The attraction
Located in the heart of downtown, the Alamo is known not so much for being San Antonio’s first Catholic mission, part of a complex of five that is Texas’s only UNESCO World Heritage site.
Remember (to visit) the Alamo.
It’s more famous for the legendary 1836 battle where about 200 Texan Army soldiers tried in vain to hold off more than 2000 Mexican troops. While entry to the church is free, it’s worth taking a guided tour to learn more about the site and see the impressive array of artefacts donated by unlikely Alamo enthusiast, popstar Phil Collins. See thealamo.org
The view
Built in 1968 to celebrate San Antonio’s 250th anniversary, the 229-metre-tall Tower of Americas is Texas’s highest observation deck, offering horizon-blurring 360-degree vistas of the city and its surrounds.
Take in the view from the Tower of America.Credit: iStock
While there aren’t any world-famous landmarks to gawp over, it’s still an impressive panorama and the observation deck has a series of murals explaining key events in the city’s tumultuous 305-year history. Other amenities include an upscale revolving seafood restaurant and a kid-pleasing 4D theatre show. See toweroftheamericas.com
The art museum
Ohio-born heiress Marion McNay amassed an enviable collection of more than 700 works of modern art during her lifetime. When she died in 1950, she donated the lot, along with her 1920s Spanish-Colonial Revival home in San Antonio, to create Texas’s first modern art museum. The site has since been expanded and the McNay Art Museum now holds a staggering 22,000 works across a dizzying array of genres, from Latino prints and French glass art to Broadway stage designs and medieval sculptures. See mcnayart.org
The district
Once home to Texas’s largest brewery, Pearl is a sprawling nine-hectare site three kilometres north-east of downtown that’s now a vibrant mix of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. Families will appreciate the picnic-friendly central lawn, historians will want to check out the storied Hotel Emma and gastronomes can choose between award-winning eateries such as Peruvian/Asian specialist Botika and the inhouse eatery at the Culinary Institute of America. Throw in a riverside amphitheatre, a weekend farmers’ market and more than a dozen boutiques and you might need multiple visits. See atpearl.com
The tour
Claiming to be Texas’ No.1 attraction, San Antonio’s River Walk is a 24-kilometre urban waterway that snakes through the heart of the city. The eight-kilometre downtown loop is particularly appealing given it’s located six metres below street level and is lined with restaurants, bars and stately bald cypress trees.
A river cruise takes in all the main sights.
It’s the perfect setting for a leisurely boat ride and Go Rio Cruises delivers with an entertaining 35-minute trip that hits all the main sights, including renowned Mexican artist Pedro Reyes’ striking Stargazer “Citlali” statue. See goriocruises.com
The bar
Even if you don’t stay at the award-winning Hotel Emma in the Pearl district, be sure to swing by for a drink in its impressive bar, the Sternewirth tavern. Located within the remnants of a former 19th-century brewery, the space features soaring vaulted ceilings, chandeliers made from old bottling equipment and two towering cast iron fermentation tanks that have been turned into intimate banquettes. The signature drink? The Three Emmas, a lager-based cocktail with sherry and gin that’s named after the wife and two mistresses of the brewery’s former owner, Otto Koehler. See thehotelemma.com
The walk
After being transformed from a bucolic stream into a concrete drainage ditch in the name of flood control, San Pedro Creek is enjoying a well-deserved renaissance. The first phase of a four-stage project to turn the waterway into an outdoor culture park was completed in October 2022. Visitors can now stroll along a meandering riverside path, past an “unfolding” outdoor museum of striking public artworks. Highlights include Creek Lines, a six-metre-high reflective metal canopy held aloft by 30 stainless steel pipes, and Stream, a 76-metre-long waterfall that lights up at night. See spcculturepark.com
The show
Designed by renowned French artist Xavier de Richemont, The Saga is a spectacular 24-minute light and sound show that’s projected onto the imposing facade of San Fernando Cathedral every night from Tuesday to Sunday. It’s a rousing affair, combining a swirling montage of graphics and photos with a stirring soundtrack to chart the city’s history, starting from the original indigenous inhabitants through Spanish settlement, the famous battle at the Alamo and many more notable events. The best bit? It won’t cost you a cent.
The market
Claiming to be the largest Mexican market in the US, Historic Market Square or “El Mercado” is a three-block-long outdoor plaza lined with around 100 locally-owned shops, stalls and restaurants. It’s the best place in the city to go for authentic Mexican wares, including Talavera pottery, leather goods, dolls, ponchos and blankets. Plus traditional Mexican treats, from margaritas and churros to celebratory feasts with Mariachi bands. Visit at the weekend for live entertainment, including music, street artists and skirt-swishing Folklorico dancers.
One more thing
CityPass recently launched a San Antonio edition, offering savings of up to 35 per cent on a choice of four of the city’s most popular attractions. See citypass.com
Rob McFarland was a guest of the US Travel Association and San Antonio Tourism (visitsanantonio.com).
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