Guide to San Juan, Puerto Rico: What to Do, See, Eat and Where to Dance in San Juan and Viejo (Old) San Juan
/Every trip to Puerto Rico needs to include at least a day or two in San Juan! Check out my guide to San Juan and Viejo (Old) San Juan to get the inside scoop on what to do, see, eat, and where to dance during your trip!
On my recent trip to Puerto Rico I was able to spend two days exploring San Juan; one day in the city center of San Juan and one day in Viejo, otherwise known as Old San Juan. Out of these two different areas in San Juan, the old city was by far my favorite, which is why this blog post is catered more to this special part of the city.
When I was in San Juan I wanted to find the best restaurants, sites, and yoga and fitness studios to explore, which is what you will find highlighted in this post. Essentially I’m a foodie on a mission to eat my face off followed by finding the best place to then sweat off all those calories I just consumed. Does this mindset qualify me as insane? Maybe… But somehow I’m making it work.
Cute street in old san juan
For more information on other parts of Puerto Rico, check out my 7 Day Guide to Puerto Rico and my Guide of the Surf Town Rincón; my favorite city in Puerto Rico!
Exploring Old San Juan: The Cutest Part of San Juan
At the beginning of my trip I stayed one night in San Juan and at the end I stayed one night in Old San Juan. I can say with 100% confidence that Old San Juan is much more cultural and enjoyable. Old San Juan is filled with traditional colorful buildings that have been there for hundreds of years! It feels like you’ve taken a step back in time. I absolutely loved walking around here! The normal part of San Juan is just like any other latino city in my opinion. There are good places to eat, however it is not very aesthetically pleasing.
Where to Eat, Drink, and Dance in Old San Juan
Stuffed Avocado- Yummy bowls that contain an entire avocado! You can order fresh raw fish, meat, chicken or pork in your bowls. I created my own bowl with fresh salon and tuna. It was great for lunch!
Marmalade- Probably the best restaurant in all of San Juan. I wanted to eat dinner here but they were completely booked, so make sure to book at least a day in advance!
Verde Mesa- Another up-scale restaurant with great reviews. Wanted to eat here as well but again they were fully booked so make sure to book at least one day in advance.
mofongo
Raíces- Restaurant with traditional Puerto Rican food and good drinks at a reasonable price. At first I thought this place was a tourist trap. Everyone at the restaurant was dressed in traditional Puerto Rican clothes (like a costume). However I was pleasantly surprised with how good the food was! We ordered one of their stuffed avocado dishes with Churrasco steak which was very good! The dish comes with half of a very large Puerto Rican avocado (they are much larger and more buttery than normal avocados), so I would recommend sharing this dish because it’s very filling and rich. We ordered the yellow rice called Arroz Amarillo as our side which was delicious! We also ordered Mofongo with Shrimp which was great as well! The shrimp were huge!
Mofongo with Shrimp and Stuffed Avocado with Churrasco steak from Raíces
La Factoria- This is the main place to get a great cocktail and to dance in Old San Juan. It has four different rooms which consist of a lounge, cocktail bars, and dance floors featuring different music.
La Vergüenza Puertorrican Chinchorro- During most of the week La Vergüenza Puertorrican Chinchorro is just a regular bar but on Sundays the drums come out and people dance bomba, plena, and rumba on the street. On Fridays a DJ plays Latin music and for special events they'll bring live bands to get the party started properly.
Sites to See in San Juan and Old San Juan
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Castillo San Felipe del Morro- Castillo San Felipe del Morro is a famous fort in old San Juan that you can explore with beautiful views. It's about $13 a person to get in and your ticket gets you access to the other fort Castillo San Cristobal as well. I did go here and it was pretty cool to explore. Be prepared to walk and wear comfortable shoes. I suggest getting there early to avoid crowds. Also you can fly kites on the lawn or relax and have a picnic. From the fort you can also see one of the famous cemeteries from a distance.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
La Fortaleza (The Governor's House)- Don’t worry about going in. You can walk past it and look from the outside. It’s the original governors house from the first governor of Puerto Rico.
Catedral de San Juan- The second oldest church in America! It's simple but nice.
