Because life is short & the world is big
El Capitolio, the capitol building of Puerto Rico, greets you as you drive into Old San Juan. It’s a century-old neoclassical structure with a commanding dome situated on a hilltop overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Bob decided it was time to take a tour inside!
For Puerto Ricans, El Capitolio de Puerto Rico stands as a powerful symbol of self-government. This video is packed with history, info, and photos, as well as a tour of the many fascinating monuments near the capitol building.
Bob recently scored a private tour inside La Fortaleza, the Puerto Rico Governor’s Mansion, which is located in a prominent spot at the edge of Old San Juan, with dazzling views of the Bay of San Juan. The oldest Executive Mansion in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere, La Fortaleza is the main residence and the office of the Governor of Puerto Rico.
The name means “The Fortress,” an apt title because La Fortaleza, along with the later fortifications of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Castillo San Cristóbal, and San Juan de la Cruz (El Cañuelo), along with a large portion of the original San Juan City Wall, was built to protect the city and the bay. La Fortaleza was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Read all about its history and importance here.
Enjoy the tour!
We took a ferry from Old San Juan to Cataño, across the bay, to see what’s there besides the Bacardi Rum Factory. Turns out, lots! Including shout-outs to autism, love, and love is love.
We strolled along the Boardwalk to Puente Rosado or the Pink Bridge, a pier recently created to give visitors a place to lock their padlocks and leave a piece of their love in Puerto Rico, and pledged our troth amid crashing waves. (Please don’t throw the key in the sea.) On the way, we discovered the Muelle del Orgullo (Pride Pier), vibrantly designed with the colors of the rainbow to honor the LGBTQ+ community, and the Muelle Autismo (Autism Pier), painted in bright colors and puzzle shapes to celebrate neurodiversity and the autism community. As the parents of two queer, neurodiverse adults, we were happy to find this level of love and respect on our adopted island!
Across the street from the ferry, we found several bars and restaurants with water views that specialized in cocktails from the legendary rum maker. Of course, we had to try one!
But the best part was really the short ferry ride, offering expansive views of Old San Juan, El Morro, the container port, the cruise port and the mountains beyond. Lisa considers it the Staten Island Ferry of San Juan. Find out why in this fun video!
Puerto Rico Ferry
Cataño Destinations
Themed Piers
Cataño Waterfront Promenade
MAP to Puerto Rico Ferry Terminal
We continue wandering around Old San Juan on Part 2 of our walking tour of this beautifully preserved 500-year-old settlement.
Watch Part 1
Old San Juan
Map to Old San Juan
Map to Dona Fela Parking Garage
Map to Barrachina
Visit the Old San Juan Playlist on YouTube to see our other videos.
No trip to Puerto Rico is complete without at least a day in Old San Juan, a mélange of Old World elegance and vibrant 21st-century Caribbean culture. It’s so interesting, we had to create two videos!
San Juan was built for walking, so we’ll start out by heading to our favorite parking garage, Dona Fela, so you don’t waste an hour looking for a place to put your car. Then we’ll visit the cruise ship port and explore the narrow streets, nooks and crannies of beautifully preserved Viejo San Juan, which just celebrated 500 years.
There is so much to see and do, for every age and stage: explore history, culture, shopping, eating, drinking, praying, gallery hopping, even flying kites!
Check back in a couple of days for the second half of our video.
Old San Juan
Maritime Museum (Museo del Mar)
Book Museum (La Casa del Libro)
Map to Old San Juan
Map to Dona Fela Parking Garage
Visit Messy Suitcase’s Old San Juan Playlist to see our other videos.
We’ve lived in Puerto Rico for only two months, and already a number of friends, and friends of friends, have reached out to us looking for recommendations or advice for visiting the island. I realize no one has time to go through our whole travel blog in search of ideas on what to do or see on La Isla del Encanto.
So if you’re coming to Puerto Rico and staying around the capital San Juan, here are a few of our favorite things to do, see and experience!
If you’re staying in San Juan, you will enjoy Isla Verde Beach, with its wide swath of sand and crashing waves. Ocean Park Beach is quirky and fun, but difficult to access unless you’re staying close by. We also recommend Balneario Carolina, or Carolina Public Beach, just east of Isla Verde, which features bathrooms, showers, shade trees, and beach bars. Admission is free, and parking is just $4. The sand is soft, the waves are gentle, and you can while away an afternoon in a beach chair with a mojito in hand while watching jets take off from and land at San Juan International Airport, right behind you.
