Arriving into Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the first thing to note is that if you are not renting a car for the duration of your stay, the only option to get out of the airport is by taxi. Ride share apps like Uber and Lyft are available to take you to the airport but are not currently able to pick up from there.

Once you collect your items from baggage claim, there is a taxi area where attendants are able to help you get to your destination and give you quote for your trip. We were quoted a flat fare of $17 to our AIRBNB in the Condado area of San Juan. Not even 10 minutes later we arrived at the front doors of our AIRBNB! If you choose to not rent a car, you will have no worries getting around! For the four days that we didn’t have a car we never spent more than $5 on an Uber ride within the San Juan area and the wait time for a driver was never longer than 3 minutes. If you travel to/from Old San Juan area the fares can be a bit higher depending on the time of day and the area you’re in. I’d advise against catching a ride in the cruise docking area as it can get highly populated causing fares to inflate.

Before I start the five-day breakdown of my trip I think it’s important to note that when it comes to traveling I am a planner. I drafted an itinerary of food, activities and nightlife for my boyfriend and I to follow based off of hours spent searching on Yelp, Google Reviews, suggestions from friends, and travel writing articles. Even though my boyfriend had been to Puerto Rico before, he wasn’t too familiar with the San Juan area and I wanted to make sure we maximized our time there. I like to think that planning ahead gives a nice mix of spending your days living like a local but also still checking out the go-to tourist spots. So, here we go!

Day One

Getting in around 6pm on the first day limited our activity for the day but we still found some things to do (thanks to my handy dandy itinerary)! After settling into the AIRBNB we decided to check out the nightlife in Condado. On Calle Loíza, there is a strip of restaurants and bars that come alive at night. After walking up and down the blocks a few times we started off the night at El Barrio with $1 margaritas. If you’re looking for a mix of local and top 40’s music this is the place to be! It was quaint with a good vibe and not a lot of people

Next, we took an Uber to La Placita (this was no more than $3. It ended up being a 6-minute walk from the Condado area so we opted to take in the local scenery and walk back!). As far as nightlife, this was my favorite place that we went to. Similar to a college strip of bars, La Placita is the place to be Saturday night. The streets were so lively and the bars were just as lit. As far as drinks, you can get a $6 Henny which is unheard of in the states - especially in NYC!!! The DJ started off a little slow but by midnight he was on point. If you do go be sure to get a coconut mojito. Soooooo good. This is a good place to go if you’re with a group or even if it’s just you and your beau!

Day Two

Brunch

This was the day of my birthday! We started off at Oceano for brunch. This place is a buffet brunch for $24. I really shouldn’t have to say anything else after that to convince you! But if the price isn’t enough, the view is really what sold me. The menu features your standard breakfast items such as french toast, waffles, breakfast meats and potatoes and for lunch options macaroni and cheese, salads, ribs, fish and more. Getting there before noon is ideal to beat the early afternoon rush. We got seated right on the balcony which was a beautiful view and away from the larger parties of people. Perfect area for a birthday champagne toast! I would for sure recommend adding Oceano onto your PR itinerary!

Beach

Condado Beach was great! About a 5-minute walk from our AIRBNB we grabbed our speaker, snacks towels and laid out on the sand. This beach was on the quieter side since it is by local residences. A nice choice if you’re looking for some peace and quiet while you tan!

Dinner

We chose to go to the Piñones area for my birthday dinner! About a 12-minute drive from the Condado area, you’ll find a long winding road that introduces you to the authentic Puerto Rican cuisine experience! We had our Uber drop us off at a central location and walked around until we decided to dine at El Nuevo Acuario. The owner greeted us and was super friendly the entire time! After he found out it was my birthday he made sure that my boyfriend and I had the best experience! The food was DIVINE and the drinks were just as great. We opted for the catch of the day which was fried red snapper with mofongo, plantains (not pictured) and a side salad. THE BEST FISH I’VE EVER HAD!!! The coconut mojitos were amazing too. I would say that this was my favorite place we ate at, hands down. One of the best parts I love about traveling is the ability to immerse yourself right into the local culture. There are other restaurants in the same area that were open. Those are great to go to if you want to tune into live music and get some appetizers for cheap. Before we sat down for dinner we went to one of the local food stands for empanadas, pinchos and a beer while we listened to a great live band. Piñones allowed us to dive into the local culture our own way!

