Explore San Juan from vacation home rentals
Originally founded in the 16th century, San Juan is a bustling port city that's known for its lively nightlife, world-class resorts, and a bounty of sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. The storied Old San Juan district is a popular destination thanks to its charming cobbled streets, upscale shopping, and colorful buildings going back to the city's early colonial days. With a San Juan vacation rental, you'll be close to some of the city's most notable sights, like La Fortaleza, the Castillo San Cristobal, and the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico.
Historic sites near San Juan vacation homes
San Juan is home to many of Puerto Rico’s most fascinating historic sites. Vacation rentals are available near places like Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a monumental 16th-century Spanish fortification atop a cliffside promontory, and Castillo San Cristóbal, a heavily fortified citadel from the 18th century. You could also explore the San Juan National Historic Sites, a historic destination with colonial fortifications, powder houses, and old city walls.
Tourist attractions near San Juan vacation homes
After a good, long sleep and plenty of coffee, you'll either be looking for some local culture or a little hair of the dog. For a little of both, head across San Juan Bay for a guided tour of the Casa Bacardi. Here, you can learn about the venerable rum distillery's colorful history, pick up mixology tips, and even throw back a quick tasting (or 2). Once you've steadied your nerves, check out the Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art, where you'll find permanent collections and rotating exhibits in a Georgian-style building dating from 1916.
What to do near your summer rental in San Juan
You'll quickly discover that there are 2 distinct sides to San Juan. During the day, San Juan is a sun-soaked Caribbean dream, with plenty of broad, sandy beaches offering everything from lazy sunbathing and swimming to surfing, windsurfing, and paragliding. At night, San Juan is a whole other animal—you'll find plenty of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, as well as discos and live music venues along the trendy cobblestone streets of Old San Juan. Getting a late start isn't a bad idea, either, as many venues in town stay open until 4a.m. on the weekends.
Best time to travel to San Juan vacation rentals
Featuring close to 3,000 hours of sunlight annually, the area around San Juan has a tropical monsoon climate, with warm-to-hot temperatures and plenty of rainfall throughout the year. Average temperatures range from the 70s to the 80s all year round, and highs can climb into the upper 90s during the wetter spring and summer months. A popular year-round destination thanks to its equally warm summer and winter temperatures, you'll find that prices for San Juan vacation rentals tend not to change much from one warm, sunny season to the next.
Living the vida local in scenic San Juan
Set on the northern side of Puerto Rico, San Juan boasts plenty of sandy shoreline along the Atlantic Ocean. At the north end of town, the narrow Isleta de San Juan acts as a peninsula between San Juan Bay and the Atlantic, connected to mainland San Juan by a causeway and bridges. While the city is fairly urban, you can find a number of inland and waterfront parks throughout, as well as lagoons, waterfalls, and bays. A short drive from your San Juan vacation rental, the mangrove forests of Pinones State Forest provide habitat for pelicans, herons, and several other bird species.
Transportation to and around San Juan
Fly into Luis Munoz Marin Intl. Airport (SJU), the closest airport, located 7.4 mi (12 km) from the city center.
You can see more of San Juan by catching a ride on the metro at Sacred Heart Station, Hato Rey Station or Roosevelt Station.