San Antonio is the most historically layered city in Texas — the place where Spanish colonial ambition, Mexican sovereignty, and American expansion all met, and where the resulting cultural mix has produced something genuinely distinct from the rest of the state. It is also warmer than most people expect, larger than many realise (the seventh most populous city in the United States), and worth more time than the standard Alamo-and-River-Walk itinerary suggests.
We visited San Antonio during a ride from San Diego to St Augustine in Florida. Margaret’s bike needed repair and we both needed a rest. We stayed for a few nights in a hotel on the edge of town, found bike shops and had the bike serviced. We rode into the centre, visited the Alamo (the allowed us to lock up the bikes round the back) and looked at some of the other sights. I remember being very impressed with the beautiful river walk. After the other cities we had seen on this trip this beautifully crafted space was something quite unusual, and memorable.
A Little Background
The area was home to the Coahuiltecan people and later to the Comanche before Spanish missionaries arrived in the early eighteenth century. Mission San Antonio de Valero was founded in 1718 — the building later known as the Alamo. Four more missions followed over the next decade, and the cluster of Spanish colonial mission buildings along the San Antonio River constitutes one of the most significant Spanish colonial historical sites in North America, collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.
Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836, and the siege of the Alamo — in which a small Texan garrison was overrun by the Mexican army under General Santa Anna — became the central mythology of that independence. The accuracy of that mythology has been significantly revised by historians; the Alamo’s story is considerably more complicated than the version taught to American schoolchildren. San Antonio was a bilingual, bicultural city for much of its history, and Mexican-American (Tejano) culture remains central to its identity in a way that is not always the case in Texas cities further from the border.
What to See and Do
The Alamo stands in the middle of downtown San Antonio — not in an open landscape as many visitors imagine, but surrounded by the city. The mission church (the iconic façade familiar from photographs) is free to enter; the museum and grounds are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with ongoing redevelopment of the surrounding plaza. Recent scholarship has added considerable nuance to the standard narrative; the museum engages with this honestly. Expect crowds; early morning is the best time to visit.
The San Antonio Missions — the four other missions (Concepción, San José, San Juan, Espada) are strung along the San Antonio River south of downtown and form the bulk of the UNESCO designation. Mission San José, known as the “Queen of the Missions,” is the largest and best-preserved, with a working granary, Indian quarters, and the intricate carved stonework of the Rose Window. All are free to visit; the National Park Service operates a visitor center at San José. A bicycle or a car is the practical way to connect them — the Mission Reach section of the San Antonio River Walk trail links all five missions on a paved path.
The River Walk (Paseo del Río) is the heart of tourist San Antonio — a network of pedestrian paths along the San Antonio River, 2 metres below street level, lined with restaurants, bars, and hotels. It is pleasant in the evening and considerably more agreeable than the standard description of “tourist trap” suggests. The key is to walk beyond the central tourist mile — the River Walk extends several kilometres in both directions, and the quieter stretches near King William Historic District to the south are considerably more interesting.
The King William Historic District is a neighbourhood of Victorian mansions built by prosperous German merchants in the late nineteenth century — San Antonio had a large German immigrant community — along a shaded residential street near the river. The Guenther House (c.1860) is open as a museum and restaurant.
The San Antonio Museum of Art on the River Walk north of downtown has an excellent Latin American art collection, strong ancient Mediterranean holdings, and an Asian art wing. Adult approximately US$20. The McNay Art Museum, further north in a Spanish Colonial Revival mansion, holds a strong collection of post-Impressionist and twentieth-century American work; adult approximately US$20.
Market Square (El Mercado) is the largest Mexican market in the United States — three blocks of shops, food stalls, and restaurants selling textiles, ceramics, jewellery, and food. The Mi Tierra Café and Bakery, which has operated continuously since 1941, is the place for huevos rancheros and pan dulce.
Day trip: Natural Bridge Caverns — a large and genuinely impressive limestone cave system 30 kilometres north of the city, open for guided tours. A useful half-day if the heat calls for something underground.
Getting There
San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is 13 kilometres from downtown, connected by VIA Metropolitan Transit buses to the city centre (approximately 40 minutes). Taxis and rideshares cost US$25–35. Amtrak’s Sunset Limited (Los Angeles to New Orleans, three times weekly) stops at San Antonio’s Sunset Station; journey times are long, but the route through West Texas and the Louisiana bayous is one of the more scenic in the country.
Cost and Hours
San Antonio is one of the more affordable major American cities — accommodation, food, and most attractions are priced well below the national average for cities of its importance. The Alamo and the other missions are free. Mid-range hotels run US$120–200 per night. Allow two full days minimum; three if you plan to cover the full mission trail properly.