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San Juan

Puerto Rico travel guide

What to see in San Juan

Old San Juan of colourful houses and Spanish forts, and the beaches of Condado.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from December to May
  • Typical food: Piña colada
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 3.0

San Juan highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Castillo San Felipe del Morro

    A Spanish fortress above the sea.

  2. Castillo San Cristóbal

    The largest Spanish fortification in the Americas.

  3. Streets of Old San Juan

    Blue cobblestones and colourful houses.

  4. Paseo de la Princesa

    Beside the city wall.

  5. La Perla

    A seafront neighbourhood, best seen from the wall.

Day trips from San Juan

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

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When to travel to San Juan

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to San Juan are from December to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season, hurricane peak).

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun with warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug with strong warnings
  9. Sep with strong warnings
  10. Oct with strong warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec no warnings
  • from June to November

    Hurricane season

    Hurricanes can form from June to November; August, September and October are the riskiest months. There are almost always days of heavy rain and humid heat.

    What to do: Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

  • from August to October

    Hurricane peak

    August to October is when hurricanes and tropical storms are most likely.

    What to do: Take out travel insurance and follow the warnings; the best time is December to April.

Typical food of San Juan

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to San Juan from your kitchen).

Piña colada
Photo: Achim Schleuning (E-Mail: comander02_de@yahoo.de) · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Piña colada

Puerto Rico’s national cocktail, born in San Juan in the fifties: rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice blended with ice.

  • Serves 2
  • 5 min

Ingredients

  • 120 ml white rum
  • 120 ml cream of coconut
  • 180 ml pineapple juice
  • 2 cups of ice
  • Pineapple and cherries to garnish

How to make it at home

  1. Put all the ingredients in the blender.
  2. Blend until creamy, with no lumps of ice.
  3. Serve in chilled tall glasses.
  4. Garnish with a piece of pineapple and a cherry.

The trick: Cream of coconut (sweetened), not coconut milk.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: a chinchorro (roadside bar) or a fonda. The dishes you can’t miss are in the Puerto Rico guide.

Frequently asked questions about San Juan

What to see in San Juan?

Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Castillo San Cristóbal, Streets of Old San Juan, Paseo de la Princesa and La Perla.

What to see in San Juan in one day?

Don’t miss Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Castillo San Cristóbal, Streets of Old San Juan, Paseo de la Princesa and La Perla. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to San Juan?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to San Juan are from December to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season, hurricane peak).

What day trips can you take from San Juan?

Old San Juan and El Yunque from San Juan.

What is the typical food of San Juan?

Piña colada. Puerto Rico’s national cocktail, born in San Juan in the fifties: rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice blended with ice.

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More in Puerto Rico

Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.