SAN JUAN

(includes Orocovis)

APARTMENTS
●La Puerta – 64 Caleta de San Juan (Old San Juan); 787-667-4926; caleta64.com; called “Door” because city’s old main entrance located ½ block away; 2 levels, 2^nd level is mezzanine accessed by solid wood staircase; on this level bedroom, with queen size bed, closet, and bathroom decorated with cream color travertine; 1^st level has fully equipped kitchen, living room (47" LCD TV & sleeper sofa for 2 guests), and dining table for 4; 2 door/windows offer cobblestone street views and “centennial tree”; luxury structure dates back to 1800s; 17' h ceilings and 24" thick brick walls.



BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
●Cafeteria Mallorca – 300 San Francisco (Old San Juan); 787-724-4607; specialty at this old-fashioned, 1950s-style diner is mallorca (sweet pastry that’s buttered, grilled, and then sprinkled with powdered sugar); wash down with café con leche; for something more substantial, try breakfast mallorca, which has ham and cheese; also, egg dishes, comida criolla, pancakes and sandwiches; waitstaff all dress in crisp, black uniforms, they are efficient and friendly.
●Caficultura – 401 Calle San Francisco (Old San Juan, on Plaza Colon); 787-723-7731; for breakfast and coffee; stonewashed walls and tiled floors, wooden doors and furnishings; ornate lanterns, high ceilings, and expertly hewn prints; temple to Puerto Rican coffee and comida criolla; opens early; ask for cortadito (espresso topped with steamed milk) and/or guayaba cake, smoked ham and eggs, coconut French toast, and fruit salad.



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
●AireNumo – 102 Calle Luna (Old San Juan, corner of Calle Tanca); 787-723-0984; airenumo.com; popular gay-friendly establishment known for its mojitos.
●Barrachina – 104 Fortaleza Street (Old San Juan); 787-725-7912; barrachina.com; supposed birthplace of original piña colada.
●El Coco de Luis – 18 Calle Capitol (Santurce, La Placita or Plaza Mercado (#19), at Calle Dos Hermanos); 787-721-7595; facebook.com/pages/El-Coco-de-Luis/124695910936679; hole-in-wall joint; try whiskey and fresh coconut water.
●Mist – 2 Tartak Street (Carolina, Isla Verde, at Water Beach Club Hotel); 787-728-3666; waterbeachhotel.com; South Beach in style; rooftop bar by skyline view pool.
●Nuyorican Café – 312 Calle San Francisco (Old San Juan); 787-977-1276; nuyoricancafepr.com; live jazz and salsa; this is must visit experience (last time Rolling Stones were in town, this is where they came after performance).
●Piropos – 1361 Calle Iturriaga (Miramar); 787-723-5577; piropopr.com; go-to spot for dining and drinking, especially on Friday nights; modest tapas menu.
●PuraVida Bistro & Lounge – 1853 Avenida McLeary (Condado, at Oceana Hostal Playero); 787-728-8119; oceanapuertorico.com/puravida_organic_bistro; for drinks on patio that nearly sits on beach.
●Rumba Nightclub – 152 Calle San Sebastian (Old San Juan); 787-725-4407; hotelessanjuan.net; live music.
●Taberna los Vasquez – 1348 Calle Orbeta (Santurce); 787-723-1903; placitasanturce.com; open corner bar for rum and coke and live salsa music; also try alcapurrias (meat enclosed in grated yautia, taro-like root vegetable) or sorulitos (deep-fried cornmeal fingers).



