Why go: San Juan provides a wonderful combination of attractions. It is one of the nightlife capitals of the Caribbean, with its clubs, discos, and trendy restaurants. Minutes away are miles of beaches for surfing, snorkeling, and sunbathing.
Adjacent to San Juan are the Condado, Isla Verde, and Ocean Park beaches, with beachfront hotels, casinos, and discos. There are beautiful beaches all around the island, with a variety of amenities and varying ease of access. Probably the best known is Luquillo: a picture-perfect long curve of a beach, with coconut palms and coral reefs; the protection offered by the reefs makes the water ideal for swimming, and there are excellent spots for diving.
For sightseeing, Old San Juan, the original city founded in 1521, is a wealth of well-cared-for 16th and 17th century architecture, built by the Spanish colonists. Still partially surrounded by the wall built in 1633 and paved with the stones used as ballast on Spanish ships, the old city features tree-shaded squares, monuments, open-air cafes, and shops, as well as private homes with their wrought iron railings on balconies filled with pots of tropical plants.
