Whether you decide to base yourself in Old San Juan on your trip to Puerto Rico, or to come into town for visits, there is so much to do in this area. There are so many things to do, see, and eat in Old San Juan and this is by no means a list of everything possible. This list just contains some places and activities that I definitely don’t think you should not miss out on.
Visit Mallorca and get a “Mallorca” sandwich
This is an absolutely iconic sandwich that you should not miss when in Old San Juan. The spot to get it is actually called “Mallorca” and they serve the sandwich of the same name. A “Mallorca” is a Puerto Rican sweet bread made with egg. At this diner style cafe they are made with ham & cheese and sprinkled with powdered sugar. You can try a number of different styles such as bacon and cheese, cheese only, etc. Our favorite was the original! I am embarrassed to say I was skeptical about the powdered sugar because that is the best addition to a breakfast sandwich ever invented! You must visit this spot when in Old San Juan, and sit at the counter if you can to enjoy the scene. I even bought a few to bring home on the plane with me so my husband could try it too. I ended up eating 1 of 2 in the airport because I couldn’t control myself.
Stay at El Colonial Adults only Hotel
This hotel is the most perfect place to stay in Old San Juan. The location is perfect, the free drinks are an amazing amenity, the staff are the MOST kind you could ever imagine, and the rooftop is an amazing added bonus. If you want to be immersed in all that Old San Juan has to offer, I couldn’t recommend this hotel more highly and I even wrote a small post all about it.
You can check that post out here. —-> El Colonial Hotel Post
Visit the Forts: Castillo San Cristobol & Castillo San Felipe Del Morro
Two very impressive sites to tour in Old San Juan. The great thing is, you can tour them both with a combination ticket. Both of these spots have incredible history, amazing views, and are very beautiful to tour and learn about. They are a bit of a walk from one another (about 15-20 minutes) so you could do them right in a row or have lunch or a drink in between. San Cristobol is a bit easier to access as it is right when you enter Old San Juan. The complex surrounding Castillo San Felipe Del Morro is large and has a huge lawn. These sites are so impressive and I’d recommend taking the time to check them out. They are also now part of the National Park system so they are very well maintained.
Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetary
Although it might seem a little odd to have a cemetery on the list, this is honestly one of the most beautiful cemeteries I have ever seen. It sits right below the San Filipe complex and right along the water. I visited first thing in the morning on my morning run and I had the place almost entirely to myself. It was so peaceful and beautiful to walk around and explore. If you’re already making the effort to see the forts and Castillos you are going to be moving through this area anyway so it is definitely worth stopping by.
Visit Barrachina the birthplace of the piña colada
You can’t come to Puerto Rico and skip out on the Piña colada. Even if you are not an alcolhol drinker you can enjoy an alcohol free version of this delightful drink and enjoy the flavors of the island. Barrachina claims to be the place that invented this famous drink and it is fun to stop in and try one out! It is encouraged to try as many piña coladas as you can during your time in Puerto Rico! You can stop in for a meal if you’d like, or you can just walk in and grab a drink to go! We grabbed one to take on a walk around Old San Juan!
*It should be noted that the best piña colada I had during my time in Puerto Rico was at Ron del Barrilito
Do the tasting menu at Pio Pio
Pio Pio was such a charming little dinner spot that I would highly recommend. You might just walk right by it in Old San Juan if you weren’t looking for it, but it is an excellent find. I had a multi course tasting menu and every bite was so delightful! My cousin (who is not an adventurous eater) didn’t want to do the tasting menu, so they let her dine a la carte. I really appreciated this as not all places with a tasting menu option will allow this. I was glad I didn’t have to miss out on the experience because she didn’t want to do it. We got to sit at the counter which I highly recommend as it is neat to watch and see as everything is being created. The menu was so fun and varied, the drinks were excellent, it was a very chilled out vibe, and we loved this spot! I would highly recommend it for dinner or even for a happy hour and snacks.
