The Beautiful San Antonio Riverwalk

The San Antonio Riverwalk is our city's number two destination and it is FREE of charge, except, of course, for the shopping and eating! (By the way, our city's number one tourist destination is the Alamo. The Alamo is also FREE to the public.)

Conveniently, you can go up to the street via stairs every few blocks.

All along the Riverwalk are maps showing you where you are on the Riverwalk and what is above you so you know when to go up to the street if you have a particular destination in mind. There is plenty of great shopping on the streets of downtown San Antonio as well as the Riverwalk.

If you like Mexican food, you may want to consider eating at Casa Rio, the most popular Mexican restaurant on the Riverwalk. It is the one with all of the colorful umbrellas as shown in the two photos with this article. Sit at a table at the sidewalk cafe and watch shoppers walk by or ride by on a boat. The boy in the foreground of the top photo is my son, Matthew. The orange thing behind him to the right is a sculpture in the middle of a downtown street, given to the City of San Antonio by Mexico.

Rivercenter Mall is a large shopping mall at the end of one section of the San Antonio River. I suggest parking in the mall's parking garage. Shop for a while in the mall and then hit the San Antonio Riverwalk for more shopping and for plenty of good food and entertainment.

At different times of the year, you can watch river parades and plays along the Riverwalk.

The Arneson River Theatre seats thousands of people.

During Christmas, you can eat on the San Antonio River boats while taking a cruise. Shown in the photo, one of the boats has tables set for a dinner cruise. The San Antonio Riverwalk is lit up beautifully at night during the end of November for Christmas.

Thousands of lights make the trees sparkle. Every December, there is a holiday river parade.

Bring your camera. There is plenty to photograph. Plan to spend the day. Wear comfy walking shoes because you can walk for miles. Most of all, have fun!

You can pay $8 and cruise the river or you can walk along the banks, on sidewalks. Pigeons and people are everywhere, enjoying the sights and the fabulous smells coming from the restaurants. European-style outdoor cafes line the water and are always full. The food is delicious. Restaurant prices are a little more expensive on the Riverwalk San Antonio Texas, but the food is worth it.

Parking downtown to get to the San Antonio Riverwalk can be difficult. I suggest you choose a parking lot. You can park in one for about $10 for the whole day. There are parking meters, but they are usually all taken and it is too difficult to keep running back and forth to feed the meter when you are having a good time exploring. Park in one of the lots and relax and have a good time.

At various times of the year, there are river parades and pageants to see. Wear good walking shoes, carry a large tote bag for your purchased items, and bring a good appetite. Bring your camera, too. You will have a great time here!

There are some great restaurants on the Riverwalk.

Every January, the San Antonio River is drained and cleaned. We have a Mud Festival then! In February, we celebrate Mardi Gras in San Antonio! We also dye the river bright green for St. Patrick's Day! Make your reservation to eat at one of the eateries on the river early for these two holiday celebrations.

Each March on St. Patrick's Day, the city dyes the San Antonio River green! Yes, when you go down to the San Antonio Riverwalk, the water is much greener than usual for three days each year. Approximately 50 pounds of environmentally friendly green dye is emptied into the San Antonio River in March when it officially and temporarily becomes The River Shannon every year for three days.

Below is some video of the river being turned green for the celebration.

The St Patrick's Day River Parade happens every March, around 1PM. Each river parade that we have throughout the year is a fun event, exciting, entertaining, and beautiful in its own way. Plan to eat on the river that afternoon at one of the many cafes or just stroll along and enjoy the barges going by on the dark green river. If you do plan to eat on the river during the parade, call ahead of time for reservations at the restaurant of your choice. If not, you may not be able to get in since the cafes are packed each time there is a river parade.

If you do not wish to eat during the parade, there are places along the River Walk where you can stand or even sit to watch the parade. March is still fairly cool so you should be comfortable. I suggest wearing sunscreen and a cap because the sun can be pretty strong even though it is usually not hot.

Go downtown and find good parking early and walk to your destination before the crowds slow you down.

Have fun, wear green, and bring your walking shoes and your camera. San Antonio always gives plenty of photo opportunities, especially when we dye the San Antonio River green!

There is a San Antonio Riverwalk map every couple of blocks along the Riverwalk so you can figure out where you are and where you want to go. Most of the maps have a red dot to show where you are in relation to the river. They also show the names of the streets above so you know where to go if and when you want to go up to the street level.

