In Search of the Lost Espiritu Santo
Somewhere in the shifting sand dunes lies a fortune to be found
____________________________________
In deep South Texas, near the tip of the Lone Star State, the drifting sands of South Padre Island glisten in the abundant sunlight, holding on to secrets and legends from ages gone by.
Hidden somewhere, either in the shifting sands of the island or in the shallow bay that separates the island from the mainland, lie two sunken Spanish shipwrecks, victims of a 1554 hurricane.
Along with them lies an untold fortune in Spanish gold and artifacts.
For 33 miles of the Texas lower coast, South Padre - a barrier island, runs parallel to the Texas coastline from near where the Rio Grande flows into the ocean on the southern tip, to the Port Mansfield cut on the northern point. Beyond the ship channel cut, (North) Padre Island continues its way to Corpus Christi, some 50 additional miles up the coast.
The two sunken ships, the Espiritu Santo and the San Esteban, along with a companion ship which also sank after being run aground, the Santa Maria de Yciar, carried a small fortune in gold and goods enroute (back) to Spain.
A handful of survivors, whose escaped in a small boat, thought they were only a few miles north of the settlement of Panuca, Mexico. Unfortunately, they were mistaken and were savagely hunted down by a tribe of cannibalistic (Karankawa) Indians, who were native to the island.
Legend has it that one man and one man only eventually survived to tell the story to Spanish authorities back in Mexico. By the time salvage ships arrived, much of the valuable cargo was gone however, washed away by the rising tides or swallowed by the shifting sands.
Then, in the 1940s, a dredging crew ran right over one of the wrecks, the Santa Maria De Yciar, throwing coins along both sides of a several hundred foot section of channel while working on the Mansfield Cut project. Beachcombers and treasure hunters still flock to that area after a good storm in search of treasures large and small.]p] But the remaining two ships of the expedition still remain hidden in the coastal desolation afforded by this remote island. Although the town of South Padre Island, located on the south end, is a well developed resort destination for international visitors, there isn't a road that leads to the northern tip of the island from there, except for the beach. That trip certainly requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle.
From time to time, beachcombers turn up old Spanish artifacts or relics from the Civil War era (the island was an important observation point for watching port traffic in nearby Baghdad, Mexico). But the larger cache of the lost Spanish treasure remains aloof and hidden. Occasionally a treasure hunter will report finding a wooden bow or rusted anchor rising out of the great sand dunes, only to fail at returning to the exact point of discovery because the sands have recovered their hidden secrets once again.
It's a lot like chasing rabbit trails in the snow, but for outdoor adventurers that have a special interest in beach and surf adventures, a trip to South Padre can be rewarding in many ways. For one, the beaches are sparsely populated and there are plenty of traveler's amenities in the nearby town. Camping is allowed along the island in most places except within the town limits. And there's plenty of hiking and surfing and sailboarding to be found as well.
Whether treasure hunting or discovering a great beach destination is your goal, South Padre Island offers a lot for the active traveler.