The tasting menu was $75 and I believe it can change seasonally so make sure to check the menu before visiting!
It should be noted that I am not a food photographer! But this meal was delightful!
Have brunch at Mercado la Carreta
We befriended some people in our hotel on this trip and they kept telling us to visit this spot for brunch. I was SO glad we finally listened and also had a good laugh when we walked in and saw them sitting there! This place was quite popular but it was great to be able to walk in and give our phone number, we then were able to go exploring and they called us when our table was ready. *By explore, I mean we walked right into our hotel, had a nice free rum drink in the lobby, and waited to be called back to eat! Another amazing perk of staying at El Colonial!
Brunch here was FANTASTIC! I wish we’d visited again as there was so much to choose from. We had the most fantastic espresso martinis before our lunch and each made excellent food choices. The vibe was so jovial and bright and everyone here seemed to be happy and having a good time. They also had something for everyone on the menu from traditional type Puerto Rican brunch to a more “American” style breakfast.
Have a rooftop cocktail at Scryer Rum
This is a rum distillery right in the middle of Old San Juan. It is down a little alley and is so charming. I have to admit that rum is never my drink of choice, but I really grew to appreciate it during my trip to Puerto Rico. We each tried a cocktail here and found them both to be delightful! The spot feels kind of like a speakeasy vibe and it has such a nice little rooftop area that you can hang out at. We came later in the evening so we didn’t do the rum tasting tour, but I would definitely go back and try that on another visit.
Go Shopping
We loved walking through the streets of Old San Juan and popping in and out of all kinds of shops. There are so many delightful little boutique shops here which I really enjoy. There are also tons of the expected cheap souvenir shops and a ton fo jewelry shops. One shop I particularly loved was called “The Poets Passage” it was an artist shop full of different art works and handcrafts. They made “doors of San Juan” that you could buy in different sizes to hang in your home. I was even able to get mine personalized to have our family name!
Stroll the colorful streets
You MUST spend time just walking the beautiful streets of Old San Juan. It seems like every building is a different color and they are all so beautiful. The streets are so bright and vibrant and there is so much going on. You might see street performers in a square, or street food being passed around down an alley you didn’t even realize was there. There is so much to see and it is all so bright and beautiful. Every single morning I was there I spent at least an hour roaming the streets. You should not miss checking out all the little parks, so many beautiful views, walking around the walls of the city, exploring the squares and dead ends. Old San Juan is stunning from every angle.
Take a stroll to the beaches
There are no beaches directly in Old San Juan and most of the hotels and locals will tell you to go a bit further. You can walk or jog to “Escambron” beach from the center of Old San Juan. It would take about 35-40 minutes walking and it is actually quite a nice and smooth walk. The beach is beautiful and relaxing with tons of palm trees. I ran here in the mornings to enjoy the views.
My cousin and I took a walk to “Playa Capitolio” which nobody mentioned to us or told us about. We were absolutely the only tourists there and were some of only a handful of people there anyway. I’m not sure if locals are trying to keep it a secret or they think it is just not special enough to be mentioned, but we enjoyed relaxing there for a few hours. There is nothing there but beach and trees, but we found it to be really beautiful and peaceful and it was only about an 8 minute walk from Old San Juan which made it very accessible.
You can also reach a number of beautiful beaches within a 10-15 minute uber ride from Old San Juan. It is very easy to pop over to Condado and enjoy the beaches there as well. Condado is more built up beach area with places to eat, beach chairs for rent etc.
Beyond Old San Juan
I will write more about other places to go beyond Old San Juan in another post. There is so much to do on this wonderful island!
My posts will sometimes contain affiliate links. This means that if you click and book through my links I will earn a small commission at NO COST to you. This helps me to keep sharing out this awesome info! I also will FULLY recommend things that I acquire NO commission on and I just think are truly good recs. You will always get the truth from me here I would never recommend something I didn’t love.