HOTELS
●Chateau Cervantes – 329 Calle Recinto Sur (Old San Juan); 787-724-7722; cervantespr.com; local fashion icon Nono Maldonado’s brainchild; luxury lodging that’s completely au courant; rooftop terrace has bar, hot tub, and massage area; colonial-era building is on side street, so no water view.
●Condado Vanderbilt – 1055 Avenida Doctor Ashford (Condado); 787-721-5500; condadovanderbilt.com; magnificent Spanish Revival architecture, stunningly opulent interiors, and dramatic ocean views; since 1919; recently restored to original grandeur.
●Hotel El Convento – 100 Calle del Cristo (Old San Juan); 787-723-9020 or 800-468-2779; elconvento.com; Carmelite nuns once inhabited this 350-year-old convent; now, broadband connections or plasma TVs; all guest rooms have hand-hewn wood furniture, shuttered windows, and mahogany-beamed ceilings; Room 508 has 2 bay views, while rooms 216, 217, and 218 have private walled patios; pretty rooftop pool.
●Da House – 312 Calle San Francisco (Old San Juan); 787-977-1276; nuyoricancafepr.com; cheap rooms above live jazz and salsa bar, Nuyorican Cafe.
●Gallery Inn – 204-206 Calle Norzagaray (Old San Juan); 787-722-1808 or 866-572-2783; thegalleryinn.com; sprawling complex of old houses and sculptures by idiosyncratic owner; Obama stayed here in 2008.
●Villa Herencia Hotel – 23 Calle Caleta Las Monjas (Old San Juan); 787-722-0989 or 877-784-6835; villaherencia.com; former convent; 8 rooms, all well-appointed.
●Water Beach Club Hotel – 2 Tartak Street (Carolina, Isla Verde); 787-728-3666 or 888-265-6699; waterbeachhotel.com; South Beach in style.



