Port Brownsville Half-Day Boat Tour

Overview

The Port of Brownsville Tour is a 4-hour narrated cruise from South Padre Island across the Laguna Madre Bay and traveling down the Brownsville Ship Channel. Along the way you will see our native Atlantic bottle-nose dolphins and migratory birds. You will learn about South Texas shrimping industry and their fleets, as you enjoy a taste of our local shrimp. You will hear a little history of the area, see decommissioned vessels being dismantled from the top down, oil rigs being built and repaired, and the Port where shipping vessels from around the world load and unload commodities. Upon your return you will see SpaceX launching site off in the distance. Our Captain and Crew make this an enjoyable and educational tour worth your time. Welcome aboard!

City: South Padre Island

Fri 01 Aug

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $43.30

Make a reservation

Fri 01 Aug

Starting at $43.30

Make a reservation

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What's Included

You may bring your own cooler with any drinks or snacks you may like

Coffee, donuts & small shrimp cocktail during the tour

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Upon arrival please request wheelchair assistance. Crew will be glad to assist in boarding the boat.
You are welcome to bring a cooler with your own food and drinks. Please no glass containers.

What To Expect

South Padre Island

LAGUNA MADRE BAY is located between the South Texas coast and Padre Island from Corpus Christi south to South Padre Island, TX. One of the Earth’s 6 hypersaline lagoons, where the salinity is above sea water. It has one of the most unspoiled and protected Eco systems in Texas and the U.S.

Brownsville

BROWNSVILLE/PORT ISABEL SHRIMP BASIN is one of the largest fleets of Shrimp Boats in Texas. This location was established in 1953. KEPPEL AMFELS was established in 1990. They are in the business of construction, refurbishment, conversion and life extension and repair of a complete range of mobile drilling rigs and platforms. PORT OF BROWNSVILLE is the only deep-water port located on the U.S.-Mexico Border, with approximately 40,000 acres of land, 17 miles of waterfront, access and direct route to international bridge crossings and rail connections.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (185)

Dream817335

Feb 2024

We took the Isla Tours Port of Brownsville tour yesterday, Feb 1, with the Island Baptist Church. I was impressed. The Port of Brownsville is impressive. It is obviously a tremendous economic driver for the region. The tour is definitely worth taking. The reason for my review is to complement and commend two employees that did a great job…Angie and Essan. OMG they did a nice job. Many elderly people from the Church took the tour… some with canes, some with two canes. Put that together with a boat that rocks. Angie and Essan waited on these people hand and foot. I saw Essan assist (catch) and elderly lady as she was about to fall. The other comment I have is that Angie is extremely knowledgeable about the port and the surrounding area. Isla Tours is lucky to have both of you.

Response from Host

Feb 2024

Thank you so much for your positive feedback! We appreciate your kind words and are so glad that you had a great experience with us at Isla Tours. We strive to provide the best service, and we're glad to hear that we succeeded. Thanks again!

squaredancemi

Feb 2024

Awesome experience! It was amazing to see the big ships up close and hear the history. Saw a hundred? of great blue herons! The dolphins were very active. For a few minutes 5 dolphins were cruising the front of our boat. Then at least one was jumping out of the water beside the boat! They also played in the wake. It was also very cool to see the shrimp boats in action and the many birds including pelicans flying around them! Captain Patrick was very informative! Crew mates Angie and Essan were perfect hosts interacting with everyone! Awesome trip!

Response from Host

Feb 2024

Thank for taking your time to leave us such great review. (:

bobot2024

Jan 2024

The highlight of our trip to South Padre Island was clearly the boat tour of the Brownsville port. Beyond the fact that it was affordable, the entire crew made it a fun outing by actually engaging with guests, providing additional facts and personal stories, smiling, and actually enjoying their day trip. A huge plus for Captain Pat and his mates Essan and Angie. In fact, since learning that the mates earn a special recognition at their annual party (which I gleam is more of a monthly if not weekly event) for each time their name is mentioned in a review, and since I am so impressed with this tour and the overall experience, all I can do is repeat their name in an effort to support what they do. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie. Essan and Angie.

Response from Host

Jan 2024

WOOHOOO!!!! Thank you so much for such a great review. The crew will appreciate the recognition. (: