Photographer: Kevin Stillman

The long, narrow sand island sweeps in a golden arc north some 110 miles to Corpus Christi. Modern hotels and motels edge several miles of the Gulf at the island's southern tip. Farther north, the island is entirely natural sand dunes, sea oats, and beach morning glory. (There is no bridge or ferry between South and North Padre.) Beautiful, gently sloping beaches are perfect for swimming and surf fishing. Beachcombers will find bright shells, perhaps floats from the West Indies, driftwood, and occasionally flint points of Karankawa Indians who roamed area.