BIG BEND COUNTRY: DEL RIO TEXAS

DEL RIO TEXAS

Map of Del Rio Area & Additional Information

As you can see from the Welcome to Del Rio sign, Del Rio believes itself to be "The Best of the Border."

Del Rio is the county seat of Val Verde County. Agriculture in the Del Rio area in addition to cattle ranching, also has sheep, lambs and wool and mohair production from Angora goats.

Amistad Reservoir provides water sports and fishing.

Del Rio is the home to Southwest Texas Junior College and Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College.

Ciudad Acuna is the Mexican city across the Rio Grande from Del Rio. In Ciudad Acuna you'll find entertaining nightspots, restaurants and the usual fun shops you find in the Mexican border towns.

San Felipe Springs located on the outskirts of Del Rio, Texas Nearby is San Felipe Springs and Moore Park. This is a lush oasis in a desert setting. The springs used to be a watering stop on the old Chihuahua Road that connected Indianola on the Texas Gulf Coast with Chihuahua City in Mexico. About 90 millions gallons of crystal clear, pure water flows from San Felipe Springs daily. San Felipe Springs are a great place to take a cool dip on a hot summer day.

You'll find Val Verde Winery in Del Rio. This winery was started in 1883 by Italian immigrants. The fourth generation is now running this family operation. Val Verde Winery is the oldest continuously operating winery in Texas. Monday through Saturday you can enjoy a complimentary tour and wine tastings at Val Verde Winery.

You can get a Del Rio Walking Tour brochure from the chamber of commerce that will guide you on a walk around downtown Del Rio's historic buildings dating back to the 1800s, including the built in 1887 Val Verde County Courthouse, noted for its tan colored limestone and stonework made by Native American masons. Near the Courthouse Sacred Heart Church, which is another example of regional architecture made from regional limestone.

Whitehead Memorial Museum is named for a Del Rio ranching family who preserved the historic 1871 Perry Store. The museum has a 3 acre frontier village with the Perry Store and 20 other exhibits. The museum also has a replica of Judge Roy Bean's famous Jersey Lily combo saloon/courtroom, plus Judge Roy Bean's gravesite. There is an exhibit featuring the Black Seminole Tribe and a building dedicated to Border Radio.

Brinkley Mansion in Del Rio, Texas Brinkley Mansion is historic for reasons other than its architecture. Brinkley Mansion was the home of the infamous "goat-gland doctor" John R. Brinkley. The house is a monument to one of America's biggest medical frauds, where the "Brinkley operation" purported to restore male virility with a gland transplant from a goat. Brinkley was flooded with patients. With his fortune in goat gland operations Brinkley established a 250,000 watt radio station across the border, which became XER of Border Radio fame and the station that made Wolfman Jack famous.

Park headquarters for Amistad National Recreation Area is just west of Del Rio on U.S. 90. On the American side of the huge international reservoir the National Park Service oversees campgrounds, picnic areas, boat ramps and marinas, such as Lake Amistad Marina, Rough Canyon Marina and Southwinds Marina,

Devils River State Natural Area, accessed by reservation only, is a remote, scenic 20,000 acre preserve where the Chihuahuan Desert, Hill Country and Mexico's Tamaulipan Brushlands all meet up. The area is dry and treeless, except where Devils River's springs provide enough water to support groves of sycamores, oaks and pecans.

Seminole Canyon State Park is located about 38 miles west of Del Rio on Highway 90. The park's main attraction is Fate Bell Shelter, which contains ancient pictographs depicting mystic shamans, animals and handprints. You can take the Fate Bell Shelter Tour Wednesday through Sunday at 10am, June 1 - August 31. 10am and 3pm, September 1 - May 31. The tour takes you on a rugged hike to the bottom of Seminole Canyon and then up to the pictograph filled rock shelter.

CAMPING IN THE DEL RIO AREA

In the Del Rio area you can find no-frills campsites for hunters and fishermen and full service parks for RVs. Tent camping can be found in the Amistad National Recreation Area. For RVs there is Holiday Trav-L Park and Lonesome Dove RV Ranch.

WHERE TO STAY IN DEL RIO

Del Rio has several locally owned and operated lodging locations, along with national chains like Best Western Inn of Del Rio, La Quinta Del Rio and Hampton Inn & Suites. If it is a bed and breakfast you are looking for there is Villa del Rio, owned by Jay Johnson, a local history buff who renovated this 1887 built hacienda style mansion, surrounded by pecan, palm and magnolia trees, and turned it into an inn.

WHERE TO EAT IN DEL RIO & CUIDAD ACUNA

The locals will likely tell you that the restaurants across the border in Ciudad Acuna are better than the restaurants of Del Rio. If you want to venture into Mexico in to Ciudad Acuna, which, incidentally, is a very safe border town, try Manuel's for chile rellenos and steaks, Los Tacos Grill for traditional Mexican cuisine, Crosby's for typical Tex-Mex, along with more exotic items, like frog legs. Corona Club is more bar than restaurant with a menu limited to appetizers.

In Del Rio you will find Memo's Restaurant where you can get Tex-Mex and steak in a scenic setting overlooking San Felipe Creek. Chinto's Super Taco in the heart of downtown Del Rio is a hot spot for Tex-Mex breakfast and lunch. Cripple Creek Saloon is known for its seafood. In addition to its lobster, Cripple Creek Saloon is also popular with families due to having a petting zoo. TB's Bar & Grill is the place to go for barbecue and burgers.

email feedback