San Antonio's first neighborhood is now a thriving arts and crafts community. La Villita, Spanish for "little town," settled over the centuries by Spanish, Germans, and, in the '30s and '40s, a community of artists, was once the site of an Indian village.

A number of the buildings have been continuously occupied for more than 200 years. This little village on the river was restored by a joint effort of the city and the San Antonio Conservation Society. Located near the River Walk on the south side of the San Antonio River, it is laid out like a Mexican village populated with boutiques, craft shops, eateries, art galleries, workshops, theatres, artists and a few original adobe buildings.

Shopping here can be a pricey experience so it's usually cheaper to just observe the artists at work or come later in the day and to soak up the atmosphere. Featuring upscale stores and shops to find Native American jewelry, wovens, rugs, blankets and accessories, this place is a shoppers dream.

Since it was right across the street from the Fairmount Hotel at which we stayed, we were able to see La Villita at various times of the day. In the morning it is quite quiet which is a great contrast to all the activity on a Saturday night. There was a stage set up with bands playing and food booths selling tacos and other snacks for an Accordian Festival which was in town. There was also a wedding in one of the historic homes. In fact we caught a beautiful sight because the doors to the church were open and the large stained-glass window at the back of the church was lit up from the floodlights behind the church lighting up the stage for the band. The bride and her guests spilled out of the house where the reception was held and wandered through the streets of the village.

On the east end of the village is a small glassblower's shop and museum. There is a $0.10 donation but once you enter you can see the owner spinning the glass rods heated by a torch and making unique glass creations. They were nothing all that outstanding, but it was an interesting experience and I did really like these colorful little guitars he had for sale. Chamade and the Village Gallery were two of the shops we really enjoyed visiting.

As you walk through the village you'll see several different 19th century homes such as Florian House, Gray-Guilbeau House and Cos House. The latter is where Mexican General Perfecto de Cos signed the Articles of Capitulation after San Antonio was recaptured from Mexican Federal Troops.

View Slideshow!