Caribbean
Puerto Rico
San Juan
Things to Do in San Juan
Old San Juan

Old San Juan: Address, Old San Juan Reviews: 4.5/5

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Old San Juan

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Old San Juan
4.5
16,521
#1 of 250 things to do in San Juan
Historic Sites • Neighborhoods • Historic Walking Areas
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About
Consisting of 400 restored buildings from the 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial period, this area in San Juan is steeped in history with an old-world and romantic European charm.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
494 within 3 miles
Tropical Taste
345
416 ft$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • International • Puerto Rican
Marmalade Restaurant & Wine Bar
4,944
0.3 mi$$$$ • Caribbean • International • Fusion
Chocobar Cortés (Viejo San Juan)
3,652
524 ft$$ - $$$ • International • Contemporary • Puerto Rican
Stuffed Avocado Shop
158
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Quick Bites • International • Healthy
Senor Paleta - Old San Juan
553
0.1 mi$ • Dessert • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Trois Cent Onze
355
0.2 mi$$$$ • French • European • Vegetarian Friendly
Cafe Don Ruiz
486
0.2 mi$ • Quick Bites • Cafe • Puerto Rican
Deaverdura
321
407 ft$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • Latin • Puerto Rican
Cafe El Punto
872
467 ft$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • Latin • Spanish
La Taberna Lupulo
392
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Brew Pub • Bar • Beer restaurants
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Attractions
261 within 6 miles
Museum of our African Roots (Museo de Nuestra Raiz Africana)
5
83 ftSpeciality Museums • Art Museums
The Poet's Passage
364
390 ftArt Galleries
Calle del Cristo
257
370 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Catedral Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista
1,400
282 ftHistoric Sites • Churches & Cathedrals
Plaza de Armas
434
285 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Calle San Sebastian
173
527 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Fundación Casa Cortés
328
0.1 miSpeciality Museums • Art Museums
Coach Outlet Store
62
334 ftFactory Outlets
Iglesia de San José
42
371 ftReligious Sites
Galeria Botello
21
497 ftArt Galleries
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
16,521 reviews
Excellent
12,092
Very good
3,608
Average
671
Poor
95
Terrible
56
Lisandra O
6 contributions
A little bit of everything with excellent food and views
Family
As a local, all i can say is, get ready to walk and eat. Old San Juan is full of culture and it’s beautiful to see. There’s Spanish architecture all over, including the San Juan Cathedral, Fort El Morro and Paseo La Princesa to name a few places. Family friendly. Also, be ready to shop! Besides the cute little souvenir shops all over the streets, which are great, you should take a look at the artisan work done by locals. They do excellent work and it’s one of a kind type of work. They’re usually by the ports were the cruises dock. Like everywhere else in the world there are homeless people around and there are parts were the smells are not good but it’s random and they won’t bother you. And lastly, food!!! Eat from the food trucks and again, the local vendors, they put out so much love and effort to what they do. If you want to try some good cuisine and sit down and enjoy the best Piña Colada you have to go to La Barrachina, there might be a line so get there early. It’s a popular spot. At nighttime the party begins, specially during the weekends. Music plays throughout Puerto Rico all day long, tho. Music is very special to Puertorican culture. Enjoy!
Written July 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
made1024
Miami, FL229 contributions
Amazing Island to visit
Old San Juan has so much charm and history. If you have never been it's worth taking a walking tour, but you can also go at it alone. It's charming littles streets can be walked at leisure, enjoying the little shops along the way and great picture spots. El Meson cafe is located in Plaza de Armas, if you want to enjoy a good "cafe" PR style. Their sandwiches and breakfast platters are amazing and very inexpensive. El Morro is also located in the area so if you start off at El Morro you can walk your way thru San Juan. El paseo de las Princesas is a nice walk on early afternoons, they have local vendors and food trucks lined up with music, mostly on Sundays. Don't go too late or you will miss the fun. I got there at 9 and it was almost over. Raices is a restaurant for local food, but I prefer to recommend Metropol. It has various locations and the food is much better. Also recommend Bebo's Cafe, a PR staple with great food and inexpensive. You can visit La Factoria (a bar with music), La Verguenza is also a local hot spot just be aware of your surroundings here. One area I hear is getting better is La Perla, but it's always been a area to stay away from. It's beautiful and picturesque so maybe visiting during the day just be careful. I've visted PR many times and never get tired of it's beauty.
Written June 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
dmbia
Iowa280 contributions
A bit of a chore to get to, but a nice historic area
Old San Juan reminded me a lot of the French Quarter in New Orleans. While it is quite touristy, there's a reason the tourists come there. It's historic and also quite beautiful. It's full of restaurants, bars, and gift shops, which gives the place a lively feeling. It's definitely a place every tourist should visit.

