything from above, and in Paris, Montmartre, the top of the Eiffel Tower, and the top of Notre Dame were all some of the most invigorating spots I’ve been to. Unfortunately I did not get to see San Antonio from above, but for sure mark it on your maps if you’re into views from above like I am. A number of blogs I read before going to San Antonio recommended going to The Pearl, which has a number of boutiques, restaurants, shops, a distillery, and more. When I make it back to San Antonio, I plan to make a stop over there to walk around and grab a drink. San Antonio has more to offer for sure, but I like to share my favorite spots and places I recommend going. Feel free to check out the Museum of Science, Six Flags, Sea World, and the Botanical Gardens if those sites are more up your alley. I hope my suggestions are helpful and give you the guidance you were looking for while planning your trip to San Antonio. Feel free to leave me any comments or questions below. Take care and be blessed.