Laguna Vista Center Seeks to Educate & Boost Tourism

by R. Daniel Cavazos

Photos by author. A walking trail looks out and leads to the entrance of the Ecotourism Center. 

The gateway to South Padre Island via Laguna Vista will soon have an added attraction featuring the coastal habitat of South Texas while providing a spectacular overview of the Bahia Grande.

The South Texas Ecotourism Center is located on state Highway 100, entering Laguna Vista from Los Fresnos. The rectangular-shaped 10-acre park features the flora and fauna of the coastal prairie. It has an intriguing mix of habitat and add-on features. There is greenery everywhere. There are, according to County Commissioner David Garza, 48,000 plants on the ecotourism grounds, with 90 percent of them being native to the area.

Walking trails run through the grounds with pockets of ponds, butterfly gardens, photo blinds and covered seating, to experience the quiet solitude of the surroundings. The most striking element may be a 30-foot-high ramp that juts out on the center's western end. Get to the top of the overlook and Garza said a visitor will be "treated to a vista of the Bahia Grande unlike any other."

The center is nearly complete and is scheduled for a Feb. 22 grand opening after being pushed back a month due to the latest COVID-19 surge. The project cost $9 million, with the vast majority of its funding coming from the county's hotel/motel venue tax and motor vehicle tax. The remaining funding came from grants given by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

The land where the center sits was donated by the city of Laguna Vista, which years ago had the property given to it by Frank and Mary Yturria of Brownsville. 

"Building this center is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in partnering with the city of Laguna Vista," said Garza, who has been a chief proponent of getting the park built.

Tall grasses are found throughout the South Texas Ecotourism Center as examples of native habitat. 

"One of our goals is to attract visitors to the Laguna Vista area while seeing an ecosystem that is reflective of who we are in South Texas."

The top of the ramp at the Ecotourism Center provides a wide view of the Bahia Grande.

Working Through Challenges

Completing the center has been an 18-month experience of getting through COVID-related shutdowns and supply chain shortages.

A recent walk around the Laguna Vista center shows a project that is ready to be seen. 

With its coastal prairie surroundings, the ecotourism center offers a different look and feel when compared to to the thick mesquite-and-thorny brush habitat of the Rio Grande Valley's many birding centers. Ponds dot the airy grounds. Tall grasses come up to watery edges. Walking trails wind through the 10 acres.

There are plenty of covered seating areas to sit and take a quiet moment. Walk up the high ramp to the overview and there's more seating at the apex to take in the Bahia, looking out to the eastern horizon toward the Port of Brownsville.  

"We needed to show our commitment to the community in getting this project done," Garza said of working through the challenges of COVID. "This center will give people the opportunity to learn more about the beauty of our area and what makes the Valley special."

Serving Important Missions

Garza sees the Ecotourism Center as having a two-fold mission.

One is to further boost the Valley's ecotourism industry. It has been a growing sector for two decades as the region's reputation for being a birding hot spot has grown nationally and globally. The world-class diversity of bird species found here has, in part, led to the opening of the birding centers along with highlighting natural areas like state parks and the national wildlife refuge parks.

The Ecotourism Center, Garza said, will encourage tourists to stay longer as one more stop among the Valley's wildlife destinations. It will also serve an educational mission, the county commissioner said. He believes area schoolchildren will make field trips to the center to complete classroom projects and go on informative scavenger hunts in identifying the hundreds of native plant species.

A long walk up a 30-foot ramp leads to a sweeping view of the Bahia Grande.

There is also an indoor classroom and exhibit spaces for students to immerse themselves in the native habitat of their region and see conservation in practice, Garza said.

"It all connects people to our natural resources," Garza said. "We want to give people the opportunity to learn more about the beauty of our area and what makes the Valley special."

The center's address is 4487 Texas Highway 100 in Laguna Vista.

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