RESTAURANTS
●Aguaviva – 364 Calle Fortaleza (Old San Juan); 787-722-0665; oofrestaurantspr.stirsite.com; seafood.
●AireNumo – 102 Calle Luna (Old San Juan, corner of Calle Tanca); 787-723-0984; airenumo.com; popular gay-friendly establishment.
●Bebos Cafe Comida Criolla Puerto Rico – 1600 Calle Loiza (Condado); 787-726-1008; beboscafe.com; classic, Puerto Rican cuisine.
●Café Berlin – 407 Calle San Francisco (Old San Juan); 787-722-5205; all-you-can-eat brunch buffet; vegan and vegetarian dishes.
●Café del Angel – 1106 Avenida Doctor Ashford (Condado); 787-643-7594; unattractive in appearance, serves remarkably good food at affordable prices; in operation about 2 decades; try mofongo relleno (sautéed, mashed plantain casserole, stuffed with beefsteak, chicken, lobster & shrimp); fresh garlic bread.
●Cafeteria Mallorca – 300 San Francisco (Old San Juan); 787-724-4607; specialty at this old-fashioned, 1950s-style diner is mallorca (sweet pastry that’s buttered, grilled, and then sprinkled with powdered sugar); wash down with café con leche; for something more substantial, try breakfast mallorca, which has ham and cheese; also, egg dishes, comida criolla, pancakes and sandwiches; waitstaff all dress in crisp, black uniforms, they are efficient and friendly.
●Caficultura – 401 Calle San Francisco (Old San Juan, on Plaza Colon); 787-723-7731; for breakfast and coffee; stonewashed walls and tiled floors, wooden doors and furnishings; ornate lanterns, high ceilings, and expertly hewn prints; temple to Puerto Rican coffee and comida criolla; can be counted on for lunch and, most evenings, for tapas and nightly specials; gourmet sandwiches (roasted beef loin with caramelized onion and baked tomato or turkey breast with bacon, manchego, and spring salad; nightly specials may include churrasco with pasta and sautéed vegetables, shrimp ceviche with cassava fritters, or Spanish sausage in wine sauce.
●Casa Lola – 1006 Avenida Doctor Ashford (Condado); 787-998-2918; casalolarestaurant.com; Puerto Rican specialities by Chef Roberto Treviño (Iron Chef contestant).
●Jose Enrique – 176 Calle Duffaut (Santurce); 787-725-3518; joseenriquerestaurant.com; represents national cuisine resurgence.
●La Mallorca – 300 Calle San Francisco (Old San Juan); 787-724-4607; “pressed sandwiches.”
●Marmalade Restaurant & Wine Bar – 317 Calle Fortaleza (Old San Juan); 787-724-3969; marmaladepr.com; Technicolor fantasy behind old world façade.
●Panza – 329 Calle Recinto Sur (Old San Juan, at Chateau Cervantes Hotel); 787-724-7722; cervantespr.com/panzarestaurant.htm; among Old San Juan’s chicest eateries; in high-ceilinged, soft-lit dining room.
●Parrot Club – 363 Calle Fortaleza (Old San Juan); 787-725-7370; oofrestaurants.com; bistro and bar, owned by husband-and-wife team Emilio Figueroa and Gigi Zafero; Nuevo Latino cuisine blends traditional Puerto Rican cookery with African, Spanish, and Taíno influences; in stately, 1902 building (originally hair-tonic factory); verdantly landscaped courtyard, where tables for at least 200 diners are scattered amid potted ferns, palms, and orchids; live music (either Brazilian, Latino jazz, or salsa) offered nightly; reserve table on back patio.
●La Perla – 1077 Avenida Doctor Ashford (Condado, at La Concha Hotel); 787-977-3285; perlarestaurant.com; looks like inside of pearl.
●Pikayo – 999 Avenida Doctor Ashford (Condado, at Conrad Condado Plaza); 787-721-6194; condadoplaza.com/Dining/Pikayo or wilobenet.com; chef considered among Puerto Rico’s most important chefs.
●Pinoli – 414 Avenida de Diego (Puerto Nuevo); 787-273-1611; pinoliristorante.com; local, organic, Italian.
●Piropo – 1361 Calle Iturriaga (Miramar); 787-723-5577; piropopr.com; go-to spot for dining and drinking, especially on Friday nights; modest tapas menu.
●PuraVida Bistro & Lounge – 1853 Avenida McLeary (Condado, at Oceana Hostal Playero); 787-728-8119; oceanapuertorico.com/puravida_organic_bistro; criolla and vegetarian food.
●Santaella – 219 Calle Canals (Santurce, Plaza del Mercado); 787-725-1611; santaellapr.com; chef studied under Ferran Adria, Gary Danko, and Eric Ripert.
●Tantra – 356 Calle Fortaleza (Old San Juan); 787-977-8141; prtantra.com; Indian-Puerto Rican food; open until late.
●Tasca el Pescador – 178 Calle Dos Hermanos (Santurce, near Plaza del Mercado); 787-721-0995; localeats.com/Restaurant_Detail/San-Juan/Tasca-el-Pescador/15433; green polka-dot tablecloths and lighting may be garish but fish menu is excellent and fresh; try grilled white sea bass with mofongo (mashed plantains) or tostones (fried plantains).
●Trois Cent Onze – 311 Calle Fortaleza (Old San Juan); 787-725-7959; 311restaurantpr.com; elegant French dining room; open late.



SERVICES
●Julian Transportation Service – 787-887-5957, 787-385-7604 or 787-245-6145; islavieques.com/julianstransportationservices.html or JulianEnterprise@aol.com; driver-owner Julian Marquez.



SHOPPING
●C787 Studios – 734 Calle Cerra (Santurce); c787studios.com; experimental design center.
●Espacio 1414 – 1414 Avenida Fernández Juncos (Santurce); 787-725-3899; espacio1414.org; housed in former Royal Tire warehouse; art gallery.
●Jeannette Fossas – 1085 Avenida Wilson, #1 (Miramar); 787-722-4154; jffj@coqui.net; creations in platinum and yellow gold.
●Olé – 105 Calle Fortaleza (Old San Juan); 787-724-2445; for Panama hat aficionados.
●Galeria Petrus – 726 Calle Hoare (Santurce); 787-289-0505; petrusgallery.com; contemporary Puerto Rican art.
●Roberto Paradise – 610 Calle Hipódromo (Santurce); 787-429-4887; robertoparadise.com; art gallery.