Parque las Palomas (Pigeon Park)- Located at calle de Tetuan this park is full of pigeons. You can pay a guy $1 to get food to feed them and snap some pictures. Personally I do not like birds so I avoided this.
Fortaleza Street, Old San Juan
Fortaleza Street To Get Pictures with the Puerto Rican Flag (previously known as the umbrella street)- This street is located next to the pigeon park and has a giant Puerto Rican flag hanging above the street. Perfect spot for an epic picture!
Extra Places Worth Visiting in San Juan
Espana Bakery- This bakery is located close to the airport. It’s reasonably priced and has everything you could ever ask for! My cousin recommends ordering an expresso and a quesito or pan sobao (sweet bread). I never went here but my cousin swears by it!
Omelette with pan sobao from a local bakery
La Placita de Santurce- This is the best place to dance in Puerto Rico from Thursday to Sunday nights! I wasn't in San Juan on the weekend so I didn't get to go, however I heard from multiple locals and my cousin that this is the party spot if you like salsa, bachata, and reggaeton. In the day it functions like a market with some open restaurants and in the night from 6pm it comes to life.
Where to Workout and Practice Yoga in San Juan
LIV Fitness Clubs- LIV Fitness Clubs are considered to be upscale gyms in San Juan. I worked out at their Condado location (there are two) and thought the gym had a nice setup for lifting weights even thought it was on the smaller side considering upscale fitness clubs I’ve used in the U.S. The Condado location had only two squat racks and no sauna or steam room which were the main drawbacks I encountered. They also offer a variety of fitness classes including Barre, Cycling, and TRX. I took advantage of their 7 day free trial and worked out for free! Definitely take advantage of this if you want to workout or take classes while visiting San Juan.
Inside liv fitness
Bala Yoga and Fitness- Daily yoga classes for $15. They provide mats.
Ashtanga Yoga Puerto Rico- Ashtanga based classes. $19 for a drop-in with mat and water.
Best Beaches Within One Hour from San Juan
Escambron Beach / Balneario El Escambron- Often considered the best beach in San Juan located in Puerta de Tierra, right in between Old San Juan and Condado. Here you can enjoy swimming waters, snorkeling, sights of a historic site, sweeping views of Condado and Old San Juan, great food, facilities and two other additional beaches.
Isla Verde
Isla Verde- Isla Verde is actually comprised of three beaches. It’s a very popular tourist destination for its great beachfront resorts, hotels, dining and water sports. When you’re hungry, there are plenty of restaurants and cafés to choose from.
Condado Beach- Condado Beach is considered to be a very trendy Miami-style beach. It has beachfront hotels and casinos located behind the beach where you can shop and eat. Condado beach also can have some small waves if you like to surf.
La Playita de Condado- Playita del Condado is a small beach that has calm waters safe for swimming. If you have kids this would be a great safe beach to check out!
Playa Peña- Playa Peña is a less busy beach located across from the Capitol Building just pass the San Cristobal Fortress. During low tide this beach is nice for watching and listening to the waves, taking a dip, and getting a great tan.
Ocean Park Beach
Ocean Park Beach- A popular beach for both locals and visitors with a more laid back vibe and less crowds than nearby Isla Verde and Condado beach. The sand is soft and golden and when you get hungry you can eat one of the many nice beachfront restaurants.
Mar Chiquita- Only 45 minutes away from San Juan this is a beautiful beach worth exploring. The water is a deep blue and it has excellent visibility perfect for snorkeling. There are a few food trucks serving food and drinks throughout the week. During the weekends there are more food trucks and arts/crafts vendors on the beach.
Mar Chiquita
Breweries and Distilleries to Visit Close to San Juan
Ocean Lab Brewing- You can take a brewery tour here for $10 and try some of their famous local beers. My cousin recommends the passion fruit beer! It’s located at Balneario de Carolina on Road 187 KM 2.6 in Carolina. It’s adjacent to Vivo Beach Club.
Bacardi Factory- Puerto Rico has two different rum factories and Bacardi is one of them. You can take a rum tasting and tour here, just make sure to reserve in advance because it can get crowded. It’s located at Carretera 165 KM 6.2, Cataño, Puerto Rico. You can also access the factory by ferry from Old San Juan.
