Nothing better than a warm beach, cool waters and a good dose of outdoor spring break nightlife to get rid of the winter blues. San Juan offers all three and best of all, this guide will help you choose the best places to stay for Spring Break in San Juan.
Getting there
Many cities on the East Coast have direct flights to San Juan. The airport is just 10 to 15 minutes away from the prime areas (more on those below). There are car rental companies you with pick up at the airport or just offsite via shuttle. Taxis, Uber and Lyft are available as well as the notoriously random scheduled public buses. Check bus routes and hours of operation beforehand. From the airport, the T5 bus will take you through Isla Verde, Condado all the way to Old San Juan.
San Juan’s best places to stay for Spring Break fun
For spring breakers the best areas to stay are Isla Verde, Ocean Park, Condado and even Old San Juan. From any of these locations you can walk to a beach, a supermarket, restaurants, bars and more. There is a closing law in San Juan and Isla Verde. Any establishment has to stop serving alcohol at 1 am Sunday through Thursday and by 2 am on Friday. Hotels are exempt.
Isla Verde
Isla Verde main tourist area is a strip, Ave Isla Verde, that runs parallel to one of the longest beaches in the metro area. There are many hotels at different rates and vacation rentals in the condominiums that line the beach. Nightlife can be found in the hotels, and in a couple of spots on the easternmost end the Avenida. There are plenty of restaurants and fast food joints that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. They range from fine dining in the hotels to roadside pizza joints. A supermarket is located at the westernmost and easternmost ends of the main strip.
Ocean Park
This beachside urbanization is one of the best places to stay for spring break. There’s a trendy beach, popular with the younger local and visitor crowd to the north, and Loíza Street with dozens of bars, restaurants and shops just a block or so away. The culinary range is rather broad, ranging from sandwich shops such as Pinky’s, a bakery, Asian, Italian, Mexican and a couple of really good, reasonably priced criollo or local eateries such as Bebo’s and La Pradera. There are many vacation rentals in this area and a few smaller guest houses. It’s also walking distance to La Placita a really popular nightspot.
Condado
This is the original tourist area that began with the first hotel exclusively for visitors, the Condado Vanderbilt, established in 1919. Since then tourism has been the focus of most commercial development so there are plenty of restaurants, bars and more that cater to visitors. There’s a beach that’s safe when there are small waves. Since it’s directly exposed to the Atlantic, any time there’s a swell it becomes dangerous for bathing. The Condado Lagoon offers a liquid playground with small, tranquil beaches and kayak and paddle board rentals at the eastern end. You can also take a snorkeling tour and maybe see some manatees.
Santurce
One of the newest spots in San Juan for spring breakers is the western end of Santurce, specifically small guest houses and vacation rentals in the Calle Cerra and Miramar area. This working class neighborhood is undergoing a transformation with the establishment of trendy cafés, art galleries, a great variety of restaurants and bars that offer nightlife with a cultural twist. This transformation began with Santurce es Ley, an annual urban muralist festival. Many buildings in the area now sport art installations, giant murals and each establishment has their own signature look. A must stop is one of the original “chinchorros” in the area, El Watusi; generous drinks and salsa on the street make for a unique environment.
Old San Juan
Staying in the Old city puts you in the center of history and dozens of small bars, eateries and stores. Everything is walkable and there’s plenty to see and do just steps away. Could be noisy depending if you have windows or doors that open onto the popular streets. Condado and Escambrón Beach are a 20-40 minute walk away.
Remember all these areas are just a short uber or taxi ride away, so no matter where you stay you can easily reach Old San Juan from Isla Verde and more.
Stay safe, don’t walk alone at night and keep an eye out just as you would in any metropolitan area.
