2 ways to enjoy 3 days in San Juan
2 WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF 3 NIGHTS IN THE CARIBBEAN’S SHINING STAR
Iwas lucky enough to have planned a trip right before coronavirus reached the United States with the force that it had hit other parts of the world.
Even still, flying to San Juan, Puerto Rico was a nerve-racking experience. At the time, there were no cases in Puerto Rico and few on the east coast of the United States, but the paranoia had begun. I remember going to CVS before my trip to grab a couple bottles of travel size hand sanitizer from a fully stocked basket — those were the days. And while being in paradise was mostly relaxing, phone alerts about new cases and worries about not touching my face or my food put a bit of a gray cloud over the trip.
But aside from fear of the inevitable, flying to San Juan couldn’t be easier — it’s just an hour more than Florida and the flights are very affordable. I flew round trip in and out of New York City airports for $230. Of course, if you are willing to pay a bit more you can get the convenience of Westchester.
There are so many places to explore in Puerto Rico — I would have loved to check out Rincón or the island of Culebra — but because I only went for three nights, my cousin and I decided to stay in San Juan the whole time. San Juan consists of a beach area and Old San Juan, the city center where you will find nightlife and great restaurants. In order to experience the most in the least time, I decided to do San Juan two ways: Resort style and laid-back beach bum style.
Our first stop was Condado, a beach neighborhood of high-end resort hotels, bustling restaurants and shopping. It’s reminiscent of South Beach with one long strip where you will find anything from authentic Puerto Rican cuisine to a Chili’s and a Walgreens. The view from our room was a Ben and Jerry’s.
We spent two nights in Condado at two hotels right next to each other: La Concha and Condado Vanderbilt, which was described to me as “the crown jewel” of Condado. Both hotels came highly recommended from friends, so we decided to try them both. La Cocha is a bit more casual, while the Vanderbilt is full-on luxury. But both tick all the boxes if you want a comfortable, don’t-lift-a-finger kind of vacation.
The first thing I noticed when I arrived at La Concha was how warm and nice the people were — and this continued throughout the trip. We were given access to the locker room to change for the beach while our room was being prepared. Condado Beach is small. It’s a little enclave surrounded by rocks, which makes for a very picturesque scene with the waves crashing against them. There is a manmade jetty that goes out into the ocean and a park called Ventana al Mar (window to the sea) where you’ll see people playing soccer, enjoying the view and lining up at the aforementioned Ben and Jerry’s. And speaking of the view, it’s crystal clear turquoise water as far as the eye can see set against San Juan’s famous golden yellow sand dotted with palm trees.
La Concha and the Vandebilt share the same beach, though the Vanderbilt
has a more secluded area, lush with palm trees, while La Concha’s area is a bit more of a crowded party scene. One of my favorite parts of La Concha was the beach-front bar serving tropical rum drinks and, strangely enough, the openair restroom which felt like a tropical oasis. La Concha’s open-air hallways were one of my favorite things about this hotel (sensing a theme in my taste); you walk out of your room and immediately feel the warm San Juan Air. It’s almost like a retro motel feel, but much much more luxe.
Next door at the Vanderbilt, the vibe is ultra upscale. The regal Spanishrevival hotel was built in 1919, designed by the architecture firm that designed Grand Central Terminal, and it maintains that early 20th-Century opulence. The lobby area is all crystal chandeliers and rich mahogany; there is a sweeping dual staircase begging for dramatic entrances. In the distance, the bright blues of the ocean and the sky cut through the pink hues of the interior. We were greeted with glasses of champagne, which we took straight out to the grounds. I say “grounds” because it really feels like an estate. The main pool area has an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a bar and the hotel’s restaurant, Ola. This area of the hotel is a raised structure over the ocean with a clear glass railing so it feels almost like you are on a boat. Look down and all you see are magnificent waves crashing. From the main pool, we walked along an outdoor glass-walled corridor to the adult pool area; all along the way there are little seating areas and lounge chairs so guests can enjoy the views wherever they are. The adults-only pool area gave me a SoCal vibe with a wooden deck, tons of palms and strings of twinkle lights. Stairs from the deck lead down to a private little beach area where water cascades over rocks creating a scene like something out of “The Little Mermaid.”
