It was so much fun interviewing Conrado Asenjo of The Millennial Traveler about San Juan, Puerto Rico. Conrado’s tips for the best things to do in San Juan are awesome because Puerto Rico offers Caribbean weather and beaches without needing a passport. Although Conrado is now in Philadelphia for law school, his heart will always be in his birthplace of Puerto Rico.
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San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico. It is rich in history and is a popular destination for tourists. As you explore the city, you’ll find two old forts and plenty of friendly people. English and Spanish are spoken regularly and the US dollar is the currency of choice.
Puerto Rican is an unincorporated US territory and the locals have been US citizens since 1917. When US citizens travel to Puerto Rico, they don’t need a passport.
Photo of Cayo Cardona courtesy of Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
The island is about 1000 miles Southeast of Miami, Florida. It is a pretty small island at only 110 miles wide and 40 miles tall. Yet, it is larger than two states – Delaware and Rhode Island.
We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Discover Puerto Rico, the local convention and visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.
Best things to do in San Juan
- Cavernas de Camuy – A large network of caves. The website says this is the “third largest cave system in the world”.
- Condado (reviews) – This is a beautiful beach
- El Yunque National Forest (reviews) – EL Yunque is the only rainforest in the United States
- Old San Juan (reviews) – This is the oldest part in Puerto Rico
- Plaza Las Américas (reviews) – This is a great shopping center
- Vieques (reviews) – This bioluminescent bay is a must see.
Best places to stay in San Juan
Here are the best places to stay in San Juan.
- Caribe Hilton (reviews)
- La Concha Resort (reviews) – Anna, the kids, and I stayed at this resort for my 40th birthday. It was really nice and we loved the ocean views from our room. There are several pools and hot tubs to choose from and the service is impeccable. The waves crash a little rough and close to the beach, so be careful.
- El Conquistador (reviews) – El Conquistador in Fajardo is my favorite hotel on the island.
- Hotel El Convento (reviews) – The El Convento Hotel, which is in the middle of Old San Juan, in a former convent, and is one of the best hotels on the island overall.
- Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino (reviews)
- Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf & Beach Resort (reviews)
Getting around San Juan
The local airport is Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, which is only 15 minutes by car to the main tourist areas of San Juan. Puerto Rico is serviced by many major airlines, including Southwest, JetBlue, American, Delta, and United. Use our Expedia tool below to find flight, hotel, and rental car options.
Photo courtesy of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
Conrado says that, if you’re staying in San Juan, there’s no need to rent a car. You can walk or take a taxi. Be careful with Uber and Lyft because the local taxis are not friendly to these ridesharing services. The last couple of times I’ve been to San Juan, we’ve walked everywhere once we arrived at our hotel.
For people looking to explore the rest of the island, renting a car is a good idea. There is much to see around the island and it is not that big. Click here for the best offers from Avis, Budget, or Hertz.
If you only need a car for a couple of hours, you can rent by the hour with Zipcar. Join now to get $25 loaded into your account.
Places we talked about on the podcast
Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Conrado Asenjo about San Juan, Puerto Rico. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.
- Red dots = best places to eat in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Green dots = best things to do in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Yellow dots = best places to stay in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Who is Conrado Asenjo?
Conrado Asenjo is a travel blogger at The Millennial Traveler. He and I both blog as part of the Boarding Area family of travel websites. Conrado is also an “AvGeek,” which is a term for people who love airplanes.
By day, Conrado is attending law school at Villanova and hopes to graduate soon. Once he passes the bar exam, he’ll be ready to practice law. No doubt all of his airline miles and hotel points will come in handy as he travels for interviews and to meet clients.
Conrado enjoying life on a Qatar flight.
Here are a couple of articles that he’s written:
- Air China A330 Business Class Review: Melbourne to Beijing
- Air New Zealand Lounge – Melbourne Review
- Japan Airlines Business Class Review – Tokyo to Dallas
As you can see, Conrado is living the good life when he flies. He has many trip reports showing what it is like to fly premium class and hanging out in the lounges between flights.
You can connect with Conrado Asenjo at his website and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Click here to download our one-page guide of Conrado’s tips for San Juan.
Big thanks to today’s podcast partner – Bluffworks
This episode is brought to you, in part, by Bluffworks. Whether I’m traveling for business or pleasure, it’s important to have clothes that make me look good AND feel great. I wear Bluffworks jeans, slacks, dress shirts, and blazers because they’re wrinkle-free and are designed for the modern traveler. And if they get dirty, a quick spin in the washing machine and they’re good as new.
Go to WeTravelThere.com/bluffworks and use the promo code from the image below to save 10% off your order. There are many styles to fit your needs so you can stay wrinkle-free when you travel.
Stay tuned for our next episode
Listen to the next episode when we lounge at the beach in the famous Blue Chairs of Puerto Vallarta with Mike LaRosa of CoWorkaholic. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.
What’s your favorite part of San Juan, Puerto Rico? Let us know in the comment section below or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!
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Related episodes
To learn more about Caribbean destinations, listen to some of our other podcast episodes:
- Waterfalls, Volcanoes and Beautiful Beaches in Castries, St. Lucia
- Songwriters Fest, Fantasy Fest & Sunset Celebrations in Key West, Florida
- Snorkeling in the Blue Room with Jocelyn in Curaçao
Mark Derho
I’m a bike rental and tours business in Condado. Please visit with the best bikes, availability on me.