10 Things You Won’t Want To Miss In San Juan, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is home to one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the Caribbean, San Juan. This charming city is filled with colorful buildings, beautiful architecture, historic landmarks, rich culture, and (of course) amazing food! While many cruises stop off in San Juan for just a day, there truly is so much to see that it is impossible with just 24 hours!

I spent about 3 days in San Juan during my trip to Puerto Rico with The Manini Experience and never ran out of things to do! You can read more about our epic Puerto Rico itinerary here.

To help you plan your visit to stunning San Juan, I’ve put together a list of my top 10 things to do and see in the city, although there is much more to do if you go looking!

 

1. Visit the Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal

These two fortifications are easily accessible from Old San Juan. In fact, you won’t be able to miss the Castillo San Felipe del Morro! This 16th-century fortress overlooking the sea is incredible to behold and definitely worth exploring. If you don’t have much time in San Juan, I would visit the Castillo San Felipe del Morro over the Castillo San Cristóbal, the 18th-century Spanish fort which is the largest in the Americas.

 

2. Get lost in Old San Juan

The streets of Old San Juan are so colorful and charming that I instantly fell in love. During my visit, I spent hours simply wandering around the streets (and snapping way too many photos!). You should definitely allow some time to simply enjoy walking around and take in the beauty and energy of the city- you never know what you will discover! A cute coffee shop, the perfect souvenir, an amazing meal, or even beautiful abandoned buildings (complete with growing foliage) right alongside current residences.

 

3. Find the Instagram famous Flag Door

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXi2FzNFqFO/?taken-by=missadventuresabroad

Be sure to follow me on Instagram @missadventuresabroad for more travel inspiration! 

If you are like me and find yourself stalking your next destination on Instagram, then chances are you’ve seen a picture (or two) of Old San Juan’s famous door, painted to look like the Puerto Rican flag. The door is painted on one of the city’s uninhabited buildings (mentioned above) and is easy to find on Calle San José, near its intersection with Calle San Sebastián. When I visited, the door was actually painted black as a form of protest during some very important elections, as you can see in the photo above. Typically, the flag is white, blue and red, the colors of the Puerto Rican Flag

 

4. Go Salsa Dancing at La Factoria (the bar from the Despacito music video!)

My visit to Puerto Rico happened to correspond perfectly to the Despacito craze. Every time I turned on the radio…Despacito! Every time we were around fellow tourists…Despacito! Every time we passed locals playing music on the beach…Despacito! So, naturally, I felt it was my duty to visit the bar where the music video took place, and I had so much fun!

 

La Factoria actually had 3 parts to the bar. A cocktail bar (I had a lavender concoction that was out of this world), wine bar, and then, later at night, an area with live music and lots of dancing! This spot was one of the highlights of my trip-the drinks, atmosphere, and dancing are the perfect way to spend a night out in this lively city!

 

5. Hit a museum (or two)

San Juan has several museums worth visiting if you love history and/or art. There is the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico, Casa Blanca (the 16th century home built for the explorer Ponce de Leon, the Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art, Museo de las Américas, and many more! While I was too tempted by the beach to stay inside for long, you may want to give one of these museums a visit during your trip!

 

6. Shop ’til you drop

There are so many different shops tucked along the colorful streets of Old San Juan, so if you love shopping you certainly won’t be disappointed! While I typically don’t buy souvenirs, I am totally kicking myself for not coming home with one of the beautiful handmade ceramic doors I found at Poet’s Passage, a lovely and unique store with handmade gifts, poetry readings, and coffee. I highly recommend stopping by to check it out!

 

7. Try mofongo

If there is one thing I ate a ton of while I was in Puerto Rico, it is mofongo! Mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican meal made with garlic mashed green plantains and often come with some sort of protein (my personal favorite was shrimp). I had mofongo all over Puerto Rico and definitely think everyone should give it a try!

 

8. Visit the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista

https://www.instagram.com/p/BU96ShSFXj_/?taken-at=245090677

The Cathedral of San Juan Bautista had been around since the 16th century, although much of it has been reconstructed today. I walked past the church not realizing how beautiful it was on the inside (I’m still upset over this). It is also the site of the tomb of Ponce de León.

 

9. Make a Mojito at the Bacardi Experience

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWu0Owhg8ht/?taken-by=bacardidistillerypr

Unfortunately for me, a mixology tour of the Casa Bacardi was not in my budget for this trip. However, if you have a bit more to spend and are a lover of rum, you might want to consider making a trip! They offer historic tours, rum tasting tours, and even a mixology tour with ticket prices ranging from $15-$60. You can learn more about the Bacardi tours on their website, and they have a 4-star rating on Tripadvisor.

 

10. Explore Colorful La Perla (but be safe!)

True Despacito fans won’t want to miss out on seeing the colorful La Perla area of San Juan, where much of the neighborhood scenes in the Despacito music video are filmed. I will warn you to be careful when walking here and recommend you don’t go alone. The area is up-and-coming, and the bright painting is the result of an effort to transform the area into a more safe place. Prior to visiting, locals warned me to be careful, as the area had been known in the past for crime and drugs. I did encounter one character during my visit, so I kept my time here a brief. Just beware of your surroundings and try to keep a low profile.

If you are nervous about going, try visiting Santurce-the street art there is incredible!

11. Bonus: Hit the beach

A visit to Puerto Rico isn’t complete without jumping into the beautiful waters of the Caribbean. During my visit with The Manini Experience, we actually decided to give back a little and do a DIY beach clean up. It was awesome leaving the beautiful beach even cleaner than when we found it!

 

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Which of these will make it on your San Juan itinerary? Let me know in the comments!

You might also enjoy these Puerto Rico posts!

• 6 Amazing Days In Puerto Rico With The Manini Experience
• 6 Amazing Days In Puerto Rico With The Manini Experience: Part 2
• The Suite Life Old San Juan: Stunning Views & Beautiful Rooms at Hotel Casablanca
• Getting Philanthropic in Puerto Rico: Volunteering At Save A Sato With The Manini Experience

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