|
San Juan
Visitor's Guide
Travel Tips, Sightseeing, Dining and More
The del Morrow fort
and the criise shiip terminal mix the old and the new.
With its feet entrenched in history and
its arms extended to greet today's tourists, San Juan, Puerto Rico is
a city of excitement, enjoyment and enchantment.
It is a cultural gem, a casual community with the spice of the islands,
a cordial launching pad to the Caribbean. Yet it's progressive enough
to nicely fit into modern society – cell phones work, there's Internet
connections, even satellite TV in select places – without intruding
into its past and culture. In many ways, it's a perfect blend of old
and new.
Waves crash against the edge of Old San Juan where some original walls
stand.
The centerpiece of the city is Old Town. Here one could – and
should – enjoy the many pleasures of San Juan at their footsteps.
There's shopping, great dining, historical sites and plenty of pubclubbing.
In fact, just strolling the streets of Old San Juan and seeing what
presents itself is an engaging activity.
San Juan was orginally an entirely walled city and some of this is
still evident. Certainly the old Spanish forts are prominent and one,
the landmark Castillo San Felipe del Morrow, is the city's top attraction,
both for photos and visits.
This article focuses on the San Juan essentials – arrival at the
airport, transportation to and in Old San Juan, accommodations, dining,
the people, the culture and the climate. Plus it has travel tips to
make for the perfect journey.
Arrival and Transportation
The free trollies go thru Old Town and right up to the entrance to the
fort.
San Juan is served by the San Juan International
Airport, or Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Munoz Main (SIU). Airlines
flying into San Juan are: Air Canada, American, British Airways, Continental,
Delta, Lufthansa, Northwest, United, US Airways and Virgin Atlantic
It's a small, somewhat dated airport but serves its purpose to get people
to the island as well as being a landing zone for the rest of the Caribbean.
|
San Juan Travel Tips
• US Currency is cash and credit cards are widely accepted.
• Bank ATM machines are plentiful.
• Pack comfortable shoes for walking.
• Watch out for traffic in both directions. While some streets
are one-way, several others are not. Many are narrow and may appear
to be one-way but in fact are two-way streets.
• Tip 15%, more for outstanding service.
• When going out at night, most restaurants and bars
have a dress code of long pants for gentlemen. Jeans and club-acceptable
tees are okay, but save the shorts, sandals and more casual wear
for daytime. Local ladies dress stylish.
• Old San Juan is an extremely safe city, even late
at night or in the early morning hours after a full night at the
bars.
• It takes a minimum of two days to see Old Town at
an enjoyable pace.
|
Taxis are readily available but note they charge higher rates for loading
more than two bags per person in the trunk or rear of their van. So
put carry-ons on your lap. The rates to Isle Verde are $10 and $20 to
Old Town.
Getting around Old Town requires nothing more than a good pair
of shoes. And sturdy legs, for one is either going uphill or downhill
in Old San Juan. The streets are narrow, many are cobblestone and the
sidewalks are barely wide enough for two people.
But the pace is slow, drivers are so courteous they actually stop to
allow pedestrians to cross in front of them (more on the ever-accommodating
Puerto Rican people later in this article) and the area is compact enough
to cover in about an hour. And that's at an island pace.
 The
streets are full of shops, restaurants, lounges and bars, so there's
plenty of activities to last throughout the day. Or night. Or early
morning.
An easy, causal way of seeing Old San Juan – as well as a great
way to get orientated – is to take advantage of the free trolleys.
Provided courtesy of Western Bank – its location on Calle Recinto
Sur is adjacent to the starting point, as well as the bus terminal –
they take visitors and even locals to spots throughout the city. The
ones marked "City Hall" concentrate on the streets of Old
Town while El Morrow Fort (as well as it's open-air cousin) takes a
very scenic route by the sea up Calle Norzagaray, past the museums and
eventually to the Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
And we mean right up to the entrance of the fort.
Because this is an uphill climb, it's advisable to take the trolley
to the fort and return to town in a leisurely stroll.
The street scene
in San Juan has cobblestones and Old World architecture.
For journeys outside San Juan, there are taxis and buses ($1.50).
