by | August 26, 2025
What To Do in San Juan
Planning a trip to Puerto Rico? We found eight must-stop places to eat, stay and play in San Juan.
Alma
After an extensive renovation to a historic apartment building, the Alma opened in 2024 at the eastern edge of Old San Juan. The style is decidedly beach chic, with a rooftop infinity plunge pool and light streaming in through central courtyards. Pro tip: splurge for the rooms with patios that overlook Plaza Colón.
almasanjuan.com
El Yunque National Forest
The only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest system, El Yunque offers misty trails, coqui choruses and vistas that appear through the mist just long enough to make you doubt they were ever there. Take the moderately difficult trail to Britton Tower for a classic overlook, then continue on to the more challenging Los Picachos mountain to earn the mofongo you’ll have later.
discoverpuertorico.com
Kioskos de Luquillo
A stretch of low-slung food stalls along the beach, the kioskos serve up everything from fried red snapper to Puerto Rican-style pizza. Go for the mofongo, stay for the people-watching, and bring cash—it’s delicious chaos.
discoverpuertorico.com
Andaluz
The hotel restaurant at Alma punches well above its weight, with a menu of Spanish-inspired small plates with produce often sourced from the island. Don’t miss the fideua, a pasta version of paella with wonderfully crispy edges, topped with grilled shrimp and Iberian pork.
andaluzsanjuan.com
La Factoría
This cocktail bar looks fairly simple from the outside and then opens into a series of rooms that all feel like the backdrop of a Hemingway novel. Ask your bartender for the drink they’re excited about at the moment—for me, it was a spicy Paper Plane-like concoction.
lafactoriavsj.com
Mar y Rosa
Puerto Rico native José Mendín, best known for building his restaurant empire in Miami, returned home with this airy restaurant on the roof of the Alma boutique hotel. It’s a menu that highlights the seafood arriving to the harbor within view. Savor ceviche, fish carpaccio and my personal favorite mofongo on the island.
maryrosasanjuan.com
Māro
Chef Mario Pagán’s newest spot in Santurce takes inspiration from across the Pacific, with dishes that pull from Japan, Peru and everywhere in between. You might get an unbelievably tender-slash-crispy Japanese-style sandwich with Iberican ham or lo mein noodles with merguez sausage, all served in a dining room that feels like a restaurant popped up in a SoHo art gallery.
marosanturce.com
Verde Mesa
At this quirky café in a quieter corner of Old San Juan, antique chandeliers hang from the ceiling and the menu leans seasonal, veg-forward and inventive. In a neighborhood where some places can be overrun by cruise ship tourists, this is a cool, calm, and lovely place to linger over lunch.
verdemesapr.com
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About the Author
Eric has been a journalist in Florida for two decades, including stints at newspapers in Fort Pierce, Stuart and Sarasota. His role at Flamingo includes everything from interviewing chefs to first-line editing on cover stories and penning our monthly culinary newsletter, Key Lime.
