San Juan
Puerto Rico
Five centuries of Spanish forts above a Caribbean beach city
Photos by J. Amill Santiago, Nils Huenerfuerst, Nils Huenerfuerst and Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash
Best time to visit all of Puerto Rico
December to April
Climate month by month
The next sixteen daysOpen-Meteo
Average high and low · °C
Rainfall · mm per month
Best months to visit This month · wettest 150mm in May
Where it is
18.47°N, 66.11°W Open in Google Maps
Things to do
A week easily- Tour El Morro and San Cristobal forts
- Wander Old San Juan’s painted streets
- Hike El Yunque rainforest
- Kayak the Laguna Grande bioluminescent bay
- Eat and drink at La Placita
- Surf or swim at Isla Verde
San Juan travel tipsthe general rules
Currency budget Puerto Rico
ExpensivePuerto Rico is a US territory and uses the dollar, so no exchange is needed from the US. Tipping follows US convention at 18-20%, and prices exclude sales tax.
ATMs & cards
Banco Popular, FirstBank and Oriental machines are widespread and reliable. Avoid the standalone machines in Condado bars and clubs, which charge heavily. Decline conversion.
Avoid these
- standalone ATMs in Condado and Old San Juan bars
Use these instead
- Banco Popular
- FirstBank
- Oriental Bank
Puerto Rico uses the US dollar, so this is a surcharge problem rather than an exchange one — bar machines charge $5 or more.
Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.
Safety all of Puerto Rico
Reasonably safeOld San Juan, Condado and Isla Verde are comfortable for visitors. Some outer neighbourhoods are best avoided. Hurricane season runs June to November and is worth insuring against; power infrastructure remains fragile.
Where to walk, and where to pay attention (7 areas)
Comfortable, including after dark
Our own assessment, not a sourced index.
Entry & visa Puerto Rico visa rules
Travel authorisation requiredup to 90 days$40
Puerto Rico is US territory, so US rules apply in full — ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program, not a Caribbean entry stamp. Romanian passports are outside the programme again after a 2025 suspension and need a full US visa.
Other passports
Visa required in advance$185
A US B1/B2 visitor visa.
Entry rules change often and depend on your passport, not where you live — the official page above is the authority, and the airline checks before you board.
Health & emergencies all of Puerto Rico
Good but costlyRequired to enter
No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.
Jabs worth having, and what happens if you need a doctor
Worth having
- Routine vaccinations up to date
- Hepatitis A
Getting treated
US territory, so the system and the pricing are American: good hospitals, and bills that make insurance essential. Note that many European travel policies treat this as the US for cover limits.
Dengue is endemic.
Orientation, not medical advice — entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history. Check with a travel clinic four to six weeks before you go.
Food tip
Very goodMofongo is the dish to seek out. Skip the cruise-terminal restaurants and eat in Santurce, where La Placita turns into an open-air party on Thursday and Friday nights.
Nightlife
Salsa in Old San Juan, reggaeton everywhere else, and a beach strip that starts late and does not hurry.
- La Placita de Santurce — a market square that becomes a street party
- Calle San Sebastián — the Old San Juan bar street
- Condado — the beach bars and the hotels
Closing: La Placita until 03:00 or later.
A beer in a bar: $4–7
Getting around
Workable- UberWorks here
- BoltNot here
- From the airport
- San Juan airport to Condado $12–20, or a fixed $20 by taxi
- Against a taxi
- Cheaper than the white taxis, which run on fixed zone rates from the airport.
Time zone and your working day
America/Puerto Rico — the same time as you
8 hours of overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are — 09:00–17:00 your time, 09:00–17:00 theirs.
No overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are. Working from here means one of you keeps odd hours — their day starts at 09:00 on your clock.
office hours both at once night
Their 09:00–17:00 is 09:00–17:00 on yours.
The difference from the UK, Europe, the US and ten more
Worked out against America/New York, which is where this request looks like it came from.
Getting online
Getting online: Airalo or Holafly — a data eSIM for Puerto Rico, installed before you fly and working the moment you land.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index · measured June 2026
Must-see
Nearby day trips
Say a few words
Spanish (Latin American)
- HelloHolaOH-la
- PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
- Thank youGraciasGRA-syas
- Yes / NoSí / Nosee / no
4 more phrases
- Excuse meDisculpedees-KOOL-peh
- How much is it?¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta
- The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta
- Cheers!¡Salud!sa-LOOD
The c and z are said as an s here, not the Spanish "th" — gracias is GRA-syas.
Religion
Catholic
Catholic majority with a large Protestant minority, and the US separation of church and state applies.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Greet with buenos días — Spanish is the everyday language despite the US connection
- Tip 18-20% as on the US mainland
- Try the local rum and mofongo rather than defaulting to familiar food
- Respect that Puerto Rican identity is distinct; it is a point of real pride
Don't
- Do not assume everyone speaks English, particularly outside San Juan
- Do not treat the island as simply part of the US mainland in conversation
- Do not raise the statehood question casually — opinions are strong and divided
- Do not underestimate hurricane season or the fragility of the power grid
Where to stay in San Juan
No Holistay rentals in San Juan yet — the platform is just opening up. Every listing here will have a video tour and the option to negotiate the nightly price directly with the host.
In the meantime, here is San Juan on the sites that do have the inventory — each search is already filled in:
- Booking.com hotels, guesthouses and apartments — the widest coverage almost everywhere
- Airbnb whole homes and apartments, and the better option for a week or more
How to get there
Fly into Luis Muñoz Marín SJU
15 minfrom the airport· 12 km as the crow flies
15 min to Old San Juan.
Google Flights · Rome2Rio for the trains, buses and ferries as well as the flights
