San Antonio is the heart of history for Texas. It has been home to Native Indians, Spanish, Mexicans, and of course Anglo Americans. It has endured many battles, including the famous Battle of the Alamo, and the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836, after which Texas gain independence only to be annexed by the US in 1845. It’s a great place to explore on foot as everything cool is close. Here’s what I did with 2 days in San Antonio.
I visited San Antonio with Kynie a couple of years ago and there is plenty to keep you occupied for a few days there, especially if you love American history. Here’s some of the best things to do in San Antonio.
The Riverwalk
At the heart of San Antonio is the Riverwalk, a labyrinth of walkways, restaurants and shops along the San Antonio River. What makes the Riverwalk so enticing is that it is below street level, so there is no interference from street traffic.
The Riverwalk was built in the 1920s to prevent flooding and was then commercialised in the 40s and 50s. We arrived on a Saturday evening and was absolutely teeming.
We had a couple of meals along the Riverwalk. The first was our first meal in the United States. Dog tired from 22 hours of travel, we dragged ourselves out of our cosy hotel room to eat at the County Line steakhouse. Even though we didn’t eat until after 9, it was worth the wait. Pork and beef ribs filled the plate so perfectly that all my sides had to come separately.
Welcome to America.
The Alamo
I visited the Alamo with little expectation or prior knowledge. It is a church and compound aged exactly a few hundred years that has played a huge role in Texan history. Most notably for the battle of the Alamo in 1835, which lead to Texas declaring itself an independent nation from Mexico and subsequently to being annexed by the United States.
Start by walking through the church then enjoy the gardens out the back filled with interesting signs about the area. If you like your history and want to know what you are looking at I highly recommend getting an audioguide for a few dollars. All proceeds go to maintenance of the site.
Market Square
Market square is the largest Mexican outdoor market in the US, spanning 3 blocks and includes over 100 specialty stalls and stores selling Mexicans wares, clothes, food and souvenirs. I happened to visit during Fiesta, which is a city-wide festival celebrating the heroes of the city and happens every April. As part of this there were live events and music going on giving the market a real fun atmosphere.
San Fernando Cathedral
In the centre of the main plaza is San Fernando Cathedral – a Notre Dame-esqe cathedral and one of the oldest active cathedrals in the US. I have seen many, many cathedrals in Europe but it was very surprising to see this type of Gothic architecture so far from Europe. Though when I thought about it, it of course was very logical due to the Spanich-Mexican influence that runs through the city.
Tower of the Americas
Our last morning in San Antonio saw us climb the tower of the Americas, which boasts being taller than Seattle’s Space Needle. (Yes, boasts). They have the sign to prove it. So once we had all finished comparing penis size we went up the elevator for views of the city.
It was exceedingly windy so we didn’t last long outside, but personally, I just love being able to see so much from high up so I was perfectly happy taking in the views from the behind the glass.
I was surprised at how little sprawling urban population there was, despite having a population of about 1.4 million. Housing really didn’t seem to go on that far into the distance.
Take a River Cruise
As you walk through by the River you will no doubt see blue boats carting people around the thin river. When I saw this I thought it was a bit cheesy and an epically touristy thing to do.
But as we saw more and more people forking out a few dollars, curiosity got the better of me so we gave it a go. And I was pleasantly surprised at the experience. Our guide gave a great explanation of many of the buildings by the river and was very entertaining. For those with a short time frame (or are just lazy) it would also be a great way to experience the whole Riverwalk area via the express route without having to walk every inch.
Lunch on the Riverwalk
You will undoubtedly find yourself returning to the Riverwalk because it is so central and so integral to the San Anotnio Experience. So I recommend experiencing at both night and day. Since we had been thinking about Mexicans all morning during Fiesta at Market Square, Kynie and I opted for Mexican food, of which there is no shortage.
We found the oldest Mexican restaurant in San Antonio called Casa Rio, which also happened to be the most prominent (look for the colourful umbrellas, you can’t miss it).
Very greasy, very cheesy, but also quite cheap and very delicious. Naturally, three Mexicans were serenading tables which kept us all very entertained.
Have you been to San Antonio? What did I miss? Let me know in the comments below.
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Texas is awesome, and so is San Antonio. It sounds like you had a great time there! Thanks for sharing what to do!