ICMYI on my Instagram and YouTube, I spent five days in Puerto Rico with three of my best girl friends a few weeks ago, and had the time of our lives! We stayed in San Juan and spent all of our time there, minus an excursion to a beach about an hour away one of the days. We had made plans to take an excursion to Vieques and/or El Yunque National Forest, but for several reasons were not able to go to either. If you want to know what we DID end up doing, check out this blog post, and if you are looking for some more recommendations, keep on reading!
Restaurants & Cafes
Puebla – Comida Mexicana and Cantina
We ate here for my “birthday dinner” and it may have been our best meal of the trip! We all were DYING over the elote, and the drinks were great as well! They even played 50 Cent “In Da Club” as they brought out my birthday dessert 😂 10/10!!
Located in La Placita, this didn’t end up being as much of a vibe as I had hoped (the inside was cuter than outside but we had to sit outside if we wanted to eat that night), but their mofongo with criollo shrimp was TO DIE FOR!
I have to say this was my favorite restaurant of the trip just by the sheer number of times we ate there – three times!! And it never got old – who wouldn’t want a piña colada and fresh seafood right by the beach under the shade of palm trees?? My favorite day was the day they played afrobeats – it REALLY set the vibe!
We were SUPPOSED to eat here on our second day for a sponsored photoshoot, but they had an accident with the gas that day and had to shut the restaurant down. Luckily, they somehow were able to provide us with several appetizers and sangria so that we could still eat and get pictures, and it ended up being the perfect amount of food. Even better for us that the restaurant was empty so we had it all to ourselves! I highly recommend going JUST for the aesthetic, but I am sure the rest of the menu is delicious!
This spot was conveniently located a few blocks from our AirBnb, and had delicious iced lattes with oat milk and the BEST vegan apple spice cake with guava paste frosting!
We discovered this super hole in the wall spot in Old San Juan (ok *I* discovered, cuz I am that good lol) and were in love not only with the iced lattes with oat milk, but the ADORABLE hidden patio in the back!!
Unfortunately we did not get a chance to check out this ocean front bar/restaurant, but it is saved on my list of places to go when I return. I highly recommend checking it out for yourself!
Bars & Clubs
La Garita Yaz
Our uber driver recommended this spot to us on the way to Old San Juan, and we are glad he did because we would never have found it! The walk there was kind of sketchy (it’s around a corner and down the hill in La Perla), but the views from the balcony were worth it. All we had there were piña coladas, which weren’t the best but def hit the spot still!
The Cannon Club
This piano bar is located in a hotel in Old San Juan, and has a huge multilevel balcony with a terrace and a pond that lights up at night. It has a very Versace Mansion vibe, and felt so cozy and intimate! This is a great date night spot.
Tulum at La Placita
This was our first stop on our “going out night”, which was Thursday (our last night). It was fairly empty when we first arrived, but had a super cute vibe and aesthetic inside and was a great place to start. We didn’t go back, but it seemed lit later on when we passed by!
Club Vibra Hookah Lounge
If you are looking for hookah while you are out in La Placita, skip the overpriced ones at the other bars and head around the corner to Club Vibra! It is only $30 for a hookah and they have a balcony you can sit on while you smoke and drink, plus great music and a fun vibe!
*Somewhere on Calle Robert*
I cannot remember or find the name of the spot we went to on this street in La Placita, but it’s a walk up type bar that made the BEST mojito I have ever had (and I have had a lot of good ones!) so def try to find it!
EBO Lounge
This was the last spot we went and probably my favorite! There is a long narrow walk way when you enter, lined with tables for people to sit and drink/smoke but still be able to talk. On the right, there is a club that is very small but was VERY lit and had suchhh good music! We spent a couple hours in there dancing, and I had such a good time! I discovered later that there was another little club further down the walkway that had different music playing, and was a bit more laidback. Definitely check this spot out if you are in La Placita!
