Experience San Juan, Puerto Rico Like A Local

The view from La Perla in San Juan

I recently spent two weeks in San Juan, Puerto Rico attending Spanish classes, but it also gave me some time to go deep into things to do around the city that may be a bit more local. 

Here's my top 10 list in no particular order: 

Old San Juan

1. Take a FREE walking tour with William at Guruwalks.com - William is passionate about his city. He will take you a three hour tour of Old San Juan so wear your walking shoes. He will share the history, the culture, the politics and more with you. He will take you into La Perla (a community trying to hold onto its neighborhood against gentrification) and if you go on Friday, be sure to look for the musicians playing in the street. He will also take you by his friend's "store" to try some moonshine. This a FREE walking tour, but the guides get paid through the tips so plan on tipping $10-$20 per person. 

2. Snorkel with the turtles in Balneario Escambron. This is an amazing tour with Airbnb.com experiences. Cost is $39 and includes fins, snorkel and mask. The guide Leo showed us the turtles, sea urchins, and brittle stars. Amazing! The turtle conservationists have placed artificial reefs near the natural reefs here. The green turtles stay here because there is food and no predators. They do not lay eggs here, but several juveniles have come and stayed. There are around 50 turtles utilizing the space, and approximately 10 can be seen at a time. 

Snorkeling with turtles 

3. Kayak or paddleboard with the manatees in Condado Lagoon - You can rent a paddleboard or kayak with VIP Adventures for $30 per hour, book online. The manatees are most active on calm days in the mornings. The turtles are active in the afternoons. You can pay a bit more and get guide to take you, but it's totally not necessary. 

4. Beaches to have on your list - Carolina Beach, Ocean Park, Isla Verde and Pinones - Each beach has a slightly different feel. Pinones has a row of little beach kiosks where you can buy food and frappes. 

Rio Piedras

5. Rio Piedras - If you want to experience a real neighborhood in San Juan, visit Rio Piedras. Once a bustling center of activity, it is now filled with abandoned buildings, beautiful street art and a local fruit and vegetable market. You can hop on the local train to reach this community. The train costs $1.50 each way, but the machines only take cash. 

Jardin Botanico near Rio Piedras

6. Jardin Botanico at the University of Puerto Rico - FREE garden that includes hundreds of flora, fauna and a small lake with birds. Beautiful quiet oasis in the city. Open 6am-4pm Saturday and Sunday and 6am-6pm Monday through Friday. 

Yunque National Park 

7. Yunque National Park - You will need either car or a guided tour to visit this spot. It's not off the beaten path, but I highly recommend. You can book on Airbnb.com experiences or Viator.com or GetYourGuide.com. It's the only rainforest in the US and contains waterfalls, natural pools and waterslide for swimming and beautiful lookout tower. 

8. Luquillo Beach - Another beautiful beach with 50 kiosks selling all kinds of local Puerto Riqueno specialties like empanadilla, mofongo and more. I recommend kiosk #27 for a casual sit down lunch of mofonga and pina coladas. Yum! You can take an Uber to this beach or include it in the tour of Yunque National Park. 

Kayaking in the Bio Bay in Fajardo

9. Kayak in the bio bay Fajardo - There are three bio bays in Puerto Rico. Fajardo is the closest though it is a $60 Uber ride away from San Juan. There are numerous companies that lead kayaking through the mangroves to the bio bay. This is an experience since kayaking back from the bay is done in the dark. But the bio bay is absolutely incredible. Picture diamonds or glitter spilling over the kayaks, your arms and legs. Plus the sunset from the bio bay is magical. I booked my tour through Viator.com. 

10. Chinese food - locals say Puerto Rico has the best Chinese food in the world. Of course, that meant I had to try it and it was delicious. I tried the food at China Sun, but there are numerous Chinese restaurants in San Juan. 

Pina Colada at Barrachina in Old San Juan

A few more sites that did not make my top 10, but may top your list include La Factoria in San Juan for dancing and Downtown Cupey for salsa dancing (free salsa class at 7pm on Thursdays),  Barrachina for a pina colada, they claim to have created the drink and Costco, Supermax, Freshmart or Pueblo for vegetables and fruit.