Old Town San Juan Post-Maria Updates: Original Pina Colada Bar, Basiliko, Senor Frog’s, Milk Nightlife

Puerto Rico Without Power With Bars & Businesses Are Closed To Locals & Tourists

Once a vibrant area for nightlife, Old Town San Juan is now littered with remnants left in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

It’s dark at night, although some businesses and homes have generators, and the area’s famous and lively bars are empty. They will have no customers for a while, either locals or tourists.

At the Old Town Sheraton – where PubClub.com has stayed in the past – staff members barricaded doors with lumber and sandbags and turned on a generator to keep electricity running on the main floor once the hotel lost power.

In a statement, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello called for calm and “prudence during these difficult days.” He imposed a curfew for the island from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. that will be in effect until Saturday.

PubClub is providing updates on the most popular bars in Old Town as information is available. This includes Barrachina Restaurant, home of the original Pina Colada, the very fun Basiliko with Hugo behind the bar, the bar/nightclub Milk and Fratelli.

Many of these places are located on Calle Fortaleza, which is the main street of nightlife in Old Town.

The busiest place in the daytime is Senor Frogs, because that’s where many of those on cruise ships head to in order to order tall drinks in souvenir tall and thin plastic glasses. It’s also the best place to watch American sporting events in Old Town; that is, if you can put up with the drinking cruise ship passenger.

Another popular area for San Juan nightlife is Isle Verde, a beach close the the airport. One of the most popular bars is the Old San Juan Hotel, which posted this statement on its website after the previous Caribbean hurricane, Irma:

“We are currently assessing the status of each of our hotels across the Caribbean that have been in the path of Hurricane Irma. The safety of our guests and associates is always a top priority at Marriott and at this time, we are not aware of, nor have there been any reported injuries.

“We encourage those planning to visit the storm area to check the news of the storm for the most current information and amend their travel plans accordingly. Hotels in the impacted area are waiving hotel cancellation and change fees but details will vary depending on the hotel so we suggest our customers call (800) 228-9290 for more information about their reservations.

“Those in countries outside of the United States seeking information about their reservations should call the Marriott International toll-free number in their country.”