Thread: Things to Do in San Juan

Things to Do in San Juan, Puerto Rico Diverse Touring Options in San Juan for Cruise Visitors
By Linda Garrison, About.com Guide





San Juan is a busy port of call for Caribbean cruises. It is also the Caribbean's number one embarkation point for cruise ships, with over one million cruise passengers embarking on hundreds of cruises each year. The cruise terminal in San Juan may see as many as 10 cruise ships at any one time, but fortunately for cruisers, the port is designed for high volume. It is conveniently located on the historic San Juan peninsula, a short walk from the Plaza del la Marina and most of the Old Town San Juan's historic treasures. Sometimes when the port is very busy, some ships will dock at less convenient piers. If this happens, the ship will supply a taxi or van to the Old Town. Puerto Rico is the largest island in the eastern Caribbean, and has many activities for cruisers who have ported in San Juan.

Although there are many interesting shore excursions in Puerto Rico, here are some ideas of things to do that will give you some of the flavor of this old Spanish U.S. city.

Explore the Old City
Old San Juan is a wonder to see. Cruise ships dock right at the edge of the old city, and much of it is within walking distance. The two major fortresses, San Felipe del Morro and San Cristobal, were built over 400 years ago. These massive structures are fun to explore, and the old city between them is full of of houses, cobblestone streets, and other interesting sights. The narrow streets of old town also hold surprises such as small bars, gardens, and amazing plazas such as Plaza San Jose and Plaza Colon.

Explore a Museum
The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico features Puerto Rican artwork from the 17th century to the present. There is a new east wing with a beautiful stained glass window and a theater dedicated to the late actor Raul Julia.

Go to a Baseball Game
Puerto Ricans love baseball, and the island has produced some wonderful baseball players. You can see a game, Puerto Rican-style, at San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium for about $5. The food of choice is not hot dogs, but fried chicken or crab cakes. I'm sure you can buy a beer, but you can also have that Caribbean favorite--a piña colada.

Go Shopping
Like most major cities and ports of call, you won't have any problem finding a place to spend your money. The Plaza las Américas looks much like any other modern American shopping mall on the outside, and on the inside you will find many of the standard stores (like Macy's and Banana Republic) seen back home. However, the corridors of the mall are filled with local artisans, and the small independent stores are much different than what you usually see.

Go to a Beach
Puerto Rico is a tropical island, and many go to the Caribbean and only want to visit the beaches. Although a major metropolitan area, San Juan has some wonderful beaches. Isla Verde is a favorite of locals, and you can rent chairs and umbrellas, perfect for watching the San Juan beach scene. Other popular beaches are El Escambron and Carolina.

Experience San Juan at Night
If you're not worn out after a day of sightseeing and beachcombing, then you should experience San Juan at night. The dance clubs are popular, or you can learn to salsa at one of the many hotels with live music. If dancing isn't your cup of tea, check out one of the casinos. I found that playing roulette in Spanish helped me polish my language skills. The casinos are found in many of the big hotels downtown.

These are some examples of shore excursion options cruise ships might offer in San Juan, Puerto Rico.


San Juan City & Bacardi Tour
This half-day bus tour includes a drive through old town and the many Spanish colonial sites as well as a ride through the more modern metropolitan area of San Juan. It also features a visit to the famous Bacardi Rum factory where passengers learned some of the history of this sugar cane drink. This tour gives visitors the chance to "follow the rum" from cane to vat to barrel to bottle. If you haven't traveled to San Juan before, this shore excursion gives a good overview of the city.

Nature & Cultural Impressions
This 5-hour tour starts with a visit to the Botanical Garden at the University of Puerto Rico that was founded in 1971. The garden is the center of study and conservation of Puerto Rican flora and fauna. The second stop on the bus tour is at the Art Museum of Puerto Rico, where passengers do a self-guided tour inside the museum. Finally, the bus travels to Old San Juan, the second oldest city in the Western hemisphere. In the old town, the group visits some of the fortresses surrounded by thick stone walls that were so important in colonial times.

Horseback Riding in the Countryside
The horseback ride duration was about 2 hours and the total tour was about 4 hours. A bus transfers the riders-to-be to a ranch specializing in horseback riding adventures. The horses are "gentle, but spirited", according to the brochure. The group rides along a shore trail that meanders along the edge of the El Yunque rainforest and the banks of the Mamey River.

Rainforest Hiking
This tour starts with a ride to the top of the El Yunque National Forest in the mountains of Puerto Rico. The tour group spends the time hiking this natural wonder, and the turn around point was at La Mina falls. It's a good way to "walk off" some of the pounds you might be gaining on the ship! See page 1 of this article for a description of this shore excursion.

Bioluminescent Bay Kayak
Although the bioluminescent bay at Fajardo is over an hour's bus ride east of San Juan, I loved this shore excursion! Be sure to wear your swimsuit and take along some bug spray, "just in case" the mosquitoes are out.
The guides will show you how to paddle the two-person kayak, and the tour starts at almost dark. Paddlers each wear a light, with those in the front of the kayak wearing green on the front of their life vest, and those in the back wearing a red light on their backs. These lights are necessary, because the kayak trail through the mangrove forest is narrow and winding. Without the lights, you'd get easily lost! After paddling about 1/2 mile (45 minutes), the group reaches amazing Laguna Grande of Fajardo. When you touch the water with your hand or paddle, millions of microscopic bioluminescent organisms light up like fire flies. It's quite beautiful, and paddling through the mangroves is fun, especially when there is traffic both ways.
Ronnie and I are neither one in great shape, but we had no problems paddling on this excursion. This is a "must do" for anyone who loves the out of doors and nature. Unfortunately, the tour leaves the ship in the late afternoon and doesn't return until about 9:00 pm, so you'll need to look for a cruise with a late departure from San Juan to take advantage of this memorable excursion.
ATV Adventure
This half-day excursion takes participants to the foothills of El Yunque National Rain Forest, where they board two-passenger All-Terrain Vehicles for a 1.5 hour ride through the rain forest and across creeks. Sounds like fun!

Thanks Char. Great info. The Bioluminescent tour looks great. It was not listed in our Princess excursions. Do you have another link? I was also looking at a jet ski excursion with Aquatica. Read some OK reviews and some poor reviews about them.Do you know anything about this company? Trying to do something fun and water based with our kids. It was so hot the last time we were there in June. I can imagine it will be more of the same humid heat again this June

Are you going to be there till late at night? The Bioluminescent tours are after dark.

Here is a trusted site tht you can check out. --> Welcome to ShoreTrips® - SAN JUAN, P.R. Shore Excursions

They have tours for many different places, so you might find something for a different port as well.

Yes! San Juan can be very hot!