Landa Park

Tucked away in the hills between Austin and San Antonio in the town of New Braunfels, you will find the beautiful Landa Park. This charming town is a popular destination for visitors, especially its historic old west district. Located just 51 kilometres outside San Antonio, a trip to Landa Park is a great way to spend the day for adults and kids alike. If you are feeling energetic, the park has some brilliant hiking trails you can avail of. Or if you just fancy chilling out in the sun, you can sit back and relax by the pool.

Comal Springs is a series of seven large freshwater springs. These, along with lots of smaller springs, flow throughout the park and into the Comal River. A great way to explore the springs, the river and the lake itself is by renting a paddle boat. If the heat gets too much, cool down by jumping into the river but make sure to avoid the lake as it is unsafe for swimming. Thankfully there are two swimming pools in the park so you needn't worry. One is an Olympic-sized pool where people generally swim laps, while the other spring-fed pool has ropes, swings and slides for playing around in.

A great way to see all the park has to offer is by jumping on the miniature train which takes you on a 3-kilometre journey through native trees and wildlife. Keep an eye out for ducks, geese, squirrels, deer and muskrats. Also on offer at Landa Park is a miniature golf facility or for the more experienced aficionado, there is the 18-hole Landa Park Golf Course. All of the above do incur a small fee.

Why not make a day of it and rent one of the many barbeque facilities and picnic tables on offer? Again, there is a fee for the usage which a park ranger will come by to collect. However if you like, you can bring a picnic basket and blanket and take shade under an ancient oak tree for free.