South Padre Island

South Padre Island
FAQ

Everything you need to know before your beach day.

What are the beach conditions at South Padre Island today?

South Padre Island sits on the Gulf of Mexico. Our conditions page shows today's water temperature, surf height, wind, UV index, tide times from NOAA station 8779724, and rip current risk. Everything is pulled live from NOAA and Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day.

View Live Conditions

Where do you park at South Padre Island?

Park at South Padre Island in lots like Isla Blanca Park, Andy Bowie Park, County Beach Access 3. Our parking page maps every option with addresses, rates from $12/vehicle and a live crowd-based availability estimate so you can plan ahead and skip circling.

Find Parking

Where should you eat at South Padre Island?

At South Padre Island, don't miss the Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos at Blackbeard's. Our dining page pulls live ratings and hours from Google Places and highlights the local dishes worth ordering.

Explore Dining

What boat trips run from South Padre Island?

Boats leave South Padre Island from Sea Ranch Marina, including the Original Dolphin Watch — dolphin watches, sunset sails, kayak tours and fishing charters. Our things to do page lists the operators, departure times and prices.

See Things to Do

What's happening at South Padre Island this week?

South Padre Island hosts Dolphin Watch Cruises and more. Our events page pulls the current week's lineup so nothing sneaks up on you.

Check Events

How long does it take to get sunburned at South Padre Island?

It depends on the UV index and your skin. Our conditions page converts today's hourly UV forecast at South Padre Island into minutes to burn using the standard erythemal dose model, so instead of "UV 9" you get "unprotected fair skin burns in about 18 minutes", along with the strongest stretch of the day and when to reapply. Open sand and water reflect UV back at you, so the estimate includes a beach uplift.

Check Today's Burn Time

At South Padre Island, the sun sets at 7:18 PM today — about 11h 56m of daylight. Sunrise was 7:21 AM. Live water temperature, surf height, UV index, wind and tide for South Padre Island update at the top of the conditions page.