San Juan Weekend Getaway

     The Capitol of Puerto Rico is a must see when visiting the island. I recently went on a weekend getaway in San Juan for my birthday. I'm going to share with you how to spend an inexpensive weekend exploring this city.

     There are many hotels in the Condado area. Most of these are more on the expensive side. The Sandy Beach Hotel is located steps away from the beach and steps away from the restaurants in Condado's main avenue. This rustic hotel is perfect for the budget traveler looking for a place to sleep. The hotel has a restaurant called Piu Bello where guests can enjoy a discount on their meals. Having breakfast here with a view of the beach is ideal. 

     Enjoy the beach and the sand or if all you want to do for a while is tan you can either place a towel and go for it or rent a beach chair from the Marriott Hotel next to Sandy Beach Hotel for a couple of bucks and enjoy the sun. Don't forget to take a stroll down the coast and admire the architecture of Perla restaurant.

     San Juan is full of night life and the best place to spend it is in Old San Juan were there is music playing in almost every corner. Old San Juan is also a great place to spend the day exploring it's colorful streets. For $5 you can discover both Castles (San Felipe and San Cristobal). 

     Enter the Cuartel de Ballajá a military barrack built for the Spanish troops from 1854 until 1864 for free. It is the last example of monumental architecture by the Spaniards in the New World. 

     Also check out Old San Juan's Totem. The totem of Old San Juan is an indigenous symbol. It is 12 meters high. The artist Jaime Suárez was inspired to built it for the celebration of the 500 years since the Spaniards arrived. It was placed in 1992.

     Look for the Puerta de la Bandera a door painted with Puerto Rico’s flag. This mural was first painted with the original colors of Puerto Rico’s flag (blue, red and white) but it was repainted black and white and converted into protest art. 

     After walking through the maze-like streets of Old San Juan take a refreshing break by getting a popsicle from Señor Paleta. They have homemade natural popsicles in a variety of flavors. I got strawberry mojito! 

     End the day off by appreciating the sunset at El Morro. Make sure to get a good spot were you can see the sun set in the ocean. There are a ton of other things you can do in San Juan which you can read more about here. 

     There is a raging art scene all around the city so keep a look out for those masterpieces and your camera ready. Happy Travels!