As you know I loves to travel and I a winter getaway is a must for me as I despise the cold and all it stands for. This year, a bunch of friends and I did San Juan, Puerto Rico, which I’ve gone to a couple of times but decided to finally do a post. Here we go.
Hotel:
We stayed at the El San Juan Resort and Casino. Very nice and lively hotel (on the weekends it gets packed due to the live salsa bands). It has three pool areas and two Jacuzzis. On the weekends its a big party with a DJ. The hotel which is on the beach, is in Isla Verde which apparently has the nicer beach than the other beach areas in San Juan, although not as big in the night life (more to come on that, Condado has more of the nightlife but the beach isn’t as nice). They have a few fancy restaurants on site as well as a gym and spa. The casino is no Vegas site but it’s there. They also have one of the only clubs in Isla Verde. All in all, I’d stay there again for sure.
Nightlife:
The first night we stayed in the hotel and did the salsa in the lobby and the bars (there are three in the lobby as well as a dance floor and stage for the bands). Then we headed over to Club Brava, also in the hotel, which is more top 40 dance club and has two floors.
The next night we ventured out to the La Placita area which is a bunch of casual bars and cafes to listen to top 40 and Latin. Much cheaper than other areas so that was good but it wasn’t really my vibe. Perhaps if I were in my twenties I’d like it more. We also checked out our hotels rooftop bar which was just okay but the view was nice.
The final night we were in Old San Juan and we swung past the popular Nuyorican Café (which is kind of hard to find). It’s a very popular salsa club. I’m not a huge salsa dancer but wanted to go. It was a Sunday night and they started the band very late in my opinion (maybe 11pm?). The place is pretty small, divvy, and the bathroom was unusable. If you just want to dance in a casual atmosphere and have used the potty already, I think it’d be a fun place.
Food
The first night we went to Casita Miramar which was my best food visit there. I had a grilled chicken and mixed salad which I sadly did not take a picture of. It was very tasty. We also had a Nutella flavored flan which I still dream about. It’s a small spot that gets packed. Seems very family friendly.
The next night we went to Ropa Vieja in Condado where I had shrimp mofongo (mashed plantain) in garlic sauce. Deliciousness. Larger than the other locations we went to. Again, not super fancy but nice fun atmosphere.
The final night we went to Mojito at the suggestion of a friendly local. Much more affordable than the other spots. I had chicken filled mofongo in a tomato sauce. Delish as well. Located in Old San Juan and nothing fancy, just good food. Family friendly.
Other Stuff:
We also went sailing on this trip which was fun. In past trips I visited El Yunque which is a rain forest and a fun visit. I’ve also gone snorkeling and done the Bacardi Tour, also a good trip. Next time I’m hoping to check out the bioluminescent bay. This trip we pretty much chilled at the beach and pool all day which was just fine by me. Ready to go back!
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