There's always a taxi to be found at the Old Town Sheraton.
Accommodations
The Sheraton's ideal
location is on the edge of the water in Old Town.
San Juan has several hotels in various
locations. For those wanting to stay in Old Town – and the reasons
to stay in this area are chronicled throughout this article – the
Old Town Sheraton is an ideal property.
As the old real estate saying goes, the three most important words
are "location, location, location." Situated directly across
the new anchor-style Carnival cruise ship terminal and at the base of
Old Town across from the water, the Sheraton has Old Town's prime location.
The nine-floor, 240-room hotel is the largest in Old San Juan. There
are two restaurants, Fogata, a Latin American steakhouse that features
breakfast and lunch buffets plus a Sunday brunch, and the more casual
but quite filling Chicago Burger. Its casino is quite popular among
locals and tourists and features live entertainment at night. Many of
San Juan's top hotels have casinos, by the way.
An outdoor pool with an inviting patio overlooking the water is an
ideal place to relax. The Sheraton also has a fitness room. One particularly
nice touch at the Sheraton is the friendliness of the employees; the
maids leave a "have a nice day" note by the elevators and
there's always someone to open one of its many doors to the streets
of Old San Juan.
Some longtime visitors still refer to it as the Wyndham, but in fact
it became a Sheraton in 2005. Room rates in the high winter season start
at $295. Read our Review
of the Old Town Sheraton.
Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel
100 Brumbaugh Street
(787) 721-5100 · Fax (787) 721-1111
Website: www.Sheraton.com/Old/SanJuan
Overall, hotel choices directly in Old San Juan are limited. Accommodations
are more plentiful in the resort-type area of Isle Verde, about
a mile from the airport ($20 taxi ride to Old Town). Other hotel locations
are Miramir (adjacent to Old Town) and Ocean Park (halfway
between Old Town and the airport).
The People and
Culture of San Juan
The people of Puerto Rico are casual, easy going and always smiling.
One of the first impression of San Juan
– and Puerto Rico in general – is the friendliness
of the people. They are so friendly, in fact, that skeptical travelers
may think the locals are putting on an act.
It doesn't take long to realize that no, they really are that accommodating.
Sure, they know tourism is an important part of their economy and personal
livelihoods, but there's no pretentiousness here. Many first greetings
involve not handshakes but a kiss to the cheek. It's all real.
Then again, they are used to mixing in with other people. Originally
inhabited by Taino Indians, the area was overtaken by the Spanish, which
ruled for centuries and influenced much of the culture. African slaves
were brought to Puerto Rico and they were followed by Chinese, French,
German, more Spanish and eventually Americans. In the early 60s, many
Cubans came here to escape Fidel Castro.
So while Christopher Columbus and Ponce de Leon may have termed the
land the "rich port," for the gold nuggets in the river, that
richness today means the friendliness of the various people that inhabit
Puerto Rico.
Dining in Old
Town – San Juan Restaurants
Old Town has many
fine and fun restaurants.
San Juan may not be the dining destination
of, say a
San Francisco. But it does have many fine restaurants
to keep one's pallet pleased for the length of their San Juan stay.
Two main areas are filled with choices to fill the stomach. Calle Reciento
Sur, the street just two blocks from the cruise ship terminal, has traditional
Puerto Rican fare, Italian, Indian and other cuisine. Two blocks farther
up, Calle Forteleza is a diner's paradise; dozens of small restaurants
– many of which turn into lounges and bars by midnight – are
side-by-side on both sides of the small one-way street.
One of the most popular is Dragon Fly, with its Asian-fusion
menu. There's a good vibe in this lively place; to get a table on weekends
check with the lovely hostesses for something around 8:30 or 9. Most
locals, it must be pointed out, rarely go to dinner before 10.
Sonne is a cool restaurant and lounge with some of the best
mojitos in Old Town. Small groups are best advised to sit at the bar
and enjoy the live jazz band. It's a great place for a full meal or
just appetizers.
And speaking of entertainment, Barrachina is not only the place
where the pina colada was created but it combines a flamenco show on
weekends with local food choices.
