A star of Old San Juan, brooding El Morro sits atop a headland, deterring would-be attackers. The 140ft walls (some up to 15ft thick) date to 1539 and it…
Must see attractions in San Juan
- Top ChoiceCastillo San Felipe del Morro
- Top ChoiceCastillo San Cristóbal
The city's second major fort is one of the largest Spanish-built military installations in the Americas. In its prime, it covered 27 acres with a maze of…
- Top ChoiceMuseo de las Américas
This museum presents an impressive overview of cultural development in the Americas, including indigenous, African and European influences. Four permanent…
- Top ChoiceBalneario El Escambrón
This sheltered arc's raked sand, decent surf breaks, local action and a 17th-century Spanish fort shimmering in the distance are the hallmarks of what's…
- Top ChoiceMuseo de Arte de Puerto Rico
San Juan boasts one of the largest and most celebrated art museums in the Caribbean. Housed in a splendid neoclassical building that was once the city’s…
- Top ChoicePlaya Isla Verde
With countless tanned bodies lounging or flexing their biceps around the volleyball net, this urban beach basks in its reputation as the Copacabana of…
- Top ChoicePlaya Ocean Park
Protected by offshore reefs and caressed by cooling seasonal trade winds, this wide sweep of diamond-dust sand is a favorite of locals. But this…
- CTop ChoiceCasa Bacardí Rum Factory
The ‘Cathedral of Rum’ sits in vast grounds near the mouth of San Juan Bay. Three signature tours (45 minutes to 1½ hours) are offered throughout the week…
- ETop ChoiceEspacio Emergente
Close to the Museo de Arte Francisco Oller, this modern museum features thought-provoking work from emerging artists in Puerto Rico and beyond, including,…
- Cuartel de Ballajá
Built in 1854 as a military barracks, the cuartel is an impressive three-story edifice with large gates on two ends, a series of arches and a large…
- PParque de las Ciencias Luis A Ferré
A veritable smorgasbord of family-friendly museums and exhibits plus a minizoo are housed in the expansive Parque de las Ciencias. Kids learn about…
- EEscambrón Marine Park
Next to the gorgeous Balneario El Escambrón, this namesake marine park is a popular destination for snorkelers and divers. See schools of blue tangs,…
- BBalneario de Carolina
Wedged in between the high-rise hotel strip of Isla Verde and the rustic delights of Piñones, Balneario de Carolina is a fine, clean beach that's…
- MMADMi
This new addition to the city's thriving art scene is set in a restored Miramar landmark, a striking pink building dating to 1913. Engaging, interactive…
- MMuseo de Historia, Antropología y Arte de Río Piedras
Puerto Rico's first national museum was founded in 1951, home to some of its most important cultural pieces, including Francisco Oller's El Velorio,…
- El Capitolio
The capitol of the Commonwealth is in an impressive columned and domed neoclassical building in a commanding location overlooking Puerta de Tierra's wave…
- Playa Condado
Hemmed in by hotel towers and punctuated by rocky outcrops, Condado’s narrow beaches are busier than Ocean Park’s and less exclusive than Isla Verde’s…
- IIglesia de San José
What it lacks in grandiosity it makes up for in age: the Iglesia de San José is the second-oldest church in the Americas, after the cathedral in Santo…
- PPlaza del Mercado de Río Piedras
If you enjoy the bustle of a traditional market where locals barter for everything from bananas to bacalao, this is for you. As much a scene as a place to…
- PParques Luis Muñoz Rivera & Parque del Tercer Milenio
Spanning the broad swath between the Atlantic and Av Ponce de León, Parque Luis Muñoz Rivera injects a much-needed green space into the urban landscape…