DIRECTIONS TO UFO BEACH       coordinates 26.3654N, 97.2128W

Note: To get to UFO Beach, you have to drive on the sand about 10 miles. You should be knowledgable about off-road conditions and prepared to help yourself out of any snafus. A 4WD vehicle is very highly recommended.

Set your GPS device to:

  26.2073N, 97.1789W (Beach Access #6)

The major road of South Padre Island, numbered Park Road 100, runs south-to-north about 12 miles through the long, skinny island. The long bridge from Port Isabel connects to PR-100 near its southern end, where it is signed as Padre Boulevard. Heading north beyond the main town development, there are five signed beach accesses numbered 2 through 6. (There is not a sign for an Access #1.) Accesses #2, #3 and #4 lead to parking areas, but accesses #5 and #6 are entry points for driving along the beach, which is allowed north of access #5. At either of those accesses, there is booth where a fee is collected. Access #6 is 2.9 miles past access #5 and 2.7 miles before the dead end of PR-100, and it is the last opportunity to cross the dunes to get out to the beach.

Once you pass the fee-collection booth at access #6, take note of your car's trip meter. Turn left and drive north on the sand for 10.3 miles. Watch for the "UFO" (really a beached escape pod from an oil rig), which is located at coordinates 26.3529N, 97.2100W. The boundaries of the nude beach are indefinite, but you are definitely there by the time you reach the UFO. After the UFO, it is possible to keep driving about 15 miles farther to the Port Mansfield Channel, a shipping canal that cuts across the island.

Additional directions:

starting point  the South Padre Island exit of U.S Highways 77 & 83/Interstate 69E between Harlingen and Brownsville

Harlingen and Brownsville are in the in the far south of Texas, with Brownsville at the Mexican border. The two large towns are less than 30 miles apart from city center to city center, and the freeway that connects them is a concurrent route of US-77 and US-83. Furthermore, there is also some signage for I-69E, an incomplete interstate in south Texas that will ultimately supersede some sections of the U.S. highways. Between Harlingen and Brownsville, US-77, US-83 and I-69E are one and the same. The South Padre Island exit is located about 11 miles south of the center of Harlingen.

Upon exiting, follow the sign that points toward Los Fresnos, Port Isabel and South Padre Island. You will then begin heading east on State Highway 100. Continue about 24 miles to the small town of Port Isabel.

Keep straight ahead on SH-100. On the far end of Port Isabel, you will begin to cross a 2.5-mile-long bridge that takes you across Laguna Madre to South Padre Island.

Once you land on the island, keep straight ahead 1/3 mile to the second red light, then turn left onto Park Road 100 (a.k.a. Padre Boulevard), which is the main road of the island.

Follow Padre Boulevard north past the main development of town. In 3.9 miles, you will see signs on the right pointing toward Beach Access #2 and Andy Bowie Park (directly opposite the convention center.) This is a good place to assess where you area. From Beach Access #2, continue north along PR-100 another 4.6 miles, then turn right at Beach Access #6 and proceed as directed above.

Here is a map that draws the route described above from the starting point to Beach Access #6, assuming you are going south on US-77/US-83/I-69E (coming from Harlingen).