What is there to do in this Port??

First time here and we have no clue what to do. We are advanture people, beach people. I have not read anything about a beach here. So anything advantures to say here in this port. Any ideas to help us out. Thanks

but I would recommend walking around Old San Juan and have a drink or 2 in one of the local bars and avoid the chain places.

First time here and we have no clue what to do. We are advanture people, beach people. I have not read anything about a beach here. So anything advantures to say here in this port. Any ideas to help us out. Thanks

It depends on what time your ship arrives and departs. San Juan has a beautiful historical old section with blue cobblestone streets. It is fun just to walk around the narrow streets and poke in and out of stores. There are also two amazing forts that can be visited and are part of the National Parks system.

We did a Segway tour once in OSJ and it was a fabulous way to see the city. Our guide (and instructor) was very knowledgeable.

There is a rain forest about an hour from the city. Lots of hiking trails and pretty waterfalls if you like that kind of stuff.

If visiting at night, there is the biobay tour. Check the moon cycles before you book as it needs to be dark.

If you really would prefer to go to the beach you can get there from the bus terminal from .75 cents. True, it is not as beautiful as many of the Caribbean beaches but still pretty lovely. Usually lots of waves.

San Juan is more of an urban sightseeing destination as opposed to a beach oriented, outdoor adventure port.

The colonial architecture in Old San Juan is fantastic. It's a great place to walk. Starting from the pier you can go to your left and walk all the way around to El Morro fortress. Then you can cut across the grassy area and overlook the cemetery to he east of the fort. You could either continue east to the other fort or cut through old San Juan, stopping and various plazas along the way. There are tons of shops, bars, restaurants, galleries, you name it.

Good info. Following this post. Looking forward to PR.

Take a foodie walking tour in Old San Juan!

We were there in January and walked around and liked it. Went to el morro. In April we will be there from 1:00 to 10:00 and trying to figure out if we even want to get off ship. The bioluminescent bay is too far away for cruisers to visit. (I already checked that out) other than that, or hit some bars, is there anything else to do? I don't want to pay for dinner when we can eat for free on the ship.

Just go for a walk around San Juan, enjoy the sites and stop into the various stores.

Check out the cockfighting arena.

This is one of my favorite places I've been so far. The Fort's great and def. worth a visit. Stunning view of the ocean but you need a lot more time to explore it than tours give you. You can combine it with a walk of the old town where there's some great bars and restaurants.

Yeah, the port area is quite urban. Old San Juan and it's Fort El Morro are worthwile and you don't need a tour to see them as they are walkable (if you're ship is at OldSanJuan-Pier and not at Pan American (though I walked from there as well).

For adventures you might have to go further. I know there is a rainforest and there might be beaches ahead but that's not quite where your ship will dock.

There are SOME beaches near Old San Juan that cater to some activities. A short, 5 minute ride from port there's Escambrón beach behind the Caribe Hilton. Good beach and some naturally protected areas for snorkeling. Nearby there's a small, calm beach just besides the Conrad Condado Plaza. Also a good place to snorkel is the Condado Lagoon just across the street. A $19 (for up to 5 persons) and a 20 minute cab ride (each way) you can go to Isla Verde beach. One of the best beaches you'll find in the north part of PR. Near the hotels you'll find water toys to rent.

Does Celebrity Silhouette dock at Old San Juan or Pan American pier?

Paul

Does Celebrity Silhouette dock at Old San Juan or Pan American pier?

 

Paul

It looks like if San Juan is "just" a port-of-call all the ships will dock at Old San Juan and if San Juan is Departure Port the ships (Except Carnival) will dock at Pan American.

Take a foodie walking tour in Old San Juan!

*I LOVE to do foodie tours when I travel ( I actually own my own tour company here in Charlotte NC) would love to do one in OSJ. Do you have a link or recommendation for one there?

You'll want to snap some pictures on the top deck of of your ship as it is sailing into port. The scenery is beautiful!

*I LOVE to do foodie tours when I travel ( I actually own my own tour company here in Charlotte NC) would love to do one in OSJ. Do you have a link or recommendation for one there?

YES! The food was delicious in SJU, much better than the ship's food.

We were with Victor of Flavors of San Juan. The private tour, in short, was a walking tour of the area with an emphasis on architecture and history and an introduction to locals dishes. We stopped at three local restaurants (not touristy stops) so we could sample things like fried plantains and mofongo. Our fav was Rosa de Triana (we went back a second time after our cruise).

We will be in San Juan for a full day on Saturday and part of a day on Sunday before our cruise departs. We are staying at the Radisson Ambassador hotel. We want to spend the day in old San Juan walking and perhaps useing the trolley see the area. If we take a cab where would you suggest we be dropped off to start our tour?

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.

More "Secrets of the Caribbean": http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

First-hand information on excursions we've taken in 24 Caribbean ports. With photos!

First time here and we have no clue what to do. We are advanture people, beach people. I have not read anything about a beach here. So anything advantures to say here in this port. Any ideas to help us out. Thanks

Unfortunately, a port stop in San Juan isn't a good one for beach people. :o

LuLu

We will be in San Juan for a full day on Saturday and part of a day on Sunday before our cruise departs. We are staying at the Radisson Ambassador hotel. We want to spend the day in old San Juan walking and perhaps useing the trolley see the area. If we take a cab where would you suggest we be dropped off to start our tour?

Perhaps start with a fort, like El Morro, and then walk toward the "downtown" area to shop and have lunch (perhaps at Rosa di Triana)! Later end with a stop at Barrichina for a legendary Pina Colada. Take a cab to the hotel from that restaurant (nearby taxi stand).

YES! The food was delicious in SJU, much better than the ship's food.

 

We were with Victor of Flavors of San Juan. The private tour, in short, was a walking tour of the area with an emphasis on architecture and history and an introduction to locals dishes. We stopped at three local restaurants (not touristy stops) so we could sample things like fried plantains and mofongo. Our fav was Rosa de Triana (we went back a second time after our cruise).

Thank you, do you remember the price you paid for the tour?

I'm not sure, but the main page of the website that I posted shows an adult price of $69.99.

I would have to disagree about San Juan not having beach options. I was there last May and had a great day at Isla Verde beach. We only had a few hours to spend in San Juan and we knew we wanted to have a few hours of beach time and some time to walk around OSJ back at the dock.

We tried to get off the ship as early as possible and grabbed a taxi to the beach. Since it was so early there were hardly any people on the beach. There was a woman selling beach chairs and umbrellas. I cant remember how much they were, but I do remember not using the chair too much. Thats because I was in the beautiful water for most of the time we had. I only got out to eat lunch before we left, and get drinks at one of the restaurants/bars that were on the strip behind the beach. The frozen drinks were around $7 I think and they also served drinks in a coconut, but they were more expensive. After we swam in the beautiful water for a few hours and had a couple drinks, we got all our stuff together and grabbed lunch. Our cab driver who dropped us off picked us up right on time.

The cab driver dropped us off back near the ship and we had a little time to shop and have a drink at one of the bars.

Overall we had a great day! Yes, the beach might not be the star of the Caribbean, but it sure beat the dark Atlantic waters we have in New England! There was soft sand, sun, crystal clear turquoise water, drinks, and great food. It was one of our better days! Hope this helps someone who might be deterred from doing a beach day, or even getting off the ship!

Can anyone tell me a little more about the trolley?

I have visited this port decades ago abut this time we will have a 5 year old with us so I don't think she'll be thrilled visiting the Forts. However she'd be all over a trolley ride!!

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