Hotels & AirBnbs
We stayed in the “Diana” unit and were absolutely OBSESSED!! It was the cutest retro themed AirBnb with Diana Ross pictures and groovy decor everywhere. Not only was it the perfect size for four of us, but it was such a convenient location – near restaurants, cafes and the beach!
This hotel is a “sister hotel” of the MOOD Haus AirBnbs, and has it’s own adorable bohemian vibe! We spent a little bit of time there on our last day – first to drop off our bags and then to wait for our uber to the airport – and I didn’t want to leave! It has such a relaxing zen vibe, and makes you feel like you are somewhere far away. It is also two blocks from the beach AND my favorite cafe at Numero Uno Beach House, so it’s a great option for a place to stay!
Conveniently located in the heart of Old San Juan, this is the hotel that Consular Restaurant is located inside. We did not stay there, but judging by the gorgeous interior courtyards we took pictures in, I can imagine the rooms are beautiful as well!
Beaches
Parque/Ocean Park
This is the beach we spent most time at, as it was two blocks away from our AirBnb. The beaches were beautiful with turquoise water and soft sand, plus they were never crowded. On windier days you can see tons of kiteboarders in the water as well!
Condado Beach
We did not get to visit this beach, but we heard many great things and it is also conveniently located in an area with many cute restaurants and cafes, somewhat near Old San Juan.
A stunning white sand beach with calm waters, this beach on Culebra is voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!
This beach was STUNNING and well worth the hour drive! It was way more “tropical” looking than the beach near our AirBnb, and provided the perfect backdrop for pictures. However, I HIGHLY recommend renting a car to get here so you don’t get stranded like we did (click here for story time).
Excursions
This is the only rainforest in the National Parks system, and home to many waterfalls, hiking trails, ziplines, ATVs and more adventure activities. I was very sad we did not get to make it here on our trip, but I will definitely be back!
These two smaller islands are located just off the east coast of mainland Puerto Rico, and are both a short ferry ride away (about an hour). Among the activities on each island are snorkeling, scuba diving, bioluminescent bay kayaking tours (see below), hiking, horseback riding, eating and hanging out on beautiful beaches (my two favorite activities!!). There are many places to stay on each island as well, and are a great option for an overnight excursion.
Puerto Rico is home to three sites of bioluminescent bays, which are lit up by organisms called dinoflagellates that appear to glow in the dark at night. We did not get a chance to do this excursion either, but it is on my list for next time!
Activities
Historical sites and museums tour
Travel Tips
- Make absolutely sure that you read and follow all the Covid travel restrictions WELL in advance of your trip! Click here for the most updates guidelines.
- Plan far ahead for excursions – I am very last minute/”go with the flow” when it comes to planning stuff during travel, but I learned the hard way that it doesn’t work that way in the time of Covid! Stuff that was previously easy to do on the fly – like booking a ferry to Culebra/Vieques or visiting El Yunque – now needs to be done way ahead of time or you will be sh*t out of luck!
- Do NOT expect Uber to be available everywhere! Again, learned this the hard way lol (story time here)
- Unless you are a native Portorriqueño or from an island, just prepare yourself for the heat! I love being hot and don’t mind it, but it was kind of a lot some times. Planning to either spend the day at the beach or not be outside all day in the hottest part of the day is probably your best bet, especially if you are there for a week or more!
- Everywhere around San Juan takes cards, most places take Apple pay, and the best part is your cell service works there! Check ahead of time if you are traveling to a less touristy or modern part of the island.
- Speaking Spanish is definitely a plus, but if you don’t speak any then don’t trip – most people speak English!
- If you are visiting La Placita, definitely do NOT try to drive and park there! We ubered and it was super easy and convenient and pretty cheap from our AirBnb. I read on another blog that there’s no parking there so don’t bother.
- Have fun, relax and be respectful to the locals and the island – this is their home, not just a vacation spot!
