Enjoying the Best Three Days in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is a beautiful city full of history, tradition, and charm. With so much history and culture, it’s easy to see why San Antonio is the most visited city in the state. Visitors can explore iconic landmarks such as the Alamo, and the River Walk. You can join us as we Enjoy the Best Three Days in the River City.
Where We Stayed:
Canopy by Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk
In San Antonio on the River Walk, Canopy By Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk provides rooms with a riverfront restaurant on site.
Overall, we had a wonderful stay at the Canopy San Antonio Riverwalk! The hotel was convenient to the Alamo, the San Fernando Cathedral, Market Square, and many restaurants. We arrived at the hotel around lunchtime and were able to check in which was a huge convenience. We dropped off our bags and headed out to lunch in the city.
Day One
Lunch at Mi Tierra Cafe
For lunch, we found a historic Mexican cafe and bakery offering classic fare, Tex-Mex dishes, margaritas, and mariachis in a festive atmosphere. While waiting, we enjoyed margaritas at the Mariachi Bar.
At Mi Tierra, you’ll get free chips and salsa to snack on before the food arrives. Our waitress Graciela suggested the Enchiladas Verdes and the Chicken Fajita Quesadilla which were both very good. After lunch, we brought back some baked goodies from their bakery.
Historic Market Square
An excellent stop when visiting the river city is the San Antonio Historic Market Square which occupies three city blocks of local vendors and stores. Market Square is the largest Mexican market in the United States. The “El Mercado” section houses 32 specialty shops with delicious foods and other products such as colorful woven blankets.
In the main plaza, you can also catch live music. Then go shopping for a bunch of fun souvenirs.
Historic Market Square: 514 W Commerce St, San Antonio, TX
San Antonio River Walk
After lunch, we began exploring the River Walk. We took a boat ride on Go Rio, a water taxi/boat tour, and learned more about the city’s history! All along the walkways on either side of the river are shops, restaurants, bars, and more!
The San Antonio Riverwalk is three miles long and packed with restaurants, good food, and bars. It’s the most popular spot for lunch and happy hour. The Riverwalk is also full of history and truly makes San Antonio one of a kind. One of the best time to visit is at night when it comes alive with lights.
GO Rio River Cruise
GO Rio is the only cruise line that operates in the San Antonio River Walk. It is a fun and enchanting way to learn about the history of San Antonio while enjoying the riverwalk from the prettiest vantage point: the water.
The cruise also runs on a hop-on, hop-off basis so you can dismount the barge at various points when you want to explore and rejoin the cruise when you’re ready to explore some more.
The Magic of Alebrijes
Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures known for their intricate designs and imaginative forms. They combine elements of animals, people, and mythical creatures, blending real-world influences with the artist’s creativity. Often seen as spiritual guides, alebrijes are believed to offer protection and guidance, symbolizing the link between the physical and spiritual worlds. Each piece tells its own story, making them captivating symbols of Mexican culture and folklore.
Throughout the month of October during our visit, we found several scattered along the River Walk as part of the festivities for Day of the Dead San Antonio.
Arneson River Theatre
The Arneson River Theater is an outdoor performance theater located on the San Antonio River Walk. This beautiful and historic theatre, located in the La Villita Historic Arts Village, is the perfect outdoor venue to watch a dance or musical performance. The five bells at the Arneson River Theatre represents the five missionaries in San Antonio.
Tower of the Americas
It’s the tallest building in all of Texas and offers 360-degree views of the city that you won’t want to miss! Take an elevator to the top floor and enjoy the best view of San Antonio’s Skyline.
Paesanos Riverwalk
Careful not to eat Tex-Mex for all our meals during this trip, we chose Italian Cuisine tonight for dinner at Paesanos Riverwalk. They set us at a cozy table near the river with a white tablecloth and fresh flowers to celebrate our birthdays this week. I chose their famous Shrimp Paesano, a delightful pasta dish with spaghetti tossed with lemon butter garlic Sauce. The shrimp were huge and it tasted divine.
Day Two
Breakfast at La Panadería Bakery Café
We started our morning at La Panaderia Bakery Cafe where I enjoyed a Kielbasa Sausage Croissant with Scrambled eggs. Of course, we had to get a couple of delicious pastries. We tried a Berry Croissant and an award-winning Tequila Almond Croissant.
La Panadería’s specialty is handmade bread and draws influence from French, Italian, and American breadmaking techniques. La Panadería’s unique approach to breadmaking includes a 48-hour fermentation process that results in artisan baked goods unlike any other. The attention to detail and welcoming atmosphere found at La Panadería has quickly made the bakery and café a staple in the Alamo City.
