San Antonio Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why San Antonio

San Antonio is a major urban center situated in the U.S. state of Texas, serving as the seat of Bexar County. Positioning itself in the southwestern corner of the urban area known as the Texas Triangle, it sits along the Interstate 35 corridor roughly 75 to 80 miles southwest of Austin and about 150 miles north of the Mexican border. As the seventh-most populous city in the United States and the second-largest in Texas, it receives approximately 32 million visitors every year.

The geographical footprint of the city spans over 465 square miles, characterized by a gently rolling landscape with an elevation around 662 feet above sea level. Its terrain features oak trees, forested areas, cacti, and mesquite, with the Texas Hill Country extending into its northernmost reaches and the Balcones Escarpment running through the region. Local water resources include the Edwards Aquifer as well as reservoirs such as Victor Braunig Lake and Calaveras Lake.

Indigenous Payaya people originally inhabited the river valley, referring to the area as Yanaguana. Spanish explorers named the location in 1691 in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua, establishing a mission and military outpost in 1718. The settlement expanded in 1731 with the arrival of colonists from the Canary Islands, forming the first chartered civil government in Texas. After serving as the provincial capital under Spanish and Mexican rule, San Antonio became a key location during the 1836 Texas Revolution, notably during the Battle of the Alamo. The city joined the United States following the annexation of Texas in 1846 and later absorbed significant German immigration, with its first railroad arriving in 1877.

Today, the city features the largest majority-Hispanic population in the nation, with 64 percent of its residents identifying as Hispanic. San Antonio is also recognized as a prominent military hub, hosting several major U.S. Armed Forces facilities including Fort Sam Houston alongside Lackland and Randolph Air Force Bases. Furthermore, the city houses the South Texas Medical Center and two Fortune 500 companies.

San Antonio is renowned for its five 18th-century Spanish frontier missions—including The Alamo and those preserved within the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park—which were collectively designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Visitors can explore key urban landmarks such as the downtown River Walk and the Tower of the Americas. Additional attractions include theme parks such as SeaWorld San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas, alongside prominent regional sporting events like the Alamo Bowl and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.