Barging along the River Walk - San Antonio TX

RATING: ♦♦♦♦♦+

The River Walk in San Antonio is one of the most enchanting downtown experience we’ve had on our travels. The River Walk is actually a city park on the San Antonio River that is comprised of a network of walkways along the banks of the river, one story beneath the streets of San Antonio.

DAY ONE – The Barge

We had a choice of walking along the sidewalks or take a barge on the river. It was very hot, so we decided to take the barge. The most popular barge is a 35 minute narrated tour. There is also an unnarrated shuttle barge that allows passengers to get off and on at 15 different stops along the river. We took the unnarrated barge shuttle.

The entire River Walk has three sections. The oldest and most famous section is downtown. It’s lined by bars, shops, restaurants, and wonderful old cypress trees that provide shade on both the walkway and the river. We ate lunch at Joe’s Crab Shack, and then boarded the shuttle barge just outside the restaurant. The barge wound its way south through downtown, turned north on the main channel, and headed up the northern extension toward the museums.

The Museum Stretch, which has a more natural feel than the downtown section, passes by several local museums and then through a dam and lock system before ending up at the Pearl District. This is a much newer part of the River Walk, and is also considerably wider. That meant less shade. The heat was approaching 100°, and there were times we thought we’d burn up. But the captain of the barge eventually stopped under a bridge for shade and passed out some water to all the passengers. We were glad to have it.

The Pearl District is the site of the former Pearl Brewery, and is now a trendy spot for entertainment and eating. We stopped at the Lick ice cream shop and cooled off before heading back downtown on the shuttle.

There is also a southern River Walk extension, but the barges do not run on this section. It’s called the Mission Stretch, and passes by the other four historic missions. (The Alamo is downtown just a couple blocks from the main River Walk.)

DAY TWO – The Stroll

We enjoyed our first visit to the River Walk so much we decided to make a return visit for David’s birthday. Instead of taking the barge shuttle, we took a long stroll along the entire downtown loop of the River Walk. It was quite wonderful.

What makes it so appealing is that it is one level down from the street. It winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks on each side of the river. Many downtown buildings have street entrances and separate river entrances one level below. This separates the automotive and pedestrian traffic, creating an intricate network of bridges, walkways, and old staircases that’s perfect for walking.

We arrived around 7:00 pm, but it was still in the mid-nineties. Fortunately, the River Walk, being below street level and shaded by the buildings and tall cypress trees, acts as a cool river oasis, perhaps 10° cooler than street level. After our walk, we had a nice dinner at Mad Dogs British Pub. It was a very enjoyable evening.