River Walk, San Antonio

Also called the Paseo del Rio, this verdant walkway meanders through several miles of the downtown region and is the heart of the tourist experience. Tourists from around the world pack the hotels there. Military personnel from San Antonio's five bases (four Air Force and one Army) enjoy a few hours off duty at the outdoor cafes. And locals, lifelong San Antonians, come to the area to enjoy a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The walk is located below street level, sheltering visitors from traffic noises. Sidewalk eateries, small shops, and nightclubs line the cypress-shaded walkway. Mornings are generally very quiet (and the best time for a guided barge cruise), picking up around lunch and continuing to grow in popularity into the wee hours of the morning.

But its popularity goes back far before the days when people came here for sizzling fajitas and frozen margaritas. Payaya Indians called this river Yanaguana, or "refreshing waters." It also had a less elegant nickname -- "a drunken old man going home at night" -- in reference to its numerous twists and turns. Indians camped along the river banks and hunted on the rich land nearby.

Busy sections bustle with visitors in almost a conga line snaking along the river banks; other stretches have a quiet, park-like atmosphere. The River Walk is also the home of the Arneson River Theatre (Robert H.H. Hugman, 1939) an open-air amphitheater where the river separates performers from the audience.

Also see: The History of the River Walk

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