When you think of Christmas, you think of cold weather, warm drinks and the smell of fresh-cut pine. But do you ever think of sand? Or sun-kissed waves? You might now, since South Padre Island has been recently named one of the best beaches in the world to spend Christmas.
The recognition came from Travel 2 Next, an online travel blog and media site, which announced its list for the top 20 places to spend Christmas on the beach. And of all the beachy tourist hotspots around the world, South Padre Island was the only sunny isle in Texas to make the list, coming in at No. 3.
“For many years those sneaky Texans kept a little Christmas secret from the rest of us — South Padre Island. But now that secret is well and truly out,” Travel 2 Next writer Spencer Samaro said of the best little beach in Texas.
The travel site highlighted the Island’s reputation for deep-sea fishing opportunities, palm tree-lined boulevards, rare birds and the large stretch of undeveloped land where Texas wildlife can continue to roam free. And each year, South Padre Island hosts a variety of cheery, holiday-themed events, including a nighttime Christmas parade, a lighted boat parade and more.
Though the city of South Padre Island is a familiar spot among tourists, offering a smorgasbord of family-friendly places to hang out, one of the Island’s best-kept secrets lies north of the city limits. Out past the point where Park Road 100 ends in a pile of sand lies the South Padre Island portion of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, a federally protected and managed refuge that’s home to the federally endangered ocelot, a nesting ground for the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, and more.
And of course, there’s the beach itself. South Padre’s powder-soft sand can be reached through a variety of city-managed and Cameron County-managed beach accesses. Some are free; others require a small fee. But all are, as Travel 2 Next described, “the perfect spot to escape the winter blues.”
Other beaches in Travel 2 Next’s ranking include Miami Beach, which came in at No. 1; Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, at No. 5; Siesta Key in Sarasota, Florida, at No. 6; Flamenco Beach in Puerto Rico; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at No. 8; and Palm Beach, Florida, rounding out the top 10.