Perhaps the large territory comes to be associated with
the arid deserts of the southwest, yet the Lone Star State
also boasts a nearly 400-mile-long coastline on the Gulf of
Mexico dotted with white sand beaches, littoral towns and
a wealth of charming anchorages. Halfway down her coast,
south of Corpus Christi and far from any interstate highways
lies the mouth of the Laguna Madre, among the most
remote and forgotten cruising grounds on the Gulf Coast.
Shielded by South Padre Island and stretching all the
way south to Mexico, this narrow lagoon not only runs
along the Gulf but is also a rarity: It is one of the saltiest
bodies of water in the world, even saltier than our seas
and oceans. With its shallow depth, few inlets to the Gulf
of Mexico and lack of fresh water coming from the plains
of South Texas, this unique ecosystem buffered on both
sides by sand dunes has remained in a pristine state, her
shores barely touched by developers. Cruisers who have
discovered the Laguna Madre’s unique beauty lament
South Padre Island’s reputation as a college spring break
destination, yet the 34-mile-long island and the artsy town
of Port Isabel at its furthest point south open their arms
wide to cruisers throughout the year.
First discovered and mapped by Cabeza de Vaca and his
Spanish conquistadors in 1528, South Padre Island was
an encampment for an unusual tribe of Native Americans
known as the Karankawas. They were said to wear80 s SOUTHERNBOATING.COM s MARCH 2016