My 3 Nights in Puerto Rico That Surprised Me

It opened about 15 minutes after 11am scheduled time. The Pernil was excellent. Order in small portions to taste first. Some items are better and some. The Arroz con gandules and Pernil was great. The sampler was nice too. Enjoy.

If you want authentic Puerto Rican food this is your place. We had the mixed platter as we didn't want to miss out on anything. This was a great choice and it gave us a variety of selections / flavours .. would highly recommend the platter if you're indecisive. Highlight was the rice, pulled pork, plantains .. there was other small fried nibbles that I don't know the names of but they were all nice / tasty. Please be mindful that the restaurant is relatively small therefore on busy days, expect to wait before being seated.

This place was recommended to me by a local. After waiting in line for 45 minutes, finally got a table. To my surprise, even though we're in United States, evening was in Spanish. Keep in mind this is a tourist spot. No menu, just a chalkboard. Waiter spends 10 minutes explaining what we can get and we order. We waited for our food 20+ minutes. Everyone that was seated after us got their food and left. Food comes, I had the skirt steak with veggies. These turn out to be boiled veggies. That's fine, but they were over boiled by a lot, looking like moosh. And I think they boiled them in the same water they boiled chicken in as they tasted like boiled chicken. See photos. I wasn't asked how to cook the steak, it came well done and barely seasoned. The cut was on (hence I gave 1 star and not 0) but no flavor at all. They have this chimichurri sauce that somewhat saved it and made it edible, but barely. The green "hot" salsa was like water, they probably ran out and put water in the bottle. Oh, and absolutely 0 attention to customers. Not a single time did anyone come by to ask us if we want anything else, of the food is ok. Nothing!!! We had to hunt down a waiter to just get the check. Oh, and the bathrooms are beyond nasty. Save yourself the time in line and find another place. Worst food and service I've seen in the last 5 years. I almost forgot, we got this deep fried thing that looks like an enchilada. It was literally almost black, completely burned. I regret not taking a picture of it...

I had a day in Puerto Rico before a cruise and wanted some authentic Puerto Rican food. I definitely went to the right place. I wasn’t too hungry, so I kept it simple with chicken pasteles. Chefs kiss!!! I also had tostones on the side - delicious!

Reviews for this place are polarized. After eating here, I understand why. I can tell from the food that a good chef built the menu at one point. Currently the place is an operational disaster. Customers and staff all look miserable. Food arrived cold, although the flavors were still quite good. There’s a sauce that tastes like pineapple, avocado, and chili, and pairs really well with the pernil. The skirt steak was delicious and very flavorful. Everything takes forever. The line is long because emptied tables go 20 minutes before getting cleared and patrons wait 10 minutes for their check, etc. I would avoid this place until there’s some indication it’s functional again, and I bet when that happens you can have a really good experience here.

The architecture is beautiful, the cobble streets, all the shops are something to see. And the night life is full and vibrant. The clubs seem to go on forever. You will definitely love it.

This is a small street in Old San Juan,Puerto Rico. The San Sebastián Street Festival is celebrated on this street. This year, it will take place from Thursday, January 15th to Sunday, January 18th, 2026. This is the 56th edition. The festival began in 1954 as a religious and community event, spearheaded by Father Juan Manuel Madrazo, parish priest of San José Church, to raise funds for restoration work. Then it was revived in the 1970s by Rafaela Valladares and Ricardo Alegría. In the 1970s, it transformed into a grand cultural celebration with giant papier-mâché figures, music, and dances, incorporating Puerto Rican traditions.

Very intriguing place. We went for dinner and drinks around 6:00 pm and just walked in and had a great meal and amazing cocktails. First off I want to say that, when we left there was long line waiting to get in!! - boy we were lucky to walk in when we did. The reason it’s an intriguing place is because there are 8 interconnected bars within one place!! Every bar has its own unique ambience- so you can do bar hopping within one place!! The bartenders are willing to be challenged- so feel free to! Go early and enjoy!

La Factoria is a place you go to if you want to enjoy a carefully curated cocktail. They only had 2 rooms open at the time we went. Our server was very nice and helped us choose some great drinks. It is on the pricer end but that’s to be expected for its location. We didn’t try the food but there were some good quick bites in the menu.

La Factoria in Old San Juan is a fantastic bar with a super cool vintage vibe and a lot of character. The space is beautifully decorated with eclectic details, and unlike many busy bars, it actually has comfortable seating, which makes a big difference. The corner location gives it a great atmosphere, perfect for people-watching during the day and lively bar hopping at night. The bartenders and mixologists are fast, skilled, and clearly know what they’re doing. The cocktail menu is creative, but they’re also happy to make classic cocktails even if they’re not listed on the menu. Service is efficient, the drinks are consistently excellent, and they accept cards, which is convenient. A must-visit spot in San Juan for both casual drinks and serious cocktail lovers

Went to La Factoria while in San Juan and had a great time. The different rooms were a really fun touch, each one had a different vibe and music, which made the place feel bigger than it looks from the outside. The music was good, the bartenders were really nice, and the martinis were honestly the best drinks I had the whole trip. It’s the kind of spot where you can walk around, find a room you like, and stay there for a while without getting bored. Overall really fun atmosphere and I would definitely go back next time I’m in Puerto Rico.

Fantastic cocktail bar in old San Juan which has been on top bar lists. We were there during day hours when only the front room was open, it had a casual and chill atmosphere. Bartenders were friendly. Drinks were all very good!

I visited La Placita de Santurce and honestly, it was one of the most authentic and complete experiences I’ve had in Puerto Rico. From the moment you arrive, the atmosphere pulls you in. During the day it feels like a traditional local market, but at night it completely transforms into a vibrant hotspot full of music, lights, and energy. It’s the kind of place where you can enjoy a relaxed meal or an amazing nightlife experience. The food was excellent. There’s a wide variety of options: traditional Puerto Rican dishes, fresh seafood, meats, fried favorites, and even more modern choices. Everything I tried was flavorful, well-prepared, and generous in portion. Service overall was very good. Even though it gets busy, especially at night, the staff was attentive and efficient. People are friendly and the environment feels welcoming. What truly makes this place special is the atmosphere. Live music, DJs, people dancing in the streets, tourists and locals all together—it’s a perfect mix of culture, fun, and authenticity. You really feel the true essence of Puerto Rico. Prices are reasonable for the experience, and you can enjoy yourself without overspending, especially if you go with a group. Overall, La Placita de Santurce is a must-visit if you’re in San Juan. Perfect for food, fun, and a true local vibe. I would definitely come back.

The Adventures of La Placita I came on a Sunday night around 8pm. Walked around decided to get a drink first at El Coco De Luis. You may get overwhelmed with all the restaurants at first yet you eventually find what you want. They had a full bar so I ordered some Casa migo resposado spicy passion fruit margarita and just let the vibes of the music hit me. The location was everything you had the new school music up the block. The 90’ and early 2000’s to the left and the old school salsa and bachata to the right. With Bad Bunny playing in the middle. You just had to fi d your groove. There are many clubs and restaurants to choose from. I also tried La alcapurria Queme omg the flavors of the island. The hospitality of the people is so homely you truly become so thankful of the experience and the culture.

La Placita de Santurce is always alive. There’s so much energy in this place,music everywhere, amazing food, and people genuinely enjoying themselves. Everyone looks happy, and the vibe is just contagious. I absolutely love it. It’s so much fun every single time. What makes it even better is that there’s something for every type of crowd. Whether you’re looking for chill drinks, great food, dancing, or a full party atmosphere, you’ll find your spot here. It’s one of those places where no matter what day of the week you go, it’s still a good time. Ubers are affordable, which makes getting there and back super easy. And if you grab something to eat or drink, you can usually use the restroom at the restaurants, some places don’t even make a big deal about it, which is really nice. Overall, this place is amazing. I always find myself coming back. If you’re in Puerto Rico, La Placita is a must 💃🏻🪩🕺🏻🎶🍹

Really cute bar. The area it’s located in has lots of night life. It wasn’t very crowded when we were there. We were service right away. The drinks tasted very good. Make sure you check out the outside area. There lots of cute places to take photos.

