Cruisin' Along the River Walk


When visiting San Antonio, most travelers want to see the famed Paseo del Rio or River Walk, one of the state’s most popular tourist attractions. But some visitors quickly learn that it can be a daunting task to find their way from one location to another along the winding San Antonio River.

An easy way to get oriented without the misery of sore feet and aching legs is to take a 40-minute narrated tour of the River Walk aboard one of the barges operated by Yanaguana Cruise Inc. Yanaguana is a concessionaire operating with an exclusive contract granted by the city of San Antonio. It was not the first company to offer cruises along the river, but it’s the only one. The narrow width of the river and sharp turns along the way make competition impractical.

Yanaguana’s narrated tours depart from two locations where tickets are sold – one across the river from the Hilton Palacio del Rio Hotel and the other in Rivercenter Mall. From either site, passengers are taken around the “horseshoe bend” of the river, along a short stretch of the main channel and up the extensions into Rivercenter and the San Antonio Convention Center. It’s a 2.5-mile trip, and along the way, passengers have a chance to see virtually all the popular River Walk restaurants and nightspots plus other attractions. The boats bring passengers back to whichever location where they boarded.

High-rise parking garages are near both boarding locations. But there’s an advantage to parking in one of the two garages serving Rivercenter Mall. Get your parking ticket stamped by any store or shop in the mall, and you’ll get two hours of free parking. And don’t worry about going beyond a two-hour stay; additional time is reasonably priced. You’ll also want to keep in mind that no purchase is necessary to get a parking ticket stamped. Just ask the clerk at any cash register in any store or shop, and almost all of them will cheerfully comply. They’re quite used to it.

The basic fare for one of the 40-minute tours is $5.25 for passengers age six to 65. Children five or younger ride for a $1, and there’s a discounted fare of $3.65 for senior citizens, active-duty military personnel and residents of San Antonio and Bexar County. Tickets are not time-specific. Each one can be used for any tour at any time during the barge company’s operating hours. It’s simply a matter of getting in line and waiting for the next barge.

The copyright of the article Cruisin' Along the River Walk in Texan Cities is owned by Bob Thaxton. Permission to republish Cruisin' Along the River Walk in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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