The barrier islands of Padre Island National Seashore ( ) stretch just offshore for 110 miles south of Corpus Christi, almost down to the Mexican border. The frontier between Brownsville and Matamoros is not very interesting, however; for a brief taste of Mexico, head almost due west from Corpus one hundred miles to Laredo . (US-83 runs along the Rio Grande between Brownsville and Laredo.) Away from the coast, the fertile landscape begins to dry out and citrus groves give way to the brush and mesquite of a region of huge ranches, where Mexican vaqueros once held sway.

South toward Mexico

• South toward Mexico

Explore South toward Mexico

• Laredo
• Nuevo Laredo
• Padre Island National Seashore

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