Port Isabel

File:From-Port-Isabel Lighthouse - Taken from the top of the Port Isabel Lighthouse The City of Port Isabel, population 6,000, is the southernmost city and port on the Texas coast. It is a tourism, retirement, sports fishing and commercial fishing destination and the gateway to South Padre Island.

Port Isabel Halal Travel Guide

Setting: Port Isabel is on the coast at the southern tip of Texas, miles 8 from Mexico (miles 24 by car). The 2.6 mile-long (4 kilometers) Queen Isabella Causeway across the Laguna Madre connects it to South Padre Island and the Gulf of Mexico. The gated community of Long Island Village is across a short swing-bridge to the south. A few miles westward along the shore of the Laguna Madre is the settlement of Laguna Heights and the Village of Laguna Vista. This group of communities are collectively known as the “Laguna Madre Community” or “Laguna Madre Area.” The four counties at the southern tip of Texas are called "The Rio Grande Valley" (the "Valley").

Commercial-industrial: The Port Isabel-Brownsville shrimping fleet is highest dollar-value commercial fishery on the east coast of the United States. The Port Isabel - San Benito Navigation District (end of Port Road) mainly supports the offshore oil and gas industry and the industrial area on its property. The Subsea-7 “Spoolbase" prepares pipe on 5,000 foot-long (1,500 m) and spools it onto special ships for pipeline installation throughout the Gulf and Caribbean Basin.

Sports fishing: The Port Isabel - South Padre Island sports fishing industry directly serves anglers from other parts of the Rio Grande Valley and supports the tourism industry, retirement community, and winter residents. There are several marinas, tackle shops, bait stands, and fishing guides to serve anglers. Several fishing tournaments, including the large Texas International Fishing Tournament, bring anglers to the area for fun, comradery, and friendly competition.

Tourism seasons: Traffic tends to stand still during “Texas Week” when Texas schools are on Spring Break in mid-March. Visitors from Mexico fill the area during about two weeks of Semana Santa, for about a week around Cinco de Maya, and sometimes during late summer to escape the stifling heat of northern Mexico. Sports fishing activities increase in spring, especially for anglers hoping for record weight speckled trout, and continues throughout the summer. Summer family visitation corresponds to the schools' summer vacation period. Often, visitors are seen wearing camouflage clothing during the first two week-ends of September because many who hunt the Special Whitening Dove Season in Cameron County stay in Port Isabel lodging, partially to accommodate non-hunting family members. “Winter Texan Season” corresponds to “winter,” because many retirees spend that part of the year in the Laguna Madre Area and the other part of the year “back home.” The fall and spring bird migrations attract many birders to the area.

Visitor information The Port Isabel Visitor Center and the Port Isabel Chamber of Commerce office are located in the Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage museum (see below), located on the southeast corner of the Port Isabel Lighthouse Historical Site property. Hours: Monday to Friday 9AM Monday - 5PM; Saturday 10AM Monday - 4PM

History

Port Isabel highlights its proud history as an attraction for visitors. In addition to the Lighthouse State Historical Site, Port Isabel has three historical museums, nine state historical markers, and 21 sidewalk medallions highlighting notable generals who served here.

Native Americans of the Port Isabel area were members of the Eastern (coastal) Carrizo-Comecrudo Tribe of the Coahuiltecan people. Lipan Apaches often passed through on hunting and trading migrations and some splinter groups settled in the area during the late eighteenth century. Both have organizations in south Texas to preserve their legacy and language. There are several sites with surface artifacts of early peoples near Port Isabel, including an unmarked National Historic Site just southwest of the city.

Spanish explorer Francisco Gara sailed into the bay in 1523 and named it Brazos Santiago Pass, which is one of the oldest named sites in the United States.

In 1554, a treasure fleet wrecked on Padre Island about miles 30 north of Port Isabel. Only one survivor reached safety at Tampico, Mexico. Port Isabel's Treasures of the Gulf Museum is dedicated to that event and the salvage from the ships.

During the War of 1812 and the pirate and privateer Jean Laffite used the harbor as a hideaway and is said to have drawn water from a well in nearby Laguna Vista to restock his ships.

