self-touring Old San Juan

[heatherandjohn]

Hi! We just started looking into our ports. We are in San Juan embarking from the Pan AM pier and will be there from 2:00pm to 8:00 pm. We just found out that our cruiseline Celebrity is not offering a tour to the rainforest because of the time we are in port. So we are thinking of self touring old san juan instead. Any recommendations for a map or a guidebook that will guide us through a self tour?

 

Or any other recommendations on things to do while in port (not through the ship). We are not big shoppers.

 

Thanks,

 

Heather and John

[rainforestgirl]

Sure- I have 3 pages of info on OSJ- suggested tour routes, museums, current exhibitions, places for free rum etc.

Check out:

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/category/oldsanjuan/

 

From Pan Am Pier, you will need to take a taxi into OSJ. Should cost $11.50 per cab each way.

[mew1]

Thank you for all that info, it will take awhile to check it all out, I have till May, will surely get good ideas. Do you have a favorite resteraunt?

Mary

[rainforestgirl]

Thank you for all that info, it will take awhile to check it all out, I have till May, will surely get good ideas. Do you have a favorite resteraunt? Mary

 

Well.... I have a few favorites. OSJ is full of great restaurants- I try to go to a new one every few weeks or so...

For tourists to PR, I want them to try PR food (it is very tasty and different than most people expect (not at all like Mexican)). Try El Jibarito for "real" PR food at reasonable prices- open lunch/dinner. Or open for lunch only, Manolin or La Bombanera (or breakfast or a snack).

For a more hip dinner, I would suggest Baru, or Parrot Club, so they can try PR food. These are more PR "fusion".

 

My current "real" favorite is Al Dente. Great Italian food (which is hard to get here in PR, so when I found this place, I fell in love!). I also really like Buren- they have pizza and PR fusion. Dragonfly was cool, Blend was even cooler (and it becomes a dance club later on weekends..), Basiliko was neat too and very tasty...The sliced lamb plate at Istambul was great.

 

Honestly, there are very few places I tried that I disliked. These are only my opinions, other people have different tastes and I think differenty about each place...

Personally, I think Barrachina is overrated, but the dance show makes the dinner really worth it. And they have very delicious Pina Coladas.

 

Here is my current list of restaurants I have tried:

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/restaurants/

[CaribbeanBound]

This is a GREAT city to explore. It's an easy hike around town. (Everyhing is actually closer than it might look on a map).

 

Upon arrival we immediately headed for San Cristobal Fortress on foot. Then on to El Moro Castle via the city wall walkway by the sea. Both were really cool to visit. Very impressive, massive, structures. Cost is $3.00 per person for each site, or $5.00 per person for both sites. Don't make the mistake of hiring a taxi. It is pretty easy to walk around town as places are closer than they appear on maps. Highly recommend visits to both. (Check out the restrooms in El Moro. You won't find a restroom anywhere with better views). On the way back to the ship, just off The Street of San Francisco, we stopped at a street cafe for papaya and guava frappes, chips, and guacamole. It was a nice break. On another trip we lunched at Parrot Club (my wife’s new favorite eatery in San Juan), and then shopped for liquor at Bacardi Liquors, located in the cruise terminal, before reboarding the ship. Bacardi Liquors offered some of the best prices on liquor that we saw at any port.

 

Here are more of our Secrets of the Caribbean!

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

These are our very detailed personal reviews, hints, and tips for ports of call that you will be visiting.