San Antonio is a city rich in history, bursting with culture, and booming with modern attractions, discover what’s old and explore what’s new! I took a trip to this Texas city in late 2017 on a whim and was so pleasantly surprised with how much there was to do!
Bike Tours
If you have followed me for awhile you know I love to blend fitness and adventure. I try to find a bike tour in every city I visit. I think it is such a fun way to explore a new place and get a great workout in. I found Cycling San Antonio. They promote a casual bike ride through the world heritage historic missions. For $85 a person you get a tour guide to take you around the missions for five hours. It was amazing! I learned so much about San Antonio’s history, had a chance to take so many amazing pictures and we biked over 10 miles.
Historic Missions
You might know the phrase, “Remember the Alamo”. The Alamo is a huge part of San Antonio’s history. You can visit the historic grounds and church for free, but I recommend taking one of the guided tours. I got a tour included with my bike tour, which was great! While everyone thinks of The Alamo, I was much more impressed with the other missions, especially Mission Concepcion. It is the oldest unrestored church in America. Make sure to see the beautiful original fresco paintings and awe inspiring architecture which has stood the test of time.
RiverWalk
The River Walk is an area that is so uniquely San Antonio! If you can, try to stay at a hotel on or very close to the River Walk. This is a 15 mile urban waterway system that created an entire neighborhood just below street level along the Paseo de Rio. It is great to walk along the river, shop in the stores, enjoy dining with a view or a hop on a river boat! In my food blog for San Antonio, I will share some of my favorite restaurants.
Historic Market Square
Because of San Antonio’s close proximity, there is so much Mexican influence in this city. The Historic Market Square was one of my favorite places to visit. A three block outdoor plaza has shops and restaurants is the largest Mexican market in the US. There are two parts to the square, you have 32 specialty shops in “El Mercado” and 80 shops in the “Farmer’s Market Plaza”. I found so many unique and authentic gifts to bring back home. I also enjoyed the art and speaking to the artists. Open daily at 10am, but the weekend is a much more lively experience with live music and entertainment. I watched local schools perform Mexican dances, it was beautiful!
514 W Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78207
San Fernando Cathedral
I really enjoy seeing historic buildings, especially churches. The San Fernando Cathedral is spectacular, but what makes it even more of an attraction is it’s display at night! Yes, at night! A beautiful light display is projected onto the facade of the cathedral depicting a visual art installation. “The Saga” is the story and history of San Antonio and is accompanied by lively music as well. You can catch the show every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays at 9:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Murals
The area is so rich in culture especially in the arts. Street art is one of my favorite mediums. I think local outdoor art brings a new life into a community. Many of the artists bring their Mexican heritage to their pieces, so I really enjoyed seeing that in the streets. There are quite a few murals on Guadalupe Street clustered together and easy to walk to.
Spurs
Immerse yourself in the local sports! The San Antonio Spurs are the local NBA team and this town has spirit! I found so many flags, signs and even murals showing the basketball team all the love. If you visit during the season, try to catch a game at the AT&T Center which is just west of downtown. If you can’t get tickets, try one of the local sports bars to catch the game and join in with local fans cheering on the team! Crazy J’s is right across the street and still within the heart of the arena district but if you want to stay closer to downtown try one of the local brew pubs like Blue Star Brewing of Bier Garten.
Aquarium
For just $16 for adults and $11 for children you can spend a fun filled afternoon at the San Antonio Aquarium. While not the largest attraction, the San Antonio Aquarium has not only tanks of cold water fish, tropical fish, sharks, and string rays but hundreds of reptiles and birds as well! One of the best parts of this place, is that they encourage interaction! You can purchase tokens to do animal feedings or have an animal encounter (starting at just $3). I fed the turtles and went into the aviary to feed the birds. I wish they had the lemur when I was there because that looks amazing!
The Pearl
The Pearl is the perfect example of how the right mixed use project can totally transform a neighborhood! Former brewery (from 1883 to 2001), the 22-acre Pearl site is home to The Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio, the year-round Pearl Farmers Market, Hotel Emma and a variety of restaurants and shops.
The Farmers Market is amazing, so many local vendors set up shop each weekend. Make sure to come hungry, so much good food! There are also a lot of handmade items like soaps, jewelry and things for the home. After browsing the market, you can check out a variety of little shops in the area, pop into a coffee shop or sit down for a meal.
Make sure to check the event calendar before you go. They usually have fitness events on Tuesday, like Pilates at Pearl. I had such a great (and free) class and made some very sweet friends! The local community is amazing!
Japanese Tea Garden
Japanese Tea Garden is a great free and relaxing option during travel. The restored garden features a lush year-round garden and a floral display with shaded walkways, stone bridges, a 60-foot waterfall and ponds filled with Koi. I had a great time walking around, admiring the lush greenery and taking pictures. There are places to sit all around the garden which is so peaceful. The Japanese Tea Garden is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk and is wheelchair accessible.
Witte Museum
Learn about nature, science and culture at the Witte Museum. Admission is $14 for adults. This museum is everything Texas. A replica of a giant Quetzalcoatlus will greet you as you enter the H-E-B Lantern. You can walk around and see a remarkable collection of South Texas historical artifacts.
Tower of Americas
I find it really cool to see a new city from a variety of perspectives, so everytime there is a tower I have to check it out. I heard the Tower of the Americas is popular and can get very busy, so I made sure to be there at 10am when they opened. This helped avoid a long line up to the observation deck and less people in the background of photos. For $14.50 you can have unlimited access to Observation Deck, Flags Over Texas & the 4D Theater Ride! Since I got there so early, they were not ready to get people up in the elevator so I tried the 4D ride. There were 3 different kinds that rotate throughout the day. It might have been a 5 to 10 minute experience similar to a low budget Disney 4D ride where the chairs move. If you get motion sickness you may want to skip this. When I finally got to go up to the tower, I got a chance to see some great views of the city. San Antonio is not a city filled with high rises like Chicago or New York so the views are a little different, but still a cool experience.
739 E. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd San Antonio, TX 78205
Dia de los Muertos
I was so fortunate that my trip was during Dia de los Muertos. As I mentioned, there is so much Mexican influence in San Antonio. I was able to see so many ofrenda tables (altars made by families of their loved ones who passed away). There were also a few exhibits dedicated to this holiday, explaining the significance. If you can try to make your trip around November first or second to experience the celebration of life.
I felt very safe in San Antonio. A majority of the area was very clean. I was able to navigate to many places by walking, which was great to enjoy the sights on the street. I started to use uber to get to some places just outside of Downtown but then stumbled upon VIA Metropolitan Transit, local VIA bus fares are $1.30 (15¢ for a transfer). What is even better are the Viva routes, like Viva Culture which take you to almost all of the local cultural attractions! It was perfect and affordable while traveling.