The maps are very handy as the river branches off in a few places. It is easy to get turned around if you are unfamiliar. As many times as I have been on the Riverwalk, I still get confused in some areas.

Above and below are a few of the many maps you will pass by as you explore the San Antonio River. Stop and study one of them so you can get your bearings. Whenever you get lost, look for another map and get your bearings again.

The blue lines are the San Antonio River. As you can see, the river is not just a straight line. The white lines are the city streets above the river. You can reach the streets by going up the stairs all along the San Antonio Riverwalk.

Taking a river cruise will also help you to get familiar with the river. The guides on the cruise boats will give you a tour as well as a history lesson. It is well worth to get acquainted with the river this way.

Aside from looking at a San Antonio Riverwalk map, each time you come near stairs that go up to the street level, there is a sign with the name of the street to make it easy for you to find your way around.

There are bridges down on the San Antonio Riverwalk so you can cross from one side to the other or you can go up to street level and cross up there and go back down on the other side.

Take a San Antonio River cruise while you are downtown. Rio San Antonio Cruises will take you up and down 2.5 miles of the river, while you see the sites of downtown San Antonio. I love taking the cruise on the river and have done it in the miserable 100 degree heat as well as in December when it is just a bit cooler and the Riverwalk is lit up for Christmas.

A cruise is 35 to 40 minutes of fun and beauty. The tour guide gives all sorts of fun and interesting facts about the San Antonio River and the buildings along the river. The tours are always packed with both tourists and locals. We have lived here for over 12 years and we still go on the cruises.

At Christmas, some of the cruises serve dinner on them. Of course, you will have to pay more but it is a lot of fun.

A cruise is 35 to 40 minutes of fun and beauty. The tour guide gives all sorts of fun and interesting facts about the San Antonio River and the buildings along the river. The tours are always packed with both tourists and locals. We have lived here for over 12 years and we still go on the cruises.

At Christmas, some of the cruises serve dinner on them. Of course, you will have to pay more but it is a lot of fun.

You have heard of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Did you know we have a San Antonio Mardi Gras on the Riverwalk? Yes, we do, each February. There is usually an arts and crafts show in February on the San Antonio Riverwalk extension.

If you are a shopper, you will find all sorts of beautiful and unique souvenirs and gifts during the craft show. Get an early jump on your Christmas shopping, or plan ahead and buy birthday and other holiday gifts.

Then, on that Sunday, usually from 3pm to 5pm, the holiday river parade is held. Thousands of people line the San Antonio River, watching beautifully decorated barges float by celebrating Mardi Gras. You will almost think that you are in New Orleans, except the parade here is on the river instead of out in the street. There will lots of music, delicious food, and bright colors everywhere along the San Antonio River while it is green!

Several restaurants on the San Antonio Riverwalk hold after-parties once the last barge has floated by.

A not-so-well-known San Antonio Riverwalk activity each year is the San Antonio Mud Festival. Each year, the San Antonio River is drained in January, right after New Year's Day.

This is so it can be cleaned up. Tourists drop all sorts of goodies in it, like cameras, cell phones, jewelry, toys, and so many other things. It is amazing to see on the news each year what is dropped in there! There is also a lot of trash, not to mention a ton of waste from all of the pigeons who live along the River Walk.

Our second most popular attraction with tourists, (the Alamo being number one), the San Antonio Riverwalk is free to enjoy for everyone, but it is important to keep it looking clean. So for about eight days each January, the water is drained and everything is cleaned out.

Instead of this being a bummer for everyone, it was decided to turn this time into another fiesta. The Michelob Ultra Riverwalk Mud Festival was created. About 15,000 people take part in each year. There is a Mud Parade, an arts and crafts show, and a big party at the end of the celebration. A Mud King and Queen contest is held. And don't forget about the Mud Coronation and also the Mud Pie Ball. Can you believe it?

It actually takes place once the river is refilled. For 2009, the river was drained from January 2 through 9 and the Mud Festival was held from January 8 through January 11.

If you are visiting the Alamo City the first week of January, don't worry. Everything on the San Antonio Riverwalk, except the actual river, will still be open. Sometimes when you are walking along, shopping and eating, you tend to forget that the water is actually there.

If you have a good imagination, you can picture it and pretend it is there. I encourage you to hold off your visit until after the water is back, if at all possible because it really is a beautiful place to visit. The Christmas lights will be turned off, but the water will be back in about a week.

Return from The Beautiful San Antonio Riverwalk to San Antonio Family Fun Home Page