The city of San Antonio is the real pride of the state of Texas. It combines the most important historical events of the United States, ancient and modern architecture, luxurious nature and a lot of cool entertainment. There is always something to do here, whether it’s exploring the Old Town, going to the museum, a romantic walk along the river or having fun in an amusement park. There are a lot of interesting places to visit in San Antonio and its surroundings – blooming gardens and parks, mysterious caves, colorful restaurants and gastropubs, safari among wild animals and magnificent art galleries.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Mission San Antonio National Historical Park has become the first UNESCO-protected landmark in Texas, and is considered one of the most interesting places to visit in this city. The complex includes Spanish missions founded at the beginning of the XVIII century with the aim of expanding the influence of the Crown from Mexico to the north of the United States and converting indigenous peoples to Catholicism. The most visited of them is San Jose, but in the territories of San Juan Capistrano, Espada, Concepcion and San Antonio de Valero (Alamo) there are also many interesting sights and ruins of ancient buildings. The centers of each of them are churches surrounded by Indian settlements.
The picturesque area of the park is suitable for hiking. During the hike, you can admire the surrounding nature, observe the birds that live here and see many historical monuments. The most interesting sights of the San Antonio missions include the ruins of churches, as well as an ancient irrigation system with an aqueduct and a dam.
San Antonio Main Plaza
All tourist routes in San Antonio converge on the central square. Perhaps this is the most interesting and rich in monuments and museums part of the city. For a mandatory visit, it is definitely worth recommending the magnificent museum of The Alamo, dedicated to the famous battle.
The main attractions of the Old Town are the historic San Antonio Market Square and the magnificent San Fernando Cathedral. One of the oldest churches in the United States is named after St. Ferdinand of Castile and has been listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In the cathedral building there is a national shrine of the USA — a sarcophagus, where the heroes who died in the Battle of the Alamo rest.
McNay Art Museum
The McNay Museum of Art is considered one of the most interesting places to visit in San Antonio, because its exposition covers more than 5,000 years of the history of the development of human culture. It is located in the building of a former brewery and includes, in addition to modern art objects, rare collections of exhibits from Asia, Latin America and the countries of the ancient Mediterranean. In addition, various exhibitions and educational programs for different ages are regularly held here.
San Antonio Aquarium (SeaWorld San Antonio)
The famous oceanarium SeaWorld San Antonio is the largest marine theme park in the world. Whales, sea lions and seals, many species of sharks, alligators and flamingos, leisurely walking in shallow water, feel great here. In huge aquariums, you can watch the life of stingrays and eels, as well as flocks of colorful tropical fish and other cute sea creatures.
The aquarium regularly hosts performances for visitors with the participation of killer whales, belugas and dolphins. In addition, there are many attractions for any age on its territory, including roller coasters and water activities with animals. It will be especially interesting for children here — they will be able to feed a wide variety of inhabitants of the seas and play with them.
Alamo Plaza Complex
The Alamo Plaza complex is located in the center of San Antonio and is the most important attraction. It was from here that the Spanish colonization of Mexico began, and during the War of Independence at this place about 200 residents of the city fought with the vastly superior army of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Now the entire territory of the complex with the surviving buildings is a huge museum telling about the War of Independence of the state of Texas.
On the Alamo Plaza is the very first Spanish mission in Texas — Misión San Antonio de Valero. Now a hotel has opened in this ancient building. If you walk a little further south, you can get to the territory of the King William Historic District, where many old buildings and cottages have been preserved.