The new U.S. President James K. Polk sent General Zachary Taylor and his Army of Occupation to Port Isabel to start the U.S.-Mexican War. Port Isabel-Brazos Island harbor was a strategic asset for Mexico because it was the only safe harborage along nearly miles 300 of the then Mexican coast. General Taylor established Fort Polk at Port Isabel on March 24, 1846, and used it as a supply base for his operations in Texas until 1850. During that period, several important U.S. officers who would eventually face each other in the Civil War served at Port Isabel. The second floor of the Port Isabel Historical Museum is devoted to the war.

The Port Isabel Lighthouse was completed in 1852, and by 1847 a third-order fresnel lens had been installed.

The lighthouse was used as a lookout post during the First Cortina War from 1859 to 1860, but the Cortinistas did not approach Port Isabel.

Port Isabel was again a haven for pirates and blockade runners during the early part of the Civil War. Port Isabel was occupied at one time or another by both the USA and CSA, and the lighthouse was used by each as a lookout post. A Union attack destroyed all the ships in the harbor in 1863, and the last battle of the war (Palmetto Hill) was launched from an encampment at nearby Brazos Island by Union soldiers.

The first railway in south Texas was began operation in 1872 between Port Isabel and Brownsville. This opened up an export market for the Port Isabel fishery. The new demand was met with the development of the extremely effective Port Isabel Scow-Sloop fishing system, which was eventually outlawed in the 1930s.

In 1916 and the most powerful wireless transmission station in the world was built at Port Isabel. Among the reasons the station was built here was to facilitate communication with the operators of the newly completed Panama Canal, because of the intensifying border skirmishes with Pancho Villa, and because of growing expectation of the U.S. entering the First World War.

Some U.S. troops were stationed at Port Isabel during Pancho Villa’s bandit activities in 1916.

When the Missouri-Pacific Railroad reached Port Isabel in 1927, it opened up the town’s tourism and sports fishing industries. It also formed a catalyst for the formation of the Port Isabel Tarpon Rodeo (now the Texas International Fishing Tournament). With help of the railroad’s public relations department and the Tarpon Rodeo and the excellent fishing at Port Isabel became nationally known.

During the early part of the Second World War, German U-Boats were sinking ships in the Gulf of Mexico (eventually sinking 56), and there was an oil refinery at Port Isabel. Because of this and the U.S. Navy established lookouts along the coast, and a group of Port Isabel residents were enlisted into a militia and trained to respond against feasible land intrusion by Germans.

How is the Climate in Port Isabel

Port Isabel has a semi-arid, Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm to hot summers. In winter, average highs are in the mid-70s Friday and lows in the mid-50s Friday (24°C and 13°C, respectively). Summer average highs are high-80s (30°C) and lows in to mid-70s (22°C). Port Isabel’s coastal climate is typically two to five degrees warmer in the winters and cooler in the summers than even nearby communities. The summer temperature difference, supported by the cooling Gulf breeze, is noticeable a few miles out of town to visitors arriving by automobile. About 26" (66 cm) of rain is expect each year, with concentrations usually in September and secondarily in June. Throughout history, residents of surrounding areas have flocked to the coast in summers to escape the heat.

Because of the higher coastal humidity, people who find themselves blocked from the sea breeze during hot, late-summer days will very quickly feel their personal heat index rise. Port Isabel is breezy to windy most of the year. In fact and the Laguna Madre bay and nearby Brownsville Ship Channel are nationally famous among wind-surfers for strong sustained winds during the mid to late Spring. For some other people, this period of never-ending, day and night, wind becomes tiring. During other months and the wind doesn’t begin to rise until mid-morning; the pleasant early light breeze is heaven for drift fishing across the shallow, clear, seagrass meadows. Steady wind across the long Gulf fetch provides the waves enjoyed most of the year by surfers on South Padre Island.

Port Isabel had a white Christmas in 2004. That was the first recorded sin 109 years. Hard freezes occur only about once every fifteen years. However, wet, windy “northers” (cold fronts) can be more uncomfortable than below-zero weather for some people. Most days during the winter are pleasant and this is highly predictable. In fact, some visitors and owners of second homes will book flights according to the national weather map, leaving home before a cold front arrives there and returning before it reaches Port Isabel.