One issue with Old San Juan is that it's not easy to get there from elsewhere in the city. I primarily relied on public transit, and the buses in San Juan just aren't very reliable. It's a short ride from Condado to the old city, but the wait for the bus to arrive can be an hour or even more. Taxis were beyond my budget, and had I rented a car I think it would have been a chore to drive to and in the old city--not to mention the difficulty and expense of parking. I walked from Condado to Old San Juan once, but it is a rather long walk (three miles or so). I wish there were reliable public transportation connecting the old city with the rest of San Juan.
Written August 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
rammyun
30 contributions
Charming and extremely SAFE
I went a month ago and they are very empty. Most of people want to go to Hawaii but I would recommend come here to avoid the crowd. People are friendly, lots of great food option. Everyone follow COVID guideline. I highly hope you can come and see the beauty of it.
Written September 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
S J
44 contributions
With its brightly colored buildings and fascinating architecture, you will want to allow yourself some time to roam!
Located just steps away from the cruise port, you will find the robust city of Old San Juan. With its brightly colored buildings and fascinating architecture, you'll want to allow yourself some time to roam about the streets and take it all in. There are several places to tour, dine and shop (including a giant Walgreens within eyeshot of the cruise port in case you need to restock before embarking). If you were to walk off the boat without an itinerary, you would find plenty to do in this energetic and friendly city. Walking Old San Juan is enjoyable so long as you're not in a rush; however, there are several hills and slopes, so those with mobility issues will want to gauge how far to go on foot. Of course, you can easily find taxis if you're going to venture further out and visit the forts or some of the beachfront options.

San Juan is a beautiful port, but with our particular itinerary leaving at 2 pm, we only had a few hours to choose how we would experience this island. We opted to use our time to tour the beautiful Old San Juan area and take up some cuisine that tourists and locals recommend.
Written March 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
sixmiss6
Winston Salem, NC37 contributions
Beautiful and Rich in Culture and History
Old San Juan was beautiful. We enjoyed the old school charm of the cobble stone roads and traditional buildings. The locals loved telling stories related to Old San Juan's rich history.

Shopping and food was plentiful and did not disappoint! Arts and crafts, seasonings and spirits, and gifts were all available while walking the streets of Old San Juan. Local foods were amazing. Old San Juan is a must visit!
Written June 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
JLHGRW
Chicago, IL38 contributions
Neat place!
Couples
The architecture and infrastructure in Old San Juan made it worth a visit. The area is quaint, but there weren't as many shops as we expected. With that said, we did find a great art gallery with original works at reasonable prices. We also ate an authentic Puerto Rican meal that really hit the spot after spending so much of the day walking up and down steep streets!
Written March 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mel Colon
1 contribution
Not Good
I was extremely disappointed with this place. I went two different times with in the past two weeks (NOT BY CHOICE) because of my husband and I will absolutely never go again. The first day we were informed the menu was without three items the wings, the calamari & the fish tacos. We thought it would be safe to order the Kan-Kan with a side of mofongo. At first the mofongo had flavor but as you got under the surface the mofongo was sloppy with chucks of plantain and the Kan-Kan was no tender. The second time was one for the books. Not only did they once again say they were without three items, but the waiter failed to mention the other 5 options we asked for were also off the menu. Once we finally received the food I had the steak with onions which had no flavor at all and we were served as if it were the last of the food left for the night. I mean they close at 11 pm we were there for 7 pm, I understand there is a shortage I would have been fully prepared if the waiter has done his job correctly by telling us they are out of half the menu and the had barely any food left. After getting the bill we paid with two $100 bills and the waiter returns with five $20's and tells us he has no change. Let me say we were generous by giving him 20%, he must have thought he was cute telling us he has no change and thought I would give him a 30% tip ABSOLUTELY NOT. By the way we did not go during the weekend peak times.
Written June 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
FlapjawJr
Harrisburg, PA633 contributions
Beautiful walking area!
We spent about a day and a half walking around Old San Juan and I could have easily spent longer. We were fortunate to be there when there was minimal cruise ship passenger traffic. Walking around early morning before the shops open was a nice way to really see the buildings. Lots of great pastel colors, cool blue cobblestone streets, views up from outside the city wall... We visited both forts, several churches, Casa Blanca... Lots of little shops and restaurants. Would like to return again sometime.
Written December 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
travelbob1
New Windsor, NY970 contributions
Start Here in the Old City
Take your time to enjoy the colors, architecture and design of Old San Juan. We went an hour before sunset and witnessed a beautiful sunset from he top of the walls of the old fort. Walking back we saw the colors of the building change with the setting sun, priceless.
Written March 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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