Old San Juan
Old San Juan simply allows you to dive into a not so distant mythical past, that of the first European colonies. At that time, the majority of the city's population lived in what is commonly known today as Viejo San Juan. The best way to visit it is still to wander randomly through this movie set. It is often while getting lost that the most beautiful encounters take place. Be careful, however, to put your feet down properly, as ankles rarely like cobblestone streets. Some of these alleys are 500 years old.
Surrounded by numerous walls and other military constructions from the colonial era, Old San Juan contains many treasures of military architecture, such as the 16th century Fort San Cristobal or the 17th century Fort San Felipe del Morro. Both of them were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1983, as well as three quarters of the old city walls and El Cañuelo, the fort of San Juan de la Cruz. Other architectural marvels include the 16th century Santa Catalina Palace, the San José Church from 1523, the Convento Hotel, which once housed the Ponce de León family, the former Princesa Prison, the Tapia Theater and the beautiful cemetery of Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis
Finally, La Perla, a popular and colorful neighborhood, whose reputation has not always been excellent, but which is nowadays quite quiet and really worth a visit. You can see it or access it from the marine cemetery.
Santurce (Miramar, El Condado and Ocean Park)
As far as daytime cultural walks are concerned, the suburbs of Santurce have less to offer. The beach is the main point of interest, a place of relaxation par excellence. Some museums are still worth mentioning, including the open-air street art museum (around Calle Cerra). These neighborhoods are home to a lot of residences and offices, but they also have good bars and gourmet restaurants.
Miramar. The first neighborhood you encounter when you arrive from Old San Juan, Miramar is above all a business and residential area, divided between wealthy residents on the east side towards El Condado, and poorer residents on the west side, living in old houses. Part of Miramar is officially recognized as belonging to the historic heart of San Juan. The neighborhood, not very close to the sea and offering very few hotels, is not very popular with tourists but is developing and deserves attention for its artistic appeal. The music conservatory and the convention center are located here. The most curious will go in search of the murals hidden in the heart of the district. The neighborhood is rather young and trendy.
El Condado. This is the most touristy neighborhood in San Juan, along with Isla Verde. In this chic neighborhood, which has sometimes aged a bit, you will see many new buildings facing the sea, hotels, restaurants and sophisticated bars. From west to east, it stretches from the famous Puente Dos Hermanos (Bridge of the Two Brothers) where Dr. Ashford Avenue ends, to De Diego Street, which separates it from the Ocean Park neighborhood. While the first industrialists settled here at the beginning of the 20th century, the neighborhood expanded in the 1920s, when the first wealthy families arrived from the United States. The Vanderbilts family built their main summer home here, which later became the El Condado Plaza Hotel and Casino. But it was not until the early 1960s that mass tourism began to develop, with the construction of numerous hotels. El Condado offers the first beautiful beaches of San Juan, supervised and developed. Everything is designed to attract visitors: beaches, discotheques, restaurants and stores. The only thing missing is a few museums and a more authentic Puerto Rican atmosphere.
Ocean Park. As its name suggests, the Ocean Park neighborhood faces the sea. Well known by visitors as a privileged place to stay, it also has many restaurants. The hotels are smaller than those in Condado or Isla Verde, with more inns and guesthouses, and the atmosphere is much calmer. Horis, the long Calle Loíza, has become for some years the nerve center of night owls and gastronomy lovers. The small island of Isla Piedra, located near the coast, is also part of the neighborhood. Barbosa Park is the green lung of the neighborhood. Ocean Park is bounded on the west by María Mozco and Santa Ana streets, and on the east by Guerrero Noble street. The neighborhood is therefore located between El Condado and Isla Verde. The beach and the sea that caress it are an excellent site for kitesurfing enthusiasts.
Isla Verde
Officially, Isla Verde is not part of San Juan, let alone Santurce, but in reality it belongs to the municipality of Carolina, which adjoins the capital to the east. It is here that a good part of the tourist activity of San Juan is concentrated, with the greatest number of hotels and services accompanying this type of development: casinos, restaurants, bars, discotheques... All of this is gathered in the most important brands of the hotel world. The most beautiful beaches of San Juan are also located here, but they are also the most frequented. The district owes its name to the small eponymous islet of 2 km² which is located 300 m from the coast. Isla Verde, in its southern part, is also the location of the San Juan international airport, which can be a problem if you want to spend a few days in a quiet hotel in the area. Now commonly called Luis Muñoz Marín, it was originally named Isla Verde International Airport.
Hato Rey and Río Piedras
Hato Rey. It is the business district by reference. San Juan also has its own business district where the headquarters of the big banks, law firms and insurance companies are located. Very busy during the day, it fades away once the offices are emptied of their staff. This district is called the golden mile or the miraculous mile . Skyscrapers make up most of the landscape. Everything seems to be business oriented, like the hotels that receive here a mainly professional clientele.
Río Piedras. It is located in the south of Hato Rey. Its activity, the district owes it to the university campus, the largest of Puerto Rico. Young French-speaking travelers will have no trouble mingling with the campus crowd and participating in the various cultural and other events. Apart from the market and the desire to easily meet young Puerto Ricans, Río Piedras is not a must-see in San Juan.