Day Three

Lunch

Pinky’s was just around the corner from our AIRBNB in Calle Loíza. It had a mom and pop vibe that reminded me a lot of a small local diner you’d find tucked away in the corner in the East Village. This is a great place to go to before you venture into town or start off your day. I’d advise to get there early as it is small with limited seating but well worth the wait. I got the Big Ol Breakfast Burrito (make no mistake, the big is not an understatement) and my boyfriend ordered the special of the day that wasn’t on the menu. My favorite part about Pinky’s is the smoothies! They’re all made to order and you not only get a cup-full but the server also leaves the blender jar at your table. I mean, for $3 that is UNHEARD of! You can never find a meal that good of a steal in NYC. The smoothies here are so good we went back twice during our trip! Be sure to try the The Classic and I Want it All. Those are the two we ordered. If you are an Instax owner take yours when you go! They have an area at the register for customers to take their pictures and leave. We can’t wait to go back, see our picture and take another one for our memories!

Castillos

Castillo San Cristóbal & Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Only about a 10-minute drive or 20-minute walk from each other the Castillos in Old San Juan are high recommendation as far as tourist spots! I will be the first to admit I am a bit hesitant when it comes to visiting overpopulated or high tourist attractions as I just prefer to not be around large crowds of people. But I’m so glad we decided to go! On the perfect sunny day the views are beautiful and it is a great way to learn about the history of San Juan, Puerto Rico and its people. There is even a grassy area in the front with an insane view for kites and pictures. This is a great activity to do if you’re passing time, have a large group of people, consider yourself a history buff or just have a day with a lighter schedule. I would recommend going here early afternoon to catch the midday heat but be sure to bring water to stay hydrating - there is a lot of walking in this area!

Barrachina

Being that this is the Home of the First Pina Colada, there was a lot of people around as I expected! But i didn't want to leave PR without trying their staple drink so I got a pina colada from the bar and enjoyed it as we walked around Old San Juan and took in the sites. I will say I think I would’ve had a better experience actually trying it in the restaurant but it was good! There are still a few establishments in the San Juan area that say they’re the home of the frozen cocktail so I’ll be sure to add them to my list for the next trip!

Church’s

Ok, I know this is going to sound crazy because I am one of those people who believe if you travel you shouldn’t try food you can get at home. IE: McDonald’s, KFC, Taco Bell unless their menus are different (which is why I tried KFC in Beijing and Burger King in Bangkok). But, if you do go to San Juan you have to go to Church’s! My boyfriend had gone when he visited PR before and I honestly didn’t get the hype until we went. We had it for dinner our second to last night as we were just looking for a quick meal and I wanted to see what he kept ranting and raving about! Let’s just say, if our fast food tasted like theirs I’d be eating Church’s all the time! Try the mango smoothie if you do go!

La Respuesta

This bar was a recommendation from our Uber driver. We had asked him where the go-to club was in the area and he mentioned that he had been dropping a lot of tourists off here. After looking up reviews my boyfriend and I decided to go for it. If you’re looking for a place that plays Top-40 music as well as local music this is it. The drinks weren’t outrageously priced and it’s a big enough space to where people weren’t piled up on top of each other. We went on a Monday night and had so much fun.

Day Four

Laguna De Condado

This was our casual day of the trip. We got a late start, went to the corner store to pick up some beers and took a short Uber ride over to Laguna De Condado. This beach is closer to the Old San Juan area. A lot smaller than Condado Beach. Ducked off on the main road we put our towels out for tanning and enjoyed the sun. The water here was a beautiful blue and the water was the perfect temperature. This beach seemed to be a lot more local so there were a few families and couples around. We even saw a starfish! The beach really was our main activity for the day. After we dried off we walked around Old San Juan for an hour or so, went back to the AIRBNB and rested until we headed out to the airport to rent a car.

Day Five

Adios, San Juan!

We chose to rent a car our last day because we had to be out of the AIRBNB by 12pm and we didn’t have to be at the airport until about 11pm that night. With almost 12 hours to waste we decided to make our last day an adventure day! We drove back out to Laguna De Condado in Old San Juan where my boyfriend took our adventure day a bit too literal and decided to jump off of the bridge into the water! After that, we went to Old San Juan for a little and then drove out Aviones Beach. This beach was the most beautiful out of the three that we went to. The sand was so tan and warm and there was barely anyone around so we got to take in the view privately. After driving up and down the main road and taking in the sights we stopped at El Palmendro. Owned by a couple, they offered all of the local Puerto Rican street food and more. We dug into Pincos, sooo yummy, and a pina colada! We rested there for a while and then drove back towards the main road to Carmin Restaurant. OMG! The best oysters we’ve ever had!!! Soooo fresh. The server had a cooler and he was shucking them right out of the ocean! It doesn’t get any better than that. Oysters with an ice cold beer was a great way to end our trip! We walked up the beach a bit further and then headed off to the airport.

I am so blessed to have spent my birthday in such a beautiful place! I will for sure be back to Puerto Rico soon to explore other parts of the beautiful island. Have you been to Puerto Rico before? If so, what’s your favorite city/island? Share below in the comments!

Five Days in Puerto Rico