To get to the main beach area for the Vanderbilt, we walked through Ventana al Mar park, and we were back in familiar territory. We sunbathed in lounge chairs surrounded by a palm tree forest and sipped on piña coladas served directly to us.
We had a lunch of octopus tartine and ahi tuna salads accompanied by a complimentary rum tasting with our waiter who wanted to convert my cousin into a rum lover. Little birds trying to steal our food kept us company. But dining at hotels isn’t cheap. My first iced coffee at one of the hotels was $7, so I got my second one off-campus.
We of course had to make a trip into Old San Juan. I would have loved to spend a day there and see all the brightly colored buildings in the sun, but with limited days, we decided to just go in for a night and have dinner and drinks. At about 6:30 p.m. a normally 10minute Uber ride into Old San Juan took about 30 minutes as people bustled into the ciyy. Being in the Old San Juan was like being in Europe with tiny cobblestone streets that one car barely fits down. We ate at Santísimo, a beautiful openair terrace at Hotel El Convento, which used to be a convent. We had seafood, wine and appetizers. And while my ceviche was good, the best thing there were actually the vegetable dishes. The roasted cauliflower was garnished with (no hyperbole here) the best tomatoes I have ever tasted in my life. The beet salad with yogurt sauce and white bean puree was also amazing. And the owner was incredibly passionate about his restaurant. I am not one to harp on food for too long. But, man, that tomato was good.
After Sanstísimo, we took a short stroll to La Factoría, which friends and locals had told us is the “it” spot. It’s a sort of bar/club compound. There are four or five speakeasy-type rooms that open up throughout the night and each one is a different vibe from trendy cocktail lounge to salsa club with live music. You won’t recognize the place by a sign — there isn’t one — but when you spot the loudest, liveliest bar with patrons spilling out onto the street, you probably found it. Inside, locals and tourists (mostly American) mingled, talking mostly about coronavirus, to be honest; I gave out dabs of hand sanitizer that I kept in my purse (it wasn’t pure gold at that point). We also found a cute little salsa club back in Condado on Calle Loiza — the nightlife spot if you don’t want to go into Old San Juan — called Rumors. You’ll also find Bebo’s, a well-known no-frills authentic Puerto Rican restaurant, on Calle Loiza. I had chicken mofongo (mashed plantain stuffed with chicken) at Bebo’s and it was great, but very heavy. I would have been happy with the appetizer plate of empanadillas.
For my last night, I decided to change it up a bit and stayed at a trendy boutique hotel called the Dreamcatcher. It’s basically an upscale hostel for hipsters; there’s a communal kitchen, a vegetarian restaurant and daily yoga classes. It’s about a 10-minute drive from Condado in Ocean Park, which is quiet and suburban. Streeets are lined with flowers and a mix of beautiful Spanish-style chalets and ultra-modern California-style beach homes. There are also a lot of adorable stray cats. The Dreamcatcher welcomes you with a bright red wrought iron fence into an oasis of bougainvillea, lilac and greenery. You walk through a hallway of plants into a Secret Garden-like courtyard with a soundtrack of tropical birds. Each room comes with a hammock and a private outdoor bathroom and shower. The beach here is bigger and less touristy. Nearby is the Numero Uno Beach Club, a sand-front hotel I’ll book when I return. There’s music and volleyball and windsurfing. And a lot of dogs. Everyone in San Juan has a dog.
I walked along stretch of beach from Ocean Park to Condado and back snacking on an empanadilla (wrapped in a napkin), passing rocky beach inlets, stretches of soft sand and shaded areas to take a nap in (which I did), and stopped at a souvenir store to buy a shirt for my plane ride home because I didn’t want to rewear my original airport clothes, just in case.
As predicted, coming home was a 180 from being in tropical paradise. For now, we are all focused on staying in place, but I hope to return soon to this small island with so much more to explore.