The Alamo
After breakfast, we then walked to The Alamo. You haven’t visited San Antonio, Texas until you have visited the Alamo, now turned museum. The Alamo was originally a religious outpost and Mission for The Spanish. It became a fortress and the site of part of the Texas Revolution at the Battle of the Alamo. What came as a surprise to me was how small the Alamo is. Currently construction is underway to preserve the 300-year-old Church and Long Barrack, recapture the original mission site and create a world-class Visitor Center and Museum to tell the full history of the site.
The San Antonio de Valero Spanish mission complex was the first of the San Antonio missions founded to convert the local American Indians to Christianity. This is one of five Spanish colonial missions in San Antonio.
San Fernando Cathedral
Just a short walk away from the Alamo is the San Fernando Cathedral. The architecture is stunning, and during the day you can walk inside the church. But it is at night when it comes to life with a laser show display. We will come back after dinner to check it out. The San Fernando Cathedral was founded in 1731 and has the added distinction of being the oldest standing church building in Texas.
San Fernando Cathedral: 115 W. Main Plaza San Antonio, TX
The Torch of Friendship
The Torch of Friendship soars 65 feet above the intersection of Alamo and Commerce Street. The ribbon-like crimson sculpture created by Mexican artist Sebastian is a gift to the city of San Antonio from Mexico.
The Briscoe Western Art Museum
We did not get a chance to go to this museum but they did have several sculptures on the riverwalk and outside the museum. “Coming Home to the Briscoe,” a monumental new sculpture on the River Walk, depicts a vaquero driving longhorns on a cattle drive. The work is along the Riverwalk entrance to the Briscoe Western Art Museum.
Classic Theaters in Downtown San Antonio
In this day of streaming videos and multiplexes, there is something about classic theaters that takes me back in time. Maybe it’s a Saturday night date to see a blockbuster movie, maybe it’s an up and coming band playing to a small audience before they hit the big time. Maybe it’s the neon lights, and the hot buttered popcorn. San Antonio has several downtown picture palaces that we passed by in our tours of downtown including The Aztec, The Majestic, and the Empire.
Dinner at Boudro’s on the Riverwalk
Buodro’s is a Tex-Mex restaurant on the River Walk. We were able to sit outside right next to the river. This is a pricier and more upscale option, but dinner at Boudro’s was the Texas Rose of our trip. We started the evening with an expresso martini and the best prickly pear margaritas in all of Texas.
I had the Pollo Asado which was Grilled Chicken Breast marinated with adobo de achiote, citrus juices, olive oil grilled over Mesquite and Oak, served with caramelized corn, black beans and pineapple picot. It was delicious. Since Brenda and I were having our birthday dinner they brought us a piece of their Lime Chess Pie with butter pastry crust but we couldn’t stop there. We also shared their Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee loaded with berries.
Boudro’s has been one of the most treasured and popular restaurants on the San Antonio River Walk since 1986. You’ll want reservations here, especially if you’re hoping to dine on a weekend or want to try to request a riverside table.
“San Antonio The Saga”
After dinner, we took a stroll to San Fernando Cathedral to see “San Antonio The Saga.” This awe-inspiring video art projection tells the story of the land, water, people, battles, and development of San Antonio, the Lone Star State, and United States history.
“The Saga” is projected onto the San Fernando Cathedral- the oldest continuously operating cathedral in the United States. Through the 24-minute journey, it has become a destination for residents, Texans, national, and visitors from across the globe. International artist Xavier de Richemont created this renowned exhibit to educate, and delight viewers from around the world, and stoke an appreciation for the epic history of San Antonio.
Showtimes: Tuesday through Sunday at 9 PM & 9:30 PM
Admission: Free and open to the public
Where: Main Plaza, Home Of San Fernando Cathedral, 115 N. Main Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78205
Day Three
Breakfast at Domingo’s
On our last day in San Antonio, we ate breakfast at the Hilton Canopy’s restaurant “Domingo”. It’s located on the riverwalk and is a pleasant place to have your morning coffee on a nice morning.
Their Churro Waffle is an excuse to eat dessert for breakfast! (As if I needed one). Cinnamon, Dulce de Leche Syrup, Strawberries, Whipped Cream, Candied Pepita
Final Thoughts
San Antonio is a city full of history, culture, and natural beauty. Whether you’re interested in exploring the city’s rich heritage or simply enjoying the local cuisine and atmosphere, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
