San Juan Travel Guide

 
by wilocrek
 
  •   San Juan
    by wilocrek
  •   San Juan
    by wilocrek
  •   San Juan
    by Jefie
  • Old San Juan fortress El Morro facing the sea.
      Old San Juan fortress El Morro facing...
    by Hesus
  •   Beach
    by realde14
 

Pro

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 beautiful architecture, beautiful sea vistas, beautiful fortreresses, beautiful lades... 


Con

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 Watch out for careless drivers, Safety Concerns! 


In a nutshell

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 GREAT PARTY, Nice Beaches, BE a Tourist and Party and Relax 

 

Explore San Juan

Things to Do  

Old San Juan

Old San Juan, San Juan

 40 Reviews  A city's most defining characteristics are its food, architecture and cultural traditions. I suggest checking out Favors of San Juan (http://www.sanjuanfoodtours.com) if you're going to be spending any time in Old San Juan Puerto Rico. The foodie tours are good because you get to sample a bunch of... 

El Morro

El Morro, San Juan

 35 Reviews  The El Morro fort is one of the things that has to be done in San Juan. The large structure makes you feel safe and protected from any pirates. There are multiple levels to the fort and many artifacts to see. My favorite are the old cannons. Wander around and explore the site! 

Beach

Beach, San Juan

 16 Reviews  This area is east of the Condado, en route to the airport..AND IT IS CONSIDERED AMONG THE BEST BEACHES IN Puerto Rico and we were fortunate to have it right across our Marriott Hotel! There are lots of luxury condos and apartments, and even the glitzy Ritz is located here which we also took... 

Bacardi Factory

Bacardi Factory, San Juan

 16 Reviews  When we walked off the ship we went to catch the ferry to old San Juan then a public bus to the Bacardi Rum Factory. Once we reached the factory we joined a group for a tour. The tour was interesting and then we had two free drinks each at the welcome center. My personal favorite was the cherry... 

San Cristobal Fort

San Cristobal Fort, San Juan

 20 Reviews  There is another fort included in the ticket we bought from El Morro (adult $3 for El Morro plus $2 for Cristobal = total of $5)--- the other famous fort is called the San Cristobal and is a one-mile walk from El Morro --- but due to our hyperactivity combined with the humidity, we decided to just... 

Hotels  

Hotel El Convento

 5 Reviews and 1185 Opinions  The staff was great...the rooms were great...the only place you would want to stay in Old San Juan! 

San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino

 9 Reviews and 2048 Opinions  Excellent experience. Everyone was very helpful and welcoming. We requested a room with oceanview... 

Restaurants  

Metropol

Metropol, San Juan

 7 Reviews  Metropol is the worst restaurant in Isla Verde. My husband, my son and me went there and they served us a fish full of worms. We notify them and they said nothing at all and after all this we have to pay 74.00 for the food. Not Recommended. NONE 

Tropical Restaurant

Tropical Restaurant, San Juan

 3 Reviews  My husband and I dined at Tropical, which is located across the street from the Marriott Hotel on Ashford Avenue in Condado. We had an excellent dinner. The restaurant serves Puerto Rican and Cuban dishes. I had the pork tenderloin with congri (black beans an rice), and yuca (a root vegetable). My... 

Nightlife  

Dancing

Dancing, San Juan

 14 Reviews  Where do locals go to have fun? One of the best places is at the Plaza del Mercado. This fresh produce market becomes the center of nightlife on Thursday and Friday nights. Most tourists don't know about it; I happened to hear about it from one of the tour guides. Most venues have no cover. Just... 

Eating and Drinking

Eating and Drinking, San Juan

 9 Reviews  One of the things I enjoyed the most about staying in the Condado area was the number of places we could go to in the evening just to grab a drink. Perhaps the two places we enjoyed the most were the Barlovento and Hacienda Don José, both located within easy walking distance from the Condado Plaza.... 

Transportation  

By land

By land, San Juan

 16 Reviews  Free Trolley in Old San Juan! There is an amazing trolley that goes for free in Old San Juan and this has several points where you can go off, including the two famous forts. Departure points: Covadonga, La Puntilla, Plaza de Armas, and as mentioned the two forts….is you are not yet at a stopping... 

Taxis

Taxis, San Juan

 4 Reviews  I arrived at night in San Juan Airport andi tried to get a taxi. They have meters but the taxi drivers are hidding them. I took a first taxi and when i asked for the meter : i have been pushed out of the taxi. I took another one : same problem - no meter possible to get a fair price (normal price).... 

Shopping  

Old San Juan

Old San Juan, San Juan

 2 Reviews  We visited San Juan just before Halloween. The cruise director advised us that masks were one of the things to buy there. We didn't buy any, but I did take some photos of the shops as we passed. One of the shops was a mask shop. 

Plaza Las Americas

Plaza Las Americas, San Juan

 2 Reviews  Plaza Las Americas is San Juan's mall, located about 15-20 minutes from downtown and the cruise ship piers. It's a good thing, if you're homesick and craving to do some actual shopping. Plaza Las Americas boasts a lot of the American brands, as well as some local stores. The prices are typical for... 

Local Customs  

language

language, San Juan

 3 Reviews  Puerto Rico is a commenwealth of the United States but the main language spoken is Spanish. The majority of the Puerto Ricans also speak English and are very friendly. The only time you will actually need to know a little Spanish is if you travel outside the metropolitan area. 

Tourist Traps  

Hard Rock Cafe

Hard Rock Cafe, San Juan

 1 Review  Of course, there's a Hard Rock Cafe in San Juan, and so many gringos would rather stay with the tried and true (expensive hamburgers and beers) than dare to try other chow places. Too bad. There are actually very few true Puerto Rican restaurants in the Old City, and not too many souvenir stores run... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Luquillo Beach

Luquillo Beach, San Juan

 2 Reviews  We heard that this is Luquillo Beach - one of the most loved beaches in Puerto Rico (other than the Conde Nast winner: Flamenco), and so I was glad when it was included in the tour we got. Truly the beach is amazing – it was not cold at all. The waters were just lukewarm and the twins headed off... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Diving and Snorkling

Diving and Snorkling, San Juan

 1 Review  I went scuba diving nearly every weekend that I was in San Juan. My first weekend I went out to the Eastern coast and was somewhat disappointed in the visibility and fish (or lack there of). At the end of the dive, I ask the divemaster for recommendations on dives around PR. His immediate response... 

Sailing and boating

Sailing and boating, San Juan

 1 Review  We came in on a cruise ship, escorted by the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard station was near where our ship docked (photos 1 and 2). If I was coming on a smaller boat it would be important to me that Sector San Juan is responsible for all Coast Guard missions throughout the Puerto Rico and U.S.... 

Favorites  

El Yunque Rainforest

El Yunque Rainforest, San Juan

 5 Reviews  One of the main things I wanted to do when we were in San Juan was to visit this rainforest. It is unique in the Caribbean and in the National Park/Forest system of the US. You should stop at the Visitor's Center first to find out about the park. They have a film (both in Spanish and English)... 

Walking

Walking, San Juan

 9 Reviews  Walk, walk, walk. I would recommend that you park the car at the municipal parking lot located at the 'Paseo de la Princesa' and start your wandering through the wonderful streets in Old San Juan. Wandering around Old San Juan through the old cobblestone streets and the small quaint alleyways. For... 

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Map of San Juan