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San Juan

Established in 1521, San Juan juxtaposes historical authenticity with pulsating modern energy – a mosaic of ever-evolving neighborhoods, silk-sand beaches and well-polished colonial-era artifacts.

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Experience the real

　　Popular La Concha boasts spacious and serene white rooms with pops of color and ocean views. Add in its three pools (one adults-only), expansive indoor and outdoor seating areas, hallways in crayon colors, a 24-hour casino, a spa, an Italian restaurant imported from Miami and nightclub Fifty Eight, and you...

Must-see attractions

Kiosko La Comay

　　Luz cooks up all manner of fried Puerto Rican goodies, such as crab alcapurrias (green plantain fritters) and bacalaítos (salt-cod pancakes) on weekends. Look for the kiosk on the inland side of Rte 187 opposite Playa Piñones, almost to the town of Loíza. Cash only. ...

Paseo de la Princesa

　　Conjuring up a distinctly European feel, broad Paseo de la Princesa is a 19th-century esplanade just outside the city walls. Lined with antique streetlamps, trees, statues, benches, food-vendor carts and street entertainers, this romantic walkway ends at the magnificent Raíces Fountain, a stunning sculpture and water feature that depicts the...

Parque de las Palomas

　　On the southern end of Calle del Cristo, the pigeon-filled Parque de las Palomas is in a tree-shaded cobblestone courtyard on the top of the city wall, with views of Bahía de San Juan and the crisscrossing water traffic that often includes city-sized cruise ships. Bird phobics should give it...

　　This small maritime museum is home to an impressive collection of model boats – from 15th-century galleons to modern-day cruise ships – as well as countless miniature boats-in-bottles, antique navigation tools and the world's largest collection of life preservers. At the time of research, it was closed for remodeling, due...

　　Guarded iron gates mark the imposing La Fortaleza. Dating from 1533, it's the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the western hemisphere. The original fortress for the young colony, La Fortaleza eventually yielded its military preeminence to the city’s newer and larger forts and was remodeled and expanded to...

Museo de San Juan

　　Set in a former marketplace, this small museum offers the definitive take on the city's 500-year history. A permanent exhibit showcases well-laid-out pictorial testimonies from the Caparra ruins to modern-day neighborhoods. There’s also a 120-seat theater and two temporary exhibition spaces that feature work from contemporary Latin American artists. Every...

Catedral de San Juan Bautista

　　While San Juan's cathedral is smaller and less flamboyant than many Spanish churches, it retains a simple elegance. The first church on this site was founded in 1521 and destroyed by a hurricane eight years later. They began constructing its replacement in 1540 and it slowly evolved into today's neoclassical-inspired...

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico

　　This museum sits just down the road from the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in an eye-catching neoclassical Georgian building – the former Rafael M de Labra school – dating from 1918. The museum hosts rotating exhibitions showcasing artists from the mid-20th century onward, mostly from Puerto Rico, the...

La Placita de Santurce

　　Santurce's famous market – La Placita – is also the hub of one of San Juan's hottest nightlife scenes. Especially good on Thursday and Friday nights, the historic market plaza and its surrounding streets host what becomes a veritable street party; people meeting up after work, eating, drinking and, as...

　　This cupboard-sized cafe, with its industrial-chic walls and Scandi-influenced furniture, brews top-notch coffee, perfect with the delicious vegan-friendly baked goods on offer. It even sells stylish stationery. Next to food-truck Cafe Tresbé, it has its own small, tranquil patio. ...

Parques Luis Muñoz Rivera & Parque del Tercer Milenio

　　Spanning the broad swath between the Atlantic and Av Ponce de León, Parque Luis Muñoz Rivera injects a much-needed green space into the urban landscape. Trails wind under shade trees to a playground, fountains and a pavilion for community events. Across Av Muñoz Rivera, Parque del Tercer Milenio was the...

Casa Bacardí Rum Factory

　　The ‘Cathedral of Rum’ sits in vast grounds near the mouth of San Juan Bay. Three signature tours (45 minutes to 1½ hours) are offered throughout the week. The historical tour includes a guided visit of the museum and the story behind the world’s most-awarded rum. The rum-tasting tour adds...

Playa Ocean Park

　　Protected by offshore reefs and caressed by cooling seasonal trade winds, this wide sweep of diamond-dust sand is a favorite of locals. But this residential ’hood's namesake beach is open to all – just pick a road through the low-rise gated community and follow it to the water. ...

Playa Isla Verde

　　With countless tanned bodies lounging or flexing their biceps around the volleyball net, this urban beach basks in its reputation as the Copacabana of Puerto Rico. Serenity seekers may prefer to head west to Ocean Park but despite the crowds, this broad, mile-long swath of sand lying between Punta Las...

Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

　　San Juan boasts one of the largest and most celebrated art museums in the Caribbean. Housed in a splendid neoclassical building that was once the city’s Municipal Hospital, MAPR holds 18 exhibition halls spread over an area of 130,000 sq ft. The artistic collection includes paintings, sculptures, posters and carvings...

Balneario El Escambrón

　　This sheltered arc's raked sand, decent surf breaks, local action and a 17th-century Spanish fort shimmering in the distance are the hallmarks of what's considered San Juan's finest beach, with Blue Flag status and only a stone's throw from the old city and the busy tourist strip of Condado. Best...

Museo de las Américas

　　This museum presents an impressive overview of cultural development in the Americas, including indigenous, African and European influences. Four permanent exhibits integrate art, history and anthropology in thoughtful and provocative ways; the coverage of slavery is particularly moving, including the recreation of travel on a slave ship. Audiovisual highlights and...

Castillo San Cristóbal

　　The city's second major fort is one of the largest Spanish-built military installations in the Americas. In its prime, it covered 27 acres with a maze of six interconnected forts protecting a central core with 150ft walls, moats, booby-trapped bridges and tunnels. It has a fascinating museum, military archives, a...

Castillo San Felipe del Morro

　　A star of Old San Juan, brooding El Morro sits atop a headland, deterring would-be attackers. The 140ft walls (some up to 15ft thick) date to 1539 and it's said to be the oldest Spanish fort in the New World. Displays, a short video and weekend tours document the construction...

Latest stories from San Juan

　　Built in 1910, the Mercado de Santurce has been the center of activity for over a century, vendors doing a roaring trade in fruits and vegetables from around the island. Today is no different but come evening, the neighborhood transforms into one of the hottest nightspots in town, a street...

Jardín Botánico de la Universidad de Puerto Rico

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