Recreation &

Entertainment

While costs are lower in Harlingen, life is richer thanks to inviting and easily accessible recreation and entertainment for individuals of all ages and families at all stages.

people at outdoor festival

Urban recreation that brings the great outdoors to you

Inside the city, recreational opportunities and facilities are abundant: 1,200 acres of parkland and more than a dozen community parks; mile after mile of hiking and biking trails; superbly appointed sports facilities like the Harlingen Soccer Complex offering venues for play of all kinds.

And approximately 30 minutes away, more than a dozen attractions include national wildlife refuges, a historic battlefield and the beautiful South Padre Island. On this island paradise, the Sandcastle Capital of the World, the beaches are spectacular, and so is the range of outdoor fun, from wildlife watching—dolphins to birds—to horseback riding, surfing, windsurfing and more.

Harlingen is naturally inviting, from the hundreds of bird species that are home in Harlingen to the abundant fish inshore and off, to the plentiful game that inhabit this area, all of which makes for world-class:

  • You can spot more than 400 species in the skies around Harlingen, and at the Harlingen Arroyo Colorado World Birding Center, one of nine World Birding Centers in the Rio Grande Valley, birders and outdoor enthusiasts will discover 40 acres of hiking trails and picturesque plant life and scenery, all inside the city.

  • Harlingen means reel fun and reel excitement, from the redfish, speckled trout, flounder and tarpon inshore to the trophy fish awaiting in the Gulf such as marlin, sailfish, grouper, amberjack and more that have made the Texas International Fishing Tournament one of the top ten billfish tournaments in the world.

  • Game includes white-tailed deer, javelin, wild pig, ducks, dove, quail and more.

Vibrant arts, culture & entertainment

performers at outdoor festival

On the palm-lined avenue of Jackson Street, residents savor an inviting menu of boutique-to-antique shopping, art galleries and cafes. This is a city that loves to congregate and savors friendship and great food, whether it’s bold and spicy authentic Mexican, fresh-from-the-Gulf seafood, savory Tex-Mex and barbecue, or any of the specialties of the city’s more than 100 restaurants and cafes. Harlingen’s nightlife scene offers an appealing range of surroundings that include live music and open mic nights, rooftop bars and special events. See more about cuisine and nightlife here.

Harlingen museums merge art and history for maximum engagement, at the Harlingen Arts and Cultural Museum and at the Iwo Jima Monument and Memorial Museum, where you can see the original from which the famed monument was cast, and browse the museum’s collection of memorabilia.