San Antonio River Walk and the Alamo

Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 (cropped)

San Antonio is older than the United States. Spanish missionaries and soldiers arrived in 1718, settlers from the Canary Islands founded the town in 1731, and for more than a century this was a Spanish and then Mexican frontier town before it became Texan. This walk tells that whole story, including the Battle of the Alamo as Tejanos and Mexicans lived it, not just the legend.

The loop starts in front of the Alamo church on Alamo Plaza and covers about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) in roughly two hours. You will drop down to the River Walk, visit Hemisfair and La Villita, follow the river to Main Plaza and San Fernando Cathedral, continue west to Casa Navarro and Market Square for a snack, and return past the Spanish Governor's Palace and the Majestic Theatre. Stairs connect the street to the River Walk, so watch your step. Bring water and a hat in summer, and save room for pan dulce.

12 stops on this tour:

The Alamo - A Mission Before a Battlefield

Alamo Plaza - Inside the Old Walls

River Walk - A Bend Saved from Pavement

Hemisfair - A World's Fair and Its Tower

La Villita - The Little Village

Arneson River Theater - A Stage Across the Water

Main Plaza - Where San Antonio Became a Town

San Fernando Cathedral - Flag, Vows and Remains

Casa Navarro - A Tejano Founder's Home

Market Square - El Mercado and Pan Dulce

Spanish Governor's Palace - The 1749 Keystone

Majestic Theatre - Stars on the Ceiling

Plan your visit

Route: 12 stops · about 2.7 miles · walking loop
Time: about 2 hours at an easy pace, with stops
Start: The Alamo (directions)
Cost: free tour

Stops on this tour

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