A little slice of Europe in the heart of downtown San Antonio, the River Walk is an essential part of the San Antonio experience. This is no ordinary riverfront, but a charming canal and pedestrian street that is the main artery at the heart of San Antonio's tourism efforts. For the best overview, hop on a Rio San Antonio river cruise .
You can meander past landscaped hotel gardens and riverside cafes, and linger on the stone footbridges that stretch over the water. During summer it gets mighty crowded, but at peaceful times (and as you get away from downtown) it's a lovely place to stroll – especially during the holidays when it's bedecked with twinkling lights.
The Riverwalk used to be just a downtown thing, but a $358-million project completed in 2013 expanded it to include 15 miles of paths. You can now walk south to the King William district and beyond to the Spanish missions, or north to the San Antonio Art Museum and even up to the Pearl Brewery complex.
