San Antonio, Texas Travel Guide: Travel and tourist information, things to do and see in San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is a vibrant city rich in over three centuries of tradition! The sounds, flavors, histories, and cultures of the Native Americans, Old Mexico, Wild West, African-Americans, Germans, and the Deep South have merged together to create the diversified melting pot that creates San Antonio. All of these backgrounds have put their stamp upon the city, its culture, and its architecture, joining together to make San Antonio one of America's most unique cities.

According to legend, a Spanish missionary traveling through Texas came upon a tribe of Payaya Indians who lived among the wild grapes and Cypress Trees upon the banks of a sparkling oasis. The oasis they had found was named Rio Saint Antonio de Padua, from whence The San Antonio River derives its name. Today you can dine at some of San Antonio 's finest restaurants, or shop in style along the River Walk also known as ‘The Riviera of Texas'.

The City is most famous for The Alamo and the San Antonio Spurs Basketball Team. The Alamo was already a hundred years old at the time of the siege and battle. It was founded in 1718 as a Spanish mission for the purpose of Christianizing the Indians indigenous to the area. The Indians themselves built the mission under the supervision of the Spanish priests and it was named Mission "San Antonio de Valero." The church was designed without the benefit of a master engineer, the roof collapsed almost immediately, and this portion of the mission was never actually completed. The Alamo is now a museum with many artifacts and all the history of the battle available and is well worth a visit.

If you enjoy live sports its well worth a visit to the SBC centre to see the San Antonio Spurs in their quest to get to the NBA finals.

Locality:

San Antonio is located in the southern region's beautiful Hill Country of the “ Lone Star State ”. It is the second largest city in Texas and the eighth largest city in the United States . It is the seat of Bexar County and all of the amenities it offers make San Antonio an excellent city to visit or live in.

San Antonio is around 3 hours west of Houston on I-10, 4 1/2 hours south of Dallas and 80 minutes south of Austin on I-35. From San Antonio you can drive south into Mexico on I-35 in around 2 1/2 hours and to the Gulf of Mexico coast at Corpus Christi in just over 2 hours.

Population: 295.734.100
Languages: English 82%, Spanish 11% (2000)
Currency: US dollar
Currency code: USD
Local Times:
U.S.A. - District of Columbia - Washington DC

U.S.A. - Florida - Orlando

U.S.A. - California - San Francisco

U.S.A. - New York - New York

U.S.A. - Nevada - Las Vegas

Country Dialling Code: +1
Voltage: 120V 60Hz
Electrical plugs:
2 parallel flat prongs

2 Parallel flat prongs with an earth connector

The USA is home to several of the world's most exciting cities, some truly mind-blowing landscapes, a strong sense of regionalism, a trenchant mythology, more history than the country gives itself credit for and, arguably, some of the most approachable natives in the world.

America was 'discovered' by Columbus in 1492 and for 500 years people have travelled here seeking a better life in the 'land of opportunity'. The land was fought over by colonial powers for centuries and finally won its independence from Britain in 1783. Despite the near annihilation of the Native American population, one of the bloodiest civil wars the world had seen, and racism (Native Americans were not granted citizenship until 1924 and racial segregation was the norm until as late as the 1950s), the American people have succeeded in forging one of the worlds most united, democratic and tolerant nations, a fascinating melting-pot of cultures, and the undisputed military and economic heavyweight of the world.

The country is made up of 48 contiguous states of the continental USA, plus the huge state of Alaska, northwest of Canada, and the volcanic islands of Hawaii, 2,000 miles (3,219km) out into the Pacific. There are also the US territories, which include Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Midway Islands and US Virgin Islands. Tourism is focused mainly in the great cities such as New York and Washington, as well as sunshine states such as Florida, California and Hawaii. However the mind-blowing landscapes, found in the wealth of magnificent National Parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Adirondacks, as well as spectacular sights like the Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains, are what make the USA so unique. With all this on their doorstep, it's easy to understand why a significant proportion of Americans have never bothered getting a passport.

San Antonio, Texas Travel Guide

San Antonio, Texas Suitability Profile