SIGHTS & SITES
●Fortín San Juan de la Cruz (El Cañuelo) – Carretera 870 (Isla de Cabras, from San Juan area, take Route 22 west to exit 7a, head onto Route 165 north, follow to Route 870 east, through little town, to end); 787-729-6777 (Castillo San Cristobal); nps.gov/saju; while looking west from El Morro, can see this little fort across bay channel; also is beach and picnic area; built of wood in late 1500s, burned to ground in 1625; Spain replaced with stone fort 1630-60; not must see place but worth short visit; on island’s north side, some WWII gun bunkers; on very north tip (just walk around gate), leper colony (late 1800s to early 1900s) ruins; restaurants, snack bar, and clean restrooms.
●Castillo San Cristobal – 501 Calle Norzagaray (Old San Juan); 787-729-6777; nps.gov/saju; largest fortification ever built by Spanish in New World; World Heritage site; building covers 27 acres.
●Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro) – 1 Calle Del Morro (Old San Juan); 787-729-6960; nps.gov/saju; stands on rocky promontory dominating San Juan Bay entrance; constructed in 1540; original fort was round tower, which can still be seen deep inside castle’s lower levels; by 1787, more cannon-firing positions and walls added so that fortification attained complex design seen today; World Heritage Site; intriguing barracks, dungeons, lookouts, ramps & vaults; museum; grounds are great spot fly kites, which can buy at stands right in front or at Puerto Rico Drug or Walgreens on Plaza Colón.
●Espacio 1414 – 1414 Avenida Fernandez Juncos (Santurce); 787-725-3899; espacio1414.org; Cuban Berezdivins’ private collection.
●Galeria Botello – 208 Calle del Cristo (Old San Juan); 787-723-9987; botello.com; named after Spanish-born, French-educated Angel Botello, who lived and worked here from 1950s to 1980s.
●Isla Verde – east of Santurce (Piñones’ south western front) next to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, above Teodoro Moscoso Bridge); resort with some of island’s most beautiful white-sand beaches.
●MAC – 18 Parada (Santurce, Edificio Histórico Rafael M. de Labra, on Avenida Juan Ponce de León, at corner of Avenida Roberto H. Todd); 787-977-4030; museocontemporaneopr.org; extensive modern art collection.
●Mercado Santurce – Calle Canals (Santurce); uertorico.sutromedia.com/san-juan-public-markets.html; open-air produce market.
●Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico – 299 Avenida Jose de Diego (Santurce); 787-977-6277; mapr.org; among biggest Caribbean museums; 130K sq ft building (known as San Juan Municipal Hospital from 1920s); collection dates from 17^th Century to present; new east wing dominated by 5-story-tall stained-glass window (by local artist Eric Tabales).
●Ocean Park – between Puerto Rico Highway 37 & ocean (bordered by Condado to east & Isla Verde to west); residential area with golden sand beaches; also worth checking out is tiny sub-neighborhood, Punta Las Marias, charming collection of guesthouses and inns, great beach, and fun, casual places to eat and hang out; popular gay traveler destination.
●La Santa Catedral San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico – 151 Calle Del Cristo (Old San Juan); 787-725-5550; catedralsanjuan.com.
●Toro Verde Adventure Park – Carretera 155, Km. 32.9 (Bo Gato); 787-867-7020; toroverdepr.com; zip-lines and hiking trails.
●El Yunque National Forest – Route 191, km 4.3 (Rio Grande); 787-888-1880 or 787-888-1810; fs.fed.us/r8/caribbean; more than 28K acres rare foliage and wildlife; only rain forest within US National Forest system; 240 tree species and oversize impatiens and ferns; home to cotorra, Puerto Rico’s endangered green parrot, as well as 67 other bird type; forest’s 13 hiking trails well maintained and many easy to walk and less than mile long.