 An
interesting – and outstanding – local dish to try is mofongo
churrasco, chunks of marinated beef or chicken surrounded by mashed
fried plantains. The presentation at the popular Restaurante Recies
is outstanding, in a tall coffee-mug-on-steroids container with a large
plantain sticking out of one end like a feather in a cap. Wash it down
with a tin cup of refreshing sangria ($5.50). It's $17.95 here for beef;
a delicious pollo version is $13.95 at the Brick House.
The settings of these two places could not be more different. Recies
is a nice, well-appointed restaurant on Calle Recinto Sur that is ultra-popular
for lunch among the cruise shippers. The Brick House, by contrast, is
a somewhat dingy sports bar that also features buffalo wings on the
menu; after 10 on weekends, the place becomes a sort of nightclub. While
often lively, it's hardly the setting for an intimate dinner.
Cheaper Eats – Many of the restaurants along these two
streets come with prices as steep as the uphill grade. That is to say
it's not an exhausting trek to the top, but it can make the wallet a
bit winded. Meals with drinks run in the $40-60 range.
Old Town does have a few less expensive alternatives. Chicago Burger
at the Sheraton will fill up anyone for less than $15. Popular among
the cruise ship folks is Senior Frogs; the enchilada plate is
big enough to feed two – and we mean two grown men. The grown men
will also appreciate the fact this is one of the few places in San Juan
with sports on satellite TV. And, as a sure sign of American influence
on Puerto Rico, there's a McDonald's and Subway.
For REALLY cheap eats, head to the food stands at the Ralces
La Princess fountain. Pizza and empanadas are among the choices, all
for about $2. The grilled sandwiches are the call here.
Away from Old San Juan –
past Isla Verde. All along the coastal highway (Boca de Cangerios Ave,
Highway 187) – is some of the best eating on the island. Small
food stands and shacks line the two-lane beach road along Carolina Beach,
Los Caballos and Aviones. For those who literally want a true taste
of Puerto Rico, this is the place.
San Juan Where to Go & What
to Do
The del Morrow fort
is one of San Juan's many attractions.
From shopping to museums to a day at
the fort to a tour of a rum distillery, there's a myriad of activities
available in San Juan. Rather than write about them all here, PubClub.com
has devoted an entire article to sightseeing. Yet another story focuses
exclusively on San Juan's pubs and clubs in our nightlife section.
Busy San Juan plaza has museums, locals, tourists and pina coladas (well
sort of).
• San
Juan Sightseeing Activities
• San
Juan Nightlife
• San
Juan in Pictures
Pina Colada Stands
 Sonds
great, doesn't it. A nice, chilled pina colada on a warm day to quench
the sightseeing thirst. There are carts all over town selling "pina
coladas" and even an inviting one by the Ralces La Princess fountain
with large, "come hither" neon letters.
Alas, even though this frozen concoction was invented here, these pina
colado stands are just mirages. The carts have pina colado flavored
ice cream, while the one by the fountain is a non-alcoholic drink.
Oh well!
For the real deal, head to the previously mentioned Barrachina
on Calle de La Fortaleza, home of the original pina colada.
Weather/When
to Go
As the gateway to the Caribbean, San
Juan enjoys a year-round tropical climate. Of course, that can also
mean heat and humidity, but San Juan is fortunate enough to brag about
an average temperature of 82F (28C). In fact, the highest temperature
ever recorded in San Juan is 98F. So it's rarely sweltering.
The high season is December-April when the temperatures are a pleasant
mid-70sF. This is also the peak cruise ship period. May-November is
the relative down time, though one may have to reason with the hurricane
season. Fortunately, San Juan is rarely affected by these fierce storms.
There are several festivals and celebrations in San Juan, none bigger
than the San Sebastian Street Festival (third weekend of January),
a multi-day street festival. Locals love it and it's ideal for PubClubbers.
More
San Juan Articles:
• An introduction to
San Juan.
• See and feel the heartbeat of Old San Juan's nightlife.
• Historical sites, a free trolley and more the Bacardi factory
in the Sightseeing
Guide.
• Read a first-person journal of Old San Juan from The
Bartender.
• See San Juan in pictures with our Photo
Essay.
 Ride
the Boston Party Bus!
.
|