36 Hours in San Antonio, Texas: Things to Do and See

Get your bearings in one of the more romantic spots along the San Antonio River: the landmark arch pedestrian bridge known locally as the “Selena bridge,” for its appearance in the 1997 film in which Jennifer Lopez plays the Tejana singer. The bridge is part of the San Antonio River Walk, the riverfront promenade — now 15 miles long and lined with restaurants and shops — designed by the architect Robert H.H. Hugman, who saw potential in turning the river into a Venice-like scene. Continue along the river path a few minutes south to visit the 18th-century San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest operating cathedral in Texas. The building’s facade becomes a canvas for Texas-themed video projections for an art spectacle called the Saga Tuesday to Sunday at 9 p.m.

Find your dinner outfit at Penner’s, one of the town’s biggest supporters for keeping Mexican-American fashion alive. Their traditional guayabera dress shirts ($80 to $220) have been a part of San Antonio’s uniform for decades, and everyone needs a breezy cotton shirt to beat the Texas heat. Penner’s button-down shirts are made in Mexico and feature alforzas, or tiny pleats, running across the front and back, along with four pockets. A few minutes’ walk east is the Historic Market Square, a Mexican market that spans more than three blocks with more than 100 local shops. Pick up animals and skulls made of multicolored glass, get your initials embroidered on handcrafted leather wallets, or choose one of the dozens of shirt designs with colorful images of Lotería, or “Mexican bingo,” that describe you best.

Admire each tortilla at Nixtamali Molino + Comedor, a restaurant in the Southtown neighborhood, which takes no shortcuts to get on your plate. The restaurant’s head chef, Arturo Fernández, is reviving the Aztec tradition of nixtamalization, the soaking and boiling of corn in limewater before making it into the dough, known as masa, used in almost every dish. Try the nixtamalized tortillas in crunchy chicken flautas, served in a pool of lime–avocado salsa, serrano chile green sauce and cotija cheese ($22). A couple of blocks north is Rosario’s ComidaMex & Bar, a vibrant fiesta-themed restaurant that relocated to Southtown in 2023 with pink, orange and green walls, weekend D.J. sets and a lively rooftop bar for those age 25 and above.

For a laid-back night out, cruise over to the West Side and look for Jaime’s Place, a bar with live music that opened in 2020 in a large, yellow two-story house on West Commerce Street. The owner, Jaime Macias, builds on the legacy of the now-closed Patio Andaluz, which operated nearby; from the ‘50s, Andaluz became a hub for local teenage Chicano doo-wop and rock ’n’ roll groups, including the Royal Jesters, building the foundation of San Antonio’s West Side sound. The flame is still burning at Jaime’s: Share a beer ($3 to $5) on the patio with friendly locals listening to Tejano, cumbia or souldies, also called Chicano soul. Usually no cover unless there’s a live band.