San Antonio City Guide

San Antonio is located in the American Southwest in the south central part of Texas. This city is named after San Antonio de Pauda and was established in 1691. The city is most famously associated with the site of the historic battle of Alamo, which took place between the Mexicans and the Texans from February 23rd to March 6th 1836.

In addition to the historic Alamo site, San Antonio offers myriad other attractions like the Tower of the Americas, theme parks like SeaWorld and Six Flags Fiesta Texas and events such as the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, all of which prompt more than 25 million tourists to book a vacation to San Antonio annually.

San Antonio’s most prominent area is its River Walk. The San Antonio River Walk is known as the Paseo del Rio and is a network of walkways that line the banks of the San Antonio River in downtown San Antonio. This open air public park is lined with bars, shops, hotels and restaurants and is open all 365 days a year. The River Walk features the major concentration of San Antonio hotels, which range from discount hotels and budget accommodation to luxury hotels.

For many families vacations to San Antonio is usually centered on of the city’s star attractions, Sea World. So much so that they prefer to reside in the area that is located around SeaWorld, that lies to the west of downtown San Antonio. This area around Sea World is typically populated with many family-friendly hotels, which welcome children of all ages.

Yet another family-friendly attraction in San Antonio is the Six Flags theme park, which is located in the Northwest part of the city. This neighborhood also hosts several educational, business and commercial establishments and has its own legion of fans, who reside at the diverse hotels that are located here.

Not all visitors who plan a trip to San Antonio come to vacation in the city, many visitors also visit San Antonio for work. These business travelers tend to reside at the wide assortment of hotels that are available around the San Antonio International Airport located in the northern half of the city

The Alamo was constructed in 1724 as a Spanish mission, the Mission San Antonio de Valero. The Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly seventy years.

The edifice played an important role in the battle for Texan liberty in 1863 for it is here that a small band of Texans were garrisoned during the battle. The Texans were then attacked by the Mexican cavalry. The Texans called for reinforcements but they didn’t receive any. The band of Texan resisters included Davy Crocket and his small band of fighters who managed to hold out for 13 days before being overpowered and executed by the Mexican army. Today, the Alamo is described as the cradle of Texan liberty and is regarded as one of the most important sights. A visit to the Alamo is considered to be ‘de rigueur’ on any vacation to San Antonio.

The Buckhorn Saloon and Museum recreates the days of the Wild West with 8000 wildlife exhibits, wax figurines, horns, clothing and other knick knacks. The museum is even equipped with a shooting gallery, an arcade and a store of interesting knick-knacks, which is aptly called the ‘World’s Oddest Store.’

The towering Tower of Americas is located in the midst of Hemisphere Park which was built for the 1968 World's Fair. The Tower of Americas which soars to 750 Feet is the United State’s second tallest free standing structure. Visitors are transported by elevator to the observation deck and revolving restaurant which are located at a height of 500 feet and afford gorgeous vistas of the city below.

The beautiful Spanish Governor’s Palace once served as the headquarters for the Spanish rulers of the Texan region. The building is filled with treasures and artifacts and is surrounded by spectacular gardens.

The SeaWorld located in San Antonio is one of the world’s largest marine life adventure parks. Sea World San Antonio is actually made up of four parks that extends over 250 acres and consist of a show park, a water park, an animal park and an area for rides This marine park offers more than 26 shows, rides and animal attractions and is considered by many holiday makers as the prime reason to book a vacation to San Antonio.

The weather in San Antonio can be best described as subtropical that is characterized by cold winters and hot, humid summers. July and August are generally the hottest months in San Antonio, when temperatures routinely reach as high as 95° F (35°C).

Winters in San Antonio are often characterized by frigid temperatures as well and temperatures as low as 39°F (4°C) are not uncommon thus the best times to plan a visit to San Antonio are during the seasons of early spring or fall where temperatures in the city are more amenable. Further, the world famous festival of the San Antonio Fiesta features many parades, pageants, and floats. Various other cultural fests are usually held in the city in April every year so it makes sense to plan your trip to San Antonio at this time.

San Antonio is easily accessed via its San Antonio International airport that is located eight miles north of its downtown and welcomes 21 domestic and international airlines. We at Fare Buzz can further facilitate your passage to San Antonio, with our absolutely tempting cheap air tickets, hotel and even vacation package deals for San Antonio. So if you desire a vacation to San Antonio, you simply need to book a deal with us and get ready to fly, while saving money and time.

San Antonio is a city that can be easily navigated on foot, however, during the peak summer months the unrelenting heat can be quite torturous. Luckily, the city is also equipped with an adequate public transport system that is made up of old world street cars, river taxis, auto taxis and buses. The river taxis cover nine locations on the River Walk and the Sightseer Special bus amply cater to needs of the tourists in San Antonio. However, if you prefer to rent a car in San Antonio, you can always avail of the services of Fare Buzz, which offers affordable car rentals along with its bouquet cheap flights, hotels deals and well-priced vacation packages.

San Antonio abounds with excellent choices for retail therapy. The Rivercenter Mall located in the heart of San Antonio’s downtown within the Riverwalk district is one such popular choice. The mall which borders the San Antonio River affords shoppers with stunning vistas of life on the river, as they shop and dine at its many well-known stores and restaurants.

Yet another not to be missed shopping experience in San Antonio is offered by the Alamo Quarry Market located in northern half of the city. This atmospheric shopping center is housed in a building, which was once home to the famed Alamo Cement Plant, responsible for producing much of the cement used in the building of Texas. The plant has now been converted into a mall offering a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options. The Alamo Quarry Market is accessible via 15 minute drive from the Riverwalk area.

The ‘Shops at La Cantera’ is an immensely popular open-air mall in San Antonio, which has expended and developed over the years and currently, includes 160 stores and eleven restaurants within its beautifully landscaped environs. Other malls and shopping centers worth a visit in San Antonio include locales like the Rolling Oaks Mall, the South Park Mall, the North Star Mall and the Forum at Olympia Parkway.

However if you want the whole ‘Texan’ experience while on a visit to San Antonio, you should pay a visit to the store the city’s famed store ‘the Ranch at the Rim’. This colorful store, embodies the entire cowboy experience as it offers all things western like authentic cowboy boots, crystal belt buckles, old-world tapestries and apparel for all the family.

You would probably presume that given its location, San Antonio’s dining scene is dominated by Tex-Mex restaurants. However, this is not true for in fact the city offers a pretty varied dining scene that features restaurants of all types.

The list of highly-ranked and well-regarded eateries in San Antonio presently includes restaurants like Bistro Vetel which offers French fare, Sorrento, Il Sogno Osteria and Bella on the River, which serve Italian delights and Bonhams Prime Steaks and Seafood. For American and New American cuisine try dining spots like Bliss, the Station Café, Biga on the Banks, Silo 1604 and Silo Elevated cuisine.

San Antonio is not short on options when it comes to nightlife. Comedy clubs, tequila bars, wine bars, live music venues and dance clubs all feature on the city’s pulsating nightlife scene. Favored haunts that offer a taste of Alamo City’s club and bar scene include spots like Tuckers Kozy Korner, Ocho, Martini’s, Soho Wine and Martini Bar, 502, Bonham Exchange, Grand Agave and Azuca Nuevo Latino.