Stroll west down the sand and enjoy lunch or dinner at Ocean Lab Brewing Company, which serves up really good pub food and a variety of craft brews on a large open balcony facing the ocean and the beach club below. (Make sure you enter from the street side; the beachside door is for members only.) Don’t miss the gift shop!
Balneario de Carolina: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/balneario-de-carolina/7704
Ocean Lab Brewing: https://oceanlabbrewery.com/
You can snorkel for sea turtles at Escambron Beach on Puerto de Tierra in San Juan. It’s not the best snorkeling on the island by any stretch, but it’s convenient if you’re staying in San Juan. And the chances of seeing a sea turtle are high!
Scuba Dogs Dive Shop (for renting snorkel gear): https://scubadogs.net/
For some truly spectacular snorkeling, go on a snorkeling day trip on a catamaran to Icacos Island, embarking from Fajardo. We did the Catamaran Spread Eagle II, and it was a blast. https://g.co/kgs/ZwRNd2
Old San Juan is worth a day trip just to experience 500 years of history mingled with today’s rhythm of life. Enjoy strolling around the old city while you soak up the beautifully preserved Spanish Colonial architecture, shop for local crafts, and eat and drink Puerto Rican fare. Take in the historic sights, especially the iconic fort San Felipe El Morro, the governor’s residence La Fortaleza, and the Museum of the Americas. Definitely spend at least a day!
Here are some links to get you started in OSJ.
The Puerto Rico Art Museum in Santurce is excellent, if you want to spend a day away from the beach and out of the sun. https://www.mapr.org/es
Centro de Bellas Artes has world-class cultural offerings. https://www.cba.pr.gov/
If you’re a Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights, Tick Tick Boom) fan, take a trip to his family’s hometown of Vega Alta, less than an hour’s drive from San Juan, and spend a couple of hours in the Galería de Lin-Manuel Miranda. Lin used to fly down from New York to spend summers visiting his abuelos (grandparents) here when he was a kid. In fact, his grandfather was a local celebrity decades before Lin started winning awards! https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/galeria-lin-manuel-miranda?tab=visit
If you fancy rum or just a good time on vacation, we recommend taking the Mixology Class at the Bacardí Rum Factory. Take the ferry to Cataño from Old San Juan (Park at Doña Fela) for a spectacular experience. https://www.bacardi.com/casa-bacardi/tickets/
Another rum option is to take the tasting tour at Ron Barrilito, the original Puerto Rican rum. https://rondelbarrilito.com/
These are splurges, about $80 each. Both are worth it!
If you decide not to spend the time or money on a rum tour, we recommend at least having a piña colada at El Caribe Hilton, which claims to be the birthplace of the piña colada, or Barachina in Old San Juan (https://g.co/kgs/nP36j6), which makes the same claim. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chelseadavis/2019/07/10/this-is-where-the-pia-colada-was-born/
If you want to hike in El Yunque, the rain forest, you need to buy your tickets in advance on the first day of the month, from the US National Park Service website. They get snapped up fast. However, the site doesn’t work well, so be prepared for Plan B. If you fail, which is likely, you can always book a guided tour.
National Park Service website: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/300017
A zipline tour of El Yunque is also awesome. https://www.junglequipr.com
Afterward, relax at Balneario (Public Beach) Luquillo (closed Monday and Tuesday). Again, free entry, $4 parking, bathrooms, gentle surf, and golden sand. (Note that this is NOT the beach behind the Kioskos. That one is also called Luquillo, NOT Balneario Luquillo, and is interesting, but with a gritty locals vibe. Be prepared to encounter lots of trash) https://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/balneario-monserrate-luquillo/
Then have a meal at the famous Luquillo kioskos. https://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/luquillo-kiosks/
Drink a passion fruit mojito! Try red snapper (chillo) with criollo sauce!
If you’ll have a car and are willing to explore a little, visit the Pork Highway, a coffee plantation, or Gozalandia Falls. If you have more time, come to our lovely southwest corner of the island, Cabo Rojo, which has clear, calm beaches facing the gentle turquoise waters of the Mona Passage. It’s 2 and 1/2 hours from San Juan.
If you want someone with energy, knowledge, and enthusiasm to create a tour for you and show you the island, consider Rosario and Chan’s Adventures. Julio and Chan are fantastic! Tell them Bob and Lisa sent you! https://m.facebook.com/100082685624263/
This should get you started. Enjoy this wonderful island!
