San Juan Orientation

San Juan is divided into numerous distinct neighborhoods, each with its own flavor. The neighborhoods normally frequented by visitors are described below.

Neighborhood Safety. Although San Juan is generally safe, visitors should avoid a few specific neighborhoods. La Perla, on the northern edge of Old San Juan between the cemetery and San Cristóbal, continues to be dangerous despite increased police surveillance. Puerta de la Tierra is fine during the day, but stay away from the residential streets in this area at night. In Santurce, Calle Loíza and the surrounding areas should be avoided after dark. The neighborhood around Río Piedras’s Plaza del Mercado is also dangerous at night.

Old San Juan. Year-round, thousands of visitors disembark from cruise ships and find themselves on the romantic cobblestone streets of Viejo San Juan. Almost all of the capital’s museums and sights are located in Old San Juan, and any visitor to the island should plan to spend at least a day or two here. The old city is easy to navigate on foot, and wandering through the narrow streets between brightly colored homes and storefronts is half the fun. As a general rule, streets that go downhill run south.

Condado. In the 1950s, tourists flocked to Condado, the hottest beach destination south of Miami. There are still a few guesthouses from that era, but the big resort chains have now taken up most of the beachfront property. Avenida Ashford, a one-way street running westbound, parallel to the ocean, is the neighborhood’s main drag and the place to find restaurants as well as practical services. The increasingly residential Calle Magdalena runs parallel to Ashford, but traffic goes in the opposite direction, eastbound.

Miramar And Santurce. Directly south of Condado and Ocean Park, Miramar and Santurce used to be the centers of San Juan’s business community, but over the years the two neighborhoods have deteriorated. Today Miramar is more of a residential neighborhood with a few hotels, while Santurce continues to house many of the city’s smaller businesses and government agencies. Santurce in particular has many vacant storefronts and construction sites that should be avoided at night. Avenida Ponce de León, the major street that connects the two areas, is home to most of the restaurants, hotels, and services. Avenida Fernández Juncos is the street’s parallel counterpart, with traffic running in the other direction. Avenida José de Diego and Calle Roberto H. Todd connect Santurce to Condado. By night, many of the city’s major discos open in Santurce; however, neither Av. Ponce de León nor C. Roberto H. Todd should be explored at night, especially on foot.

Ocean Park. Ocean Park proper is a gated, upscale residential community sitting on the ocean, between Condado to the west and Isla Verde to the east. Over the years, though, this title has come to include the surrounding streets as well. Cafes and some services line Avenida McLeary (an eastern continuation of Condado’s Av. Ashford), but for groceries or the restaurant strip it’s necessary to travel further west along Av. McLeary, toward Condado and Santurce. In recent years, this quiet neighborhood has gradually been overtaken by young Puerto Ricans and North Americans in search of the perfect wave. However, Ocean Park retains a laid-back, hometown atmosphere that the more touristy Condado and Isla Verde cannot match.

Isla Verde. Although technically it’s within the city limits of Carolina, most people consider Isla Verde part of San Juan. Isla Verde is home to the best beaches in the city, which are bordered by the endless row of resorts and time-share condominiums that line the busy Avenida Isla Verde. The major roads that cut through the neighborhood can make Isla Verde a difficult area to navigate on foot. Many establishments in which they reside; instead, they are identified by the condo or building they reside in. If you get confused, ask a local; most have long since memorized the building names. Across the freeway lies tiny Villamar. Punta Las Marías, the small peninsula dividing Ocean Park from Isla Verde, is home to fantastic restaurants of all stripes. Many surfers have set up camp in this area, and it’s a good place to find water sports equipment. In this guide, establishments in Punta de las Marías are listed under the Isla Verde header.

Hato Rey. This is San Juan’s business district; almost all of San Juan’s major banks call Hato Rey home, and each has its own skyscraper to prove it. Avenida Ponce de León and Avenida Luis Muñoz Rivera (Highway 1), the two major north-south thoroughfares, hold most of the skyscrapers, while smaller businesses radiate outward. Av. Franklin D. Roosevelt (not to be confused with Av. Eleanor Roosevelt), a busy street with lots of restaurants, connects Av. Ponce de León to Expreso de las Américas and to the big mall, Plaza las Américas. Hato Rey is difficult to navigate on foot, since many of the roads do not have sidewalks.

Río Piedras. Avenida Jesús Piñero (Route 17) divides Hato Rey from Río Piedras, the most recent addition to San Juan. Río Piedras is the most Latin American part of the city, with a large produce and meat market, several público stations, Puerto Rico’s largest university, and, on nearly every corner, lively cafeterías that turn into bars at night. Most visitors spend their time around the university and the market. This area can be a bit confusing, so a map is helpful. Av. Ponce de León and Av. Luis Muñoz Rivera (Hwy. 1) continue south through Río Piedras and connect to east-west Hwy. 3.