Major hurricanes (Beulah, 1967; Allen, 1980; Gilbert, 1988; Dolly, 2008) impact Port Isabel about once every fifteen years. Minor hurricanes and tropical storms are more frequent and, although they interrupt vacations and impact the tourism industry, are not especially of concern to local residents and some years the rain is welcomed. September is the peak month for tropical weather, followed by August.

Travel to Port Isabel

Buy a Flight ticket to and from Port Isabel

Brownsville/South Padre Island Airport GPS , (IATA Flight Code: BRO), 700 Emilia Earhart Dr, +1 956 542-4373. Take Minnesota Avenue (FM 313) from FMonday - 48 and follow it south for two miles. It is serviced by the following airlines:
American Eagle (Non-stop service between Dallas and Brownsville)
United Express (Non-stop passenger service to/from Houston)
Valley International Airport GPS , (IATA Flight Code: HRL), 3002 Heritage Way, Harlingen TX, 78550, +1 956 430-8600. Take Ed Cary Drive exit from US-77/83/69E and follow it north. It is served by the following airlines:
Southwest Airlines (Non-Stop service to/from Austin and Houston-Hobby])
United Express Airlines (Non-stop service to/from Houston-Intercontinental)

Port Isabel–Cameron County Airport - FAA LID: PIL 27617 Buena Vista Blvd, Los Fresnos 26.16059, -97.3416 ☎ +1 956 233-4424 Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport No commercial airline service.

Travel on a Bus in Port Isabel

Metro Connect Blue Line, - Connects with Island Metro <see "Get Around"> across Highway 100 from HEB southeast of Church's Chicken ☎ +1 956 681-3550 Provides service to Brownsville - South Padre Island Airport and connects in downtown Brownsville to routes extending to Harlingen and McAllen.

- South Padre Shuttle - ,

+1 877 774-0050 Provides door-to-door, non-stop service to/from Harlingen International Airport. Per person, $35 (one-way); $50 (round trip)

By car

Highway 100 - This is generally the preferred highway access from the north. It connects to US Highway 77/83/69E about miles 13 south of Harlingen (Texas) - Port Isabel Health Clinic - 202 2nd Street 26.074287, -97.224888 - Across TX-100 from H.E.B. Grocery and Walgreens, next to Port Isla Inn, and across 2nd Street from Southernlands Home Center ☎ +1 956 943-1774 | Opening Hours: 9am - 5pm Monday - F; Closed Saturday & Sunday Family training medical clinic

Port Isabel Medical Clinic 1506 TX-100 26.073, -97.223397 - Behind "The Gym" across Queen Isabella Blvd (TX-100) from Wal-Mart at the street light ☎ +1 956 943-6675 +1 956 943-6864 Opening Hours: 8:30am-6pm (Mon, Thur & Fri); 8:30am-9pm (Tues & Wed);8:30 am-12:30 pm (Sat); closed Sun. Family training medical clinic

Boys and Girls Pediatric Clinic - 1710 TX-100 26.07458, -97.226591 In Las Plamas Mall across TX-100 from HEB. In middle of main building ☎ +1 956 943-2600 | Opening Hours: 9am-6pm Monday to Fri; 9am-1pm Sat; closed Sunday Pediatric medical clinic

News & References Port Isabel

Travel Next

Brownsville is a 20-minutes drive West of Port Isabel and is home to many museums, art galleries, Gladys Porter Zoo, Mitte Cultural District, great local restaurants, bars, hotels, many oxbow lakes, bike trails, palm trees, several battlefield museums and will be the site for the new SpaceX facility.
South Padre Island is a bridge away and offers a much vibrant scene, concerts, condominiums/hotels, beachfront restaurants, bars, Schlitterbahn Resort Waterpark, Gravity Park, dolphin watch, charter tours and splendid ocean views.
Matamoros is located directly across Brownsville. Generally considered safe to walk across the bridge to Garcia's Restaurant, bar & store. It is strongly recommended to go no further.