Met the owner and he and his bar are so rad! We own a couple of tiki bars in Orange County CA so had to stop in and check it out. I am a tough critic of tiki bars since I’m in the business but the drinks and vibe were so awesome! Painkiller was amazing as was the Jungle Bird. They make their own cream of coconut there and it’s to die for! Great little lace tucked inside a small building off of the street. If you like tropical drinks and good people definitely stop in here when visiting San Juan!

Interesting place. The good: The drinks and service were great. The food was good as well. The other side: This places smell really weird. The music is quite loud and the tables and menus need updating. Would I go back? Probably, yes, the drinks were that good.

Their mix drinks were average. It was hard to come here after Kane Rum bar which really put the standard high. Their prices were on par for the area just not the quality compared to Kane. We sampled some appetizers, but overall nothing was worth mentioning. Staff were friendly and service was fast, but the place was empty. Overall I really wanted to like this place it was just a let down.

I visited La Placita de Santurce and honestly, it was one of the most authentic and complete experiences I’ve had in Puerto Rico. From the moment you arrive, the atmosphere pulls you in. During the day it feels like a traditional local market, but at night it completely transforms into a vibrant hotspot full of music, lights, and energy. It’s the kind of place where you can enjoy a relaxed meal or an amazing nightlife experience. The food was excellent. There’s a wide variety of options: traditional Puerto Rican dishes, fresh seafood, meats, fried favorites, and even more modern choices. Everything I tried was flavorful, well-prepared, and generous in portion. Service overall was very good. Even though it gets busy, especially at night, the staff was attentive and efficient. People are friendly and the environment feels welcoming. What truly makes this place special is the atmosphere. Live music, DJs, people dancing in the streets, tourists and locals all together—it’s a perfect mix of culture, fun, and authenticity. You really feel the true essence of Puerto Rico. Prices are reasonable for the experience, and you can enjoy yourself without overspending, especially if you go with a group. Overall, La Placita de Santurce is a must-visit if you’re in San Juan. Perfect for food, fun, and a true local vibe. I would definitely come back.

The Adventures of La Placita I came on a Sunday night around 8pm. Walked around decided to get a drink first at El Coco De Luis. You may get overwhelmed with all the restaurants at first yet you eventually find what you want. They had a full bar so I ordered some Casa migo resposado spicy passion fruit margarita and just let the vibes of the music hit me. The location was everything you had the new school music up the block. The 90’ and early 2000’s to the left and the old school salsa and bachata to the right. With Bad Bunny playing in the middle. You just had to fi d your groove. There are many clubs and restaurants to choose from. I also tried La alcapurria Queme omg the flavors of the island. The hospitality of the people is so homely you truly become so thankful of the experience and the culture.

La Placita de Santurce is always alive. There’s so much energy in this place,music everywhere, amazing food, and people genuinely enjoying themselves. Everyone looks happy, and the vibe is just contagious. I absolutely love it. It’s so much fun every single time. What makes it even better is that there’s something for every type of crowd. Whether you’re looking for chill drinks, great food, dancing, or a full party atmosphere, you’ll find your spot here. It’s one of those places where no matter what day of the week you go, it’s still a good time. Ubers are affordable, which makes getting there and back super easy. And if you grab something to eat or drink, you can usually use the restroom at the restaurants, some places don’t even make a big deal about it, which is really nice. Overall, this place is amazing. I always find myself coming back. If you’re in Puerto Rico, La Placita is a must 💃🏻🪩🕺🏻🎶🍹

Perfect family spot for all to enjoy. Calmer , warm, blue waters. Small rocky areas for snorkeling. We saw over 20 different species of fish. I even had a large school of Palometa swimming with me. Theres a lifeguard. Protected swim zone marked clearly. Bathrooms with showers near the entrance. A few kiosks type stands. We wished we’d brought a small grill and made it a full day here. The shade trees were a blessing. Next time we will come more prepared.

I absolutely loved this beach!! We were coming from Colorado and our travel agent booked us a hotel in San Juan at the Marriott! It was amazing! Beautiful beaches, but the beach was not calm. Very windy and wavey on the Atlantic side of the island. She also booked us a two night stay at the El Conquistador in Farjado!! That place is a chef’s kiss 😚 👌🏾! I say all that because had I known about this beach, we would’ve booked our ENTIRE STAY at El Conquistador 🤦🏾‍♂️ 😭! It’s a beautiful hotel, but with the beach only being a mile down the street, it’s totally worth it! San Juan is cool but it’s a tourist trap for sure! Seven Seas waters were calm and beautiful and clear! The beach was clean! The locals do a great job keeping it that way. And this beach has an eatery called “Bites” ! It was yummy! 😋 You can’t go wrong with that beach!

