Also called Paseo del Rio, this verdant promenade meanders below street level through 2.5mi of downtown, weaving along both banks of a horseshoe-shaped bend in the slow-flowing San Antonio River. Sidewalk cafes, small shops and nightclubs are wedged between the arched bridges of this cypress-shaded walkway. Strollers snake like a conga line through busy areas; other stretches have a quiet, park-like atmosphere. Work Projects Administration crews built the cobblestone and flagstone path in 1939-41 under the direction of architect Robert Hugman and engineer Edwin Arneson. The plan included the Arneson River Theatre, an open-air amphitheater with a stage on one side of the stream, terraced seating on the other. The best way to view River Walk without joining the pedestrian crowds is aboard gondola-style Yanaguana Cruises. Taking the name "refreshing waters" given the river by indigenous Payaya Indians, the 60min open-air cruises feature lighthearted historical narratives by informative guides.