SherryStay Destination Guide
Puerto Rico
Spanish colonial old town, US paperwork, Caribbean water — one small island.
About Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is the Caribbean without the paperwork, and it fits an improbable amount into an island you can drive across in an afternoon. Old San Juan is the opening act: a UNESCO-listed grid of blue cobblestones and pastel façades, two Spanish fortresses holding the headland, and a bar that still claims to have invented the piña colada. Twenty minutes east, the beach hotels of Condado and Isla Verde put the sand directly beneath the room, which is the practical reason most visitors sleep there and go into the old city for the evening rather than the other way round. Then the island opens up. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the United States forest system, loud with coquí frogs and waterfalls barely an hour from the capital. Off the east coast, Vieques holds Mosquito Bay, the brightest bioluminescent bay measured anywhere on earth, where a single paddle stroke lights the water blue. The currency is the dollar, the sockets are American, and nothing needs converting. Few places make the tropics this easy to reach and this hard to sum up.
Old San Juan is the postcard, but it has almost no beach. Sleep in Isla Verde or Condado for sand outside the door and ride into the old town for the evening — the reverse costs you the beach every day of the trip.
Best For
Where to Stay
Isla Verde
Beach-hotel strip next to the airport, resorts and casinos
Condado
Upscale seafront, restaurants and boutiques, walkable
Old San Juan
Blue cobblestones, colonial forts, small boutique hotels
Rincon
West-coast surf town, sunsets, low-rise and low-key
Vieques & Culebra
Offshore islands, bioluminescent bay, very few rooms
Money-Saving Tips
- 1The currency is the US dollar — no exchange, no conversion fee, and cards work everywhere.
- 2Hotels in Isla Verde and Condado add a resort fee on top of the nightly rate. Read what it covers before comparing two prices.
- 3The offshore islands hold very little inventory, so rooms there price like a scarce good. Book Vieques and Culebra far earlier than San Juan.
Getting Around
- 1Luis Munoz Marin airport (SJU) sits beside Isla Verde — the beach strip is the shortest transfer on the island.
- 2San Juan connects Condado, Isla Verde and the old town by taxi; anywhere else on the island effectively needs a rental car.
- 3Vieques and Culebra are reached by ferry from Ceiba — $2.00 per adult to Vieques, $2.25 to Culebra — or by a short hop flight. Ferry seats are limited and sell out in season.
Most Common Mistake
Booking Old San Juan for a beach holiday. The historic quarter is spectacular and it is not a beach base — the sand is in Isla Verde and Condado, a short ride away.
5–7 nights
- • Vieques (ferry)
- • Culebra
- • Rincon (2.5h drive)
Puerto Rico at a glance
- Sherry suggests 5–7 nights in Puerto Rico.
- Puerto Rico's Luis Munoz Marin airport (SJU) sits beside Isla Verde, which makes that beach strip the shortest transfer on the island.
- San Juan connects Condado, Isla Verde and the old town by taxi, but anywhere else in Puerto Rico effectively needs a rental car.
Common questions
- What currency does Puerto Rico use?
- The US dollar. There is no exchange, no conversion fee, and cards work everywhere.
- How do you reach Vieques and Culebra?
- By ferry from Ceiba, or by a short hop flight. Ferry seats are limited and sell out in season.
- Do Puerto Rico hotels charge a resort fee?
- Hotels in Isla Verde and Condado add one on top of the nightly rate. Read what it covers before you compare two prices.
- How many nights do you need in Puerto Rico?
- Five to seven, enough to combine San Juan with either the west coast or one of the offshore islands.
- When should you avoid Puerto Rico?
- August, September and October. December through April is the settled window.
Where to stay in Puerto Rico
Looking for hotels in Puerto Rico? It helps to decide on an area first — our guide to where to stay in Puerto Rico sets out which neighbourhoods suit which kind of trip.
Around Beach the options include Beach Studio at Cocomar, Beach Front Playa Mar Studio Apt and 2BR Condo at Isla Verde Beach.
Around Cocomar the options include Sea Rentals at Cocomar and Cocomar Beachview Studios.
Around Studios the options include Coco Mar Oceanview Studios and Isla Verde Oceanview Studios.
Elsewhere in the city you will also find La Playita, Amapola Beachfront Studio - Playamar, 3 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms Apt Amapola 18, Esj Azul Collection, Luxe Spacious and Modern 3BR with Ocean Views, Stylish Suite With Ocean Views, The Penthouse SJU, ESJ Azul Vacation Rentals By Chana, Fairmont El San Juan Hotel, Hotel Villa del Sol, Fairmont El San Juan Villa Experience, Coral Suites, Coral By The Sea Hotel, Island Life Vacation Rental and Coral by the Sea Hotel.