Great beach to spend the day with family or friends…if you get here early you can park right in for $5….past the afternoon is a little hard to find parking…bathrooms available at no cost …also, if you don’t mind walking a little more, once you parked and start walking toward the beach keep walking straight up until you see a little trail close to the trees at the end…once you start the trail make sure you have shoes or flip flops because there’s a lot of roots, rocks and when it’s wet it will be slippery….when you see the first intersection make sure you make a right turn and keep walking straight…after a few minutes you will see another entrance with a sign on the right ..do not go that way…keep straight this will take you to the nice hidden beach side (Playa Escondida)…it’s about 15 to 20 minutes walk but it’s worth it.

We came here several times during our stay in Farjardo. Walked to a secluded beach our first day here, it was beautiful! Also hung out at the 'normal' beach a couple of times, swam too. Very nice and enjoyable!

Nice beach that is protected by a large reef at the mouth of the bay. You can drive a little down from the paid parking and park on the street and walk right over to the beach. There was a moderate amount of trash around and lots of seaweed. I do some snorkeling and say a lot of fish. Head for the buoy in the bay. Water visibility is fair in early April.

I didn't know what to expect, but this ended up being one of the coolest things I did in Puerto Rico. Watching the water glow every time my paddle touched it was pretty amazing.

Bioluminescent effect: 2.5 stars New moon night first time ever kayaking experience: 2.5-stars Whoever gave anything above 2.5 stars for the bioluminescent effect at Fajardo is on another planet. Whoever is doing the Laguna Grande more than once for the bioluminescent effect must be smoking or drinking something heavily. If you're looking for mainly for the bioluminescent effect, DON'T waste your money in Fajardo: head to Vieques on a new moon night and take the electric boat (only). You'll see the bioluminescent effect ALL THE WAY, WITHOUT need for tarpaulins over your head. It's a unique experience that cannot be captured in a photo. But, even there, keep your expectations in check; don't look for James Cameron movie type special effects. Don't waste your money on 'glass bottom' boats/kayaks in either place. The bioluminescent effect is visible only when the water is disturbed. In Fajardo, you can't see that even during the strokes of the kayaking oar. There is nothing to see in the water in the night. If you're interested mainly in night time kayaking, then it may be interesting to run into the mangroves in Fajardo and figure out how to get out of it yourself as a stark beginner. If you're doing kayaking without a guide from the tour company handling the kayak, you DO need to be (1) physically fit, (2) be able to quickly reason about the physics of oar movement and learn kayaking on the fly. The kayak companies do give instructions, but that's not sufficient for stark beginners in the night, differentiating your group from the others using colour and shape of small LED lights that are attached to the boats/vest.

Bioluminescent phytoplankton here are amazing, only a handful of places like this in the world. Go when there’s a new moon (no moon) and also low tide is a little better than high tide. Takes some effort to kayak in up the canal but definitely worth it. Many tour services at the Kayak Village, they will guide you up the canal through the mangrove trees, but not too tricky.

READ THIS OR BE DISAPPOINTED - I'd love to give these Bioluminescent Bay tours 5 stars, but this was the second time I've done a tour of a Bio Bay in the hopes of really getting a good look at the Bioluminescence, but no luck. The tour company, Tortuga's Tours, was great - well organized, excellent instructions, great guides. The problem, folks, is that the conditions need to be perfect to really see the bioluminence. It needs to be a new moon & completely dark. If the moon is out, you really won't get to see much. Luckily our tour guides knew this & brought tarps to put over us so we could kind of see the Bioluminescence when we splashed the water. Also, know that if you take the later of the tours offered you will be paddling a kayak in complete darkness through a narrow banyon grove canal with only a small light on the life vest of the person in front of you for light. The guides look after you, but it can be a bit unnerving. I thought it was cool, but a bit scary. Additionally, load up on bug spray! If you don't you'll regret it. All in all, unless conditions are perfect, skip these tours & go snorkeling instead.