Stop by the Mexican Market Square, where mariachi bars extend to the plaza, or head east to the Carver Community Cultural Center, which was founded in 1918 as a community center for African-Americans. Nowadays, you can watch concerts or dance performances. Home to some of the most famous historic sites in Texas, San Antonio is a wonderful city for sightseeing. If you want to add some fun activities to your itinerary, you'll also find great opportunities for mini-adventures in or near the city.
San Antonio is our favorite city to visit in Texas. From the city's great food to the number of museums, the riverside walk and, of course, the Alamo and the Misiones, San Antonio has a lot for tourists and conference visitors. Here are 5 tips we have for travelers heading to San Antonio. About a 30-minute drive from the Alamo, the Natural Bridge Caverns are easy to visit for a half-day trip from downtown San Antonio.
Once here, you can stroll through the koi carp ponds, see the enormous waterfall and explore the ornate gardens that are so impressive. It's over 100 years old and totally charming. The Japanese Tea Garden, which is part of Brackenridge Park's larger grounds, is a quiet place in San Antonio that has been lovingly restored. If you want to spend some time exploring museums, consider visiting the San Antonio Museum of Art and the McNay Art Museum for two very different perspectives.
It conjures up a mental image of Texas (big hair, big hats and large amounts of oil, or perhaps a dry, cactus-covered desert landscape) and it probably doesn't look anything like San Antonio. Parades and events, including the famous Battle of the Flowers parade, are constant in San Antonio during this time, giving the city an almost electric atmosphere. Flanking the San Antonio River, the cobblestone Paseo del Río meanders quietly through the city center, full of lush cypresses and oak trees and surrounded by beautiful stone bridges. It's worth exploring and is one of the best things to do in San Antonio if you have a few free hours.
In addition to the animals, the zoo also has a narrow-gauge railroad, the San Antonio Zoo Eagle, as well as a fun carousel. It's a walking and biking trail that connects the five missions and is one of the best things to do in San Antonio. The missions will show you what life was like in San Antonio during the mission area and the churches are still in service today. This was the first in a nine-mile chain of five Spanish religious missions that stretches deep into the countryside along the languid San Antonio River.
Along the way, you'll travel through much of downtown San Antonio and be able to stop at many of the small restaurants and bars that line the promenade itself. A great way to see the sites is with a combined 26% hop-free bus tour on a San Antonio River cruise, which also includes access to the Tower of the Americas. A set of four missions (The Alamo is the fifth, but not included in all four), the missions of San José, San Juan, Espada and Concepción. Skip the tour of the Alamo and visit the other missions Mission Concepción, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan and Mission Espada.
