San Juan, Puerto Rico (Updated 2024)
Puerto Rico
An ancient capital city in the Caribbean that is buzzing with modern life
In Puerto Rico’s main city, the city center is 500 years old and is surrounded by golden beaches, new condos, and huge shopping malls. This is where old and new come together. The Old City’s beautiful old plazas give way to Hato Rey’s tall buildings and Condado’s fancy hotels by the water. As a result, the city has many sides and is appealing to many people. There aren’t many places in the world that are such a great mix of cool city centers, beach getaways, and historical sites.
Learning About the Past
When you go to San Juan, you must walk along Old San Juan’s cobblestone streets. This walled city within a city has more than 400 restored houses from the 16th and 17th centuries spread out over seven square blocks. Visit the forts of El Morro and La Fortaleza, the San Juan Cathedral (where Juan Ponce de León is buried), and the Paseo de la Princesa, a walkway with statues, ponds, and street vendors. Talk to artists in the area and buy their work. You can go into any bar, diner, or museum that interests you. You should plan to stay here for at least a whole day.
Outside of Old Town
This city of almost 400,000 people is made up of different neighborhoods. People love to visit the beachfront areas of Condado, Isla Verde, and Ocean Park. These areas have beautiful beaches, nice hotels and inns, trendy restaurants, busy nightclubs, and fashion shops. The Hato Rey financial area is home to Luis Muñoz Marin Park and Plaza Las Américas, the largest shopping mall in the Caribbean. The Santurce neighborhood is a haven for hipsters and has a thriving art scene.
Check out Vieques.
Visitors to San Juan often take the weekend to relax on Vieques. No big groups of tourists have been to this island off the east coast of Puerto Rico yet. There are no traffic lights and wild horses walk free. During the day, people go to mostly empty beaches, or they go out on the water to snorkel, swim, dive, kayak, or fish. You can boat on Bioluminescent Bay at night when there is little or no moon. The water sparkles with the light of a billion tiny dinoflagellates. You should set aside some time to check out the two small towns, Isabel II and Esperanza. They both have interesting shops and low-key bars.