San Juan was never really on my bucket list, you know me, I'll go anywhere, but this wasn't reallllly on my radar. Until this year, with COVID, it forced us to get a little creative with our travel plans. Enter San Juan and I couldn't have been happier with our decision! Because it is an American Territory, San Juan is a super easy travel destination in COVID times, especially for vaccinated travelers. If you are vaccinated, all you have to do is fill out a travel declaration form and upload your vaccine card. This will kick you back a QR code that you will show at the San Juan airport and you're off! This can be found at travelsafe.pr.gov. Coming back home is super easy as well since no testing is required as this is technically a "Domestic Trip". Even though Puerto Rico is part of America, it feels a million miles away and was the perfect escape without the hassle of international travel right now! Now lets get into it!
Where We Stayed:
We chose Condado Ocean Club which I found on Hotels.com. We loved it! It was reasonably priced at 268 a night but felt luxurious with lovely modern finishes, a chic lobby and a gorgeous infinity pool! It wasn't your typical big hotel chain resort, but we actually enjoyed that about it. It had a fabulous restaurant, pool deck with a bar, ocean views and was a great location, walking distance to many restaurants and other hotels. It was also only a 10 min drive to old San Juan. Even though it was located on the beach, the beach at Condado Ocean club was a bit rocky, so if you're looking for good direct beach access, this probably isn't the choice for you but otherwise, it was grade A! They even welcomed us with a complimentary bottle of champagne to kick off our vacay!
What We Did:
Old San Juan Walking tour: San Juan is beautiful, with colorfully painted houses, culture on every corner and adorable lively squares. I had originally booked what I thought was a walking tour thru airbnb, however come to find out, a large chunk of the tour was via a van that didn't fit the wheel chair, so we scratched that and did our own. We took our time, wandering the streets, taking pictures and stopping for breaks along the way (its pretty hilly and humid so I needed lotsss of pushing breaks). We were still able to see all the sites we wanted to including Calle De La Fortaleza (well known for their umbrellas, flags etc hanging up above ), Plaza Colon and La Puerta de La Bandera , just to name a few!
Visit the old Forts: Castillo San del Morro and Castillo de San Cristobal
We chose to visit Del Morro and it was a highlight of our trip! Built in the 16th Century, this fortress served as the cities protection and is now a great tourist destination filled with history and incredible views! At only 10 bucks to get in, its definitely worth the trip during any vacation to Old San Juan!
Visit Numero Uno Beach House:
Everyone knows I love a good beach club! I found Numero Uno Beach House on good old google and it was awesome! The sand was so soft and the water was warm and turquoise. Plus the food, drinks and vibes were on point. They have multiple tables right on the sand with big cozy bean bags to lounge on while you tan yourself and sip cocktails. We were there for brunch and it was fab! They also run a Kite Surfing company there which was cool to watch and there is a hotel above! Such a cool little spot that the locals enjoy and I highly recommend!
Where We Ate:
No onto my favorite part of a trip: the food! The food in San Juan was delicious! I pretty much loved everything we ate! So lets break it down:
SOCIAL: This was the restaurant at our hotel. We went for dinner one night and brunch another morning. It was DELISH! And obviously the views didn't hurt the experience! Plus it was so convenient right downstairs from our room! Highly recommend the braised short rib and the avocado toast for brunch!
Serafina San Juan: Located in the La Concha Resort, which was walking distance to our hotel, Serafina is an Italian Restaurant with Puerto Rican flare. The patio was sooo cute, with lots of twinkle lights setting a nice vibe and the food and wine were great!
La Verguenza PR Chinchorro: We stumbled upon this place while walking around old San Juan while coming back from the Del Morro Fortress and it was such a great find! It felt very authentic Puerto Rico , definitely a watering hole among the locals and with a nice ocean view! We got steak tacos and tropical drinks and I was in heaven!
Wicked Lilly: Another cute dinner spot right on the beach. Good views and a cute spot to catch the sunset! I loved the Lobster Guac!
ARYA Rooftop: Our last night we headed to ARYA Rooftop located at the O:LV Hotel. As always, I'm a sucker for a rooftop and this one did not disappoint! This place was a VIBE. Between the rooftop pool, stunning views and delicious food, it was perfect and such a nice way to cap off our vacation! I'm still dreaming of my steak and mushroom risotto! **chefs kiss**. Definitely recommend going for sunset! It was gorgeous!
And that's a wrap on our Puerto Rico Adventure! I hope this inspired you to book your own trip, especially if you're vaccinated! Happy Travels and get packing!!
Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Elisa
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