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With mild temperatures, affordable prices and accessible accommodations, South Padre Island is a great springtime destination for beach bums of all ages …

Located just off the Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico, South Padre Island is well-known as a popular spring break destination, and college kids from across the United States descend on this tropical paradise for a little fun in the sun each year.

However, after a few weeks, the spring breakers return to their dorms; and South Padre Island reverts to the quiet beach destination favored by Gulf Coast families, couples and seniors. You don't have to be 18 to enjoy South Padre island. With mild temperatures, affordable prices and accessible accommodations, South Padres is a great springtime destination for anyone, and its accessible beaches make it a standout.

Getting to South Padre Island is easy. Simply drive your car across the Queen Isabella Causeway from Port Isabel, Texas. Upon arrival, you can park your car for the duration and take the free WAVE Shuttle around the island. This brightly painted, lift-equipped shuttle bus is hard to miss, and its stops are clearly marked. Plus, if you're in between stops, you can just give a wave to the driver, and he'll pull over and pick you up.

The hands-down biggest attraction on South Padre Island is the beach, and two beaches are equipped with beach mats for wheelchair access. These hard plastic beach mats cross the sand and extend down to the high-tide water line to allow wheelchair users and slow walkers independent and safe access to the beach. The beach mats prevent beachgoers from sinking into the sand, and they're also the ideal solution for folks that lack balance or tire easily. Beach mats can be found at Beach Access Point 6 on Gulf Boulevard between Ling and Pike Streets and at Beach Access Point 16, next to Suntide II. Just look for the boardwalk bridges that lead out to the beach mats from the adjacent parking areas.

Another way to enjoy the water and get a good look at a wide variety of shorebirds is to stroll along the Laguna Madre Boardwalk on the west side of the island. The 1,500-foot boardwalk overlooks four acres of wetlands near the South Padre Island Convention Center and features level access and a covered shelter. It's a great place to enjoy the sunset. Don't miss the butterfly garden next to the convention center. There are wide, level pathways through this small garden, which also attracts a large variety of migrating birds during the spring months.

Dolphin lovers will want to join George and Scarlet Colley on one of their Fins to Feathers dolphin safaris. The Colleys have been filming and studying the local bottle nose dolphins for over 10 years, and suffice it to say, they have a very special relationship with them. Not only have they named them, but the dolphins seem to recognize the Colley's boat, which makes for some great photo opportunities.

The Fins to Feathers boat is a small catamaran, which features level access from the dock at high tide. There are however two steps down to the dock, so it's actually a better choice for people who can walk at least a few steps. Still, the Colleys say they can accommodate even power wheelchair-users as long as guests can provide some assistance.

For a very accessible place to rest your head, check out Casa de Siesta, a 12-room hacienda-style B&B. All of the guest rooms are located on the ground floor, right off the central courtyard. The accessible Capistrano Room is just a short distance from the office, and it features wide doorways, excellent pathway access and tile floors. The bathroom has a tiled roll-in shower with a hand-held showerhead, grab bars in the shower and around the toilet, a roll-under sink and an enlarged dressing area.

Casa de Siesta innkeepers Ron and Lynn Speier do everything possible to accommodate all their guests. "We wanted our inn to be easily accessible to everyone. I, for one, do not like large hotel properties, where you have to walk for what seems like blocks just to get to your room," Lynn says. Gladly, that's not the way it is at Casa de Siesta, which makes it an excellent choice for wheelers and slow walkers.

Want to know more? Read about accessible cruises and inns on ReZoom as well.

Candy Harrington is the editor of "Emerging Horizons" and the author of "Barrier Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide For Wheelers and Slow Walkers." Visit her blog for access news, resources and industry updates.