Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Yes, It’s old and yes some areas are in need of some tender love and care, but without a shadow of a doubt Old San Juan is a MUST SEE for any one visiting Puerto Rico.
Old San Juan offers something for everyone: Awesome views, beautiful architecture and sculptures, historical sites, museums, plazas (great for people watching), restaurants for all tastes, bars and nightclubs to dance the night away. Kids can even fly a kite on the grounds in front of El Morro. You certainly won’t be stuck for things to do.
Getting to Old San Juan:
If you are not staying in Old San Juan the easiest way to get there from Condado / Isla Verde is by taxi. If you decide to drive, there are a couple of multi-storey car parks and an open air car park near the cruise ship piers, as well as an underground car park close to El Morro Fort. This map of Old San Juan details the locations of the car parks, along with the major sights to see.
What’s the best way to see the city?
A walking tour of Old San Juan is by far the best way to see the city. You will find it relatively easy to walk around the narrow cobbled streets, though being built on a hill and in the tropics it can get quite hot, so make sure you take plenty of fluids during your tour.
If you don’t feel like walking all around Old San Juan, then let the free trolley service take the weight of your feet. You can take the trolley up to both forts (just make sure you take the trolley marked El Morro). If you are feeling a little bit more adventurous, but still do not want to walk every where; then take a segway tour of Old San Juan
How long should I spend in Old San Juan?
How long do you have… You can easily spend a couple of days exploring all that Old San Juan has to offer, but even with just a few hours you can get a taste of this beautiful city.
What are the highlights of Old San Juan?
Must sees include:
The 2 forts El Morro and San Cristobel (if you are short on time then pick one. El Morro is my personal favorite)
San Juan Cathedral
Paseo La Princesa promenade (which leads to the San Juan Gate)
Cristo Street
South Forlazela Street
The list goes on and on. Here you will find are more extensive list of attractions in Old San Juan
Coqui Tip:
On weekends and when cruise ships are in dock Old San Juan is busy and you will find lots of local artisans selling their products as well as local musicians playing their music.
Photo resource: Customs House and El Morro
Related Articles
Old San Juan Attractions
Map of Old San Juan
Restaurants in Old San Juan
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We had such a great time there on an unplanned spur of the moment trip last year. We will be back. The forts were incredible!
that’s a lot of good solid information on the area!
Old San Juan can be great with the right info. As an insider, I gotta tell that night life in San Juan can seem boring if you don’t know the schedule. Mondays: the only place that get crowd and has a good atmosphere is La Respuesta (the answer) with it Hip Hop night. Is the only place with live on Mondays and is full with cool locals that love to dance and most of them are in the service industry so you have a good chance to meet some nice people. Tuesdays: The first Tuesday of each month is Gallery Night so San Juan is full with crazy youngs that don’t really care about art but wanna have some fun. Gallery Nights take most of the people to San Sebastian Street where you can find a lot of bars. Don’t miss Escenario (knowed as Rumba)with great live music. If not in the mood, stay at Callejon de la Capilla and decide if you want to pay to get in the Nuyorikan Cafe where EVERY Tuesday a salsa band make everybody move. Wednesday is a crappy day to find something to do, so bar-hopping is the must. Thursdays go directly to la plazita, an area with many little and cheap drinks. Ask for fresh coconut water with your whiskey or vodka. Fridays and Saturday are full of options, walk Condado, Old San Juan or Isla Verde and you can be sure youre gonna have fun. Disco: Brava at the lobby of San Juan Hotel y Casino is the best one. Gay Clubs: Eros or Star (these are in Santurce). Sundays are better in Old San Juan with Live music at Nuyorikan Cafe (Salsa) and Escenario (Flamenco Night. Ask local people about partys and festivals and Please, Don’t sleep too much.