Exploring Old San Juan
This post may contain affiliate links, which help keep this blog up and running. Thank you for your support!
December 16, 2020
When I shared that I was heading to Puerto Rico for the first time (finally!!!!!), everyone told me Old San Juan is where it’s at. So for my first night in my grandmother’s homeland, I stayed right in the middle of Old San Juan. My boo and I spent one full day exploring the area and it was definitely not enough time. We had so many recommendations and so little time! But from what we did see, everyone was right: Old San Juan is amazing!
The day we were there also just happened to be a holiday, so there were a lot of people out and about. It was awesome! We saw the most people at El Morro, a large grass area in front of Castillo San Felipe del Morro. There are people of all ages there flying kites. Right across from El Morro is a small restaurant called Cinema Bar. We planned to go, but we didn’t end up stopping there because we wanted to explore some more. We did only have one day, after all!
The highlight of Old San Juan for me was this intimate little rum bar called Casa Melaza. It’s very small inside, making the experience feel very personal. They specialize in rum flights, 3 1oz tasters of different rums. They do it in sets based on pricing. We got the mid-range one of 3 tasters for $20. They were pretty tasty!! If you follow me on Instagram, you might know that I’ve been into trying different whiskeys lately, so this was right up my alley! I definitely recommend making a stop if you’re ever in Old San Juan!
For walking around the colorful city, I wore this and my of all time. Before the trip, I knew I wanted to get a cute little knotted headband (I’ve been wanting one for forever!) and went perfectly with the outfit. So adorable right?! I wore these simple and some white resin/gold combo for a nice balance of casual and trendy luxe. To top it all off, I carried my cute little round straw bag I got on the street in Cartagena. I seriously felt like it was the perfect outfit for the occasion! And I’ll definitely be wearing it again as the weather warms up in Atlanta.
Our last stop of the day was La Taberna Lúpulo for a little snack and some beers. It’s a very casual place with a ton of beers, so if you like beer, this is a great stop in Old San Juan.
Pin for Later:
Have you ever been to Old San Juan? What was your favorite part of the city?
Photos by Ryan Carpenter.
March 28, 2019 @ 7:45 am
Love! I’ve been eyeing those cute headbands too! Definitely need to get one!
March 28, 2019 @ 1:55 pm
Isn’t it the best?! It was sooo perfect for the trip!
March 28, 2019 @ 11:55 pm
I’ve never been to Old San Juan, but it sounds like an incredible experience. What a special way to feel closer to your grandmother! I’m glad y’all had a great time.
April 8, 2019 @ 10:42 pm
You have to go!!! It was a really great place!!
March 29, 2019 @ 1:28 am
Such a cute outfit babe! I am loving this striped top and blush headband! Love it paired with the white skirt.
Kileen
cute & little
April 1, 2019 @ 7:26 am
Thanks, Kileen! I thought it was so fitting for Puerto Rico! Definitely going to be pulling it back out when it gets warmer here in Atlanta too 🙂
March 29, 2019 @ 1:43 am
That top is soooo perfect for Puerto Rico! So colorful and looks like super comfy for warm weather too! This trip looks amazing!
April 1, 2019 @ 7:25 am
Isn’t it?! I thought so too! The trip was FAB!
March 29, 2019 @ 12:53 pm
I’ve always wanted to go to Puerto Rico! These photos really make me wish I was there!
April 1, 2019 @ 7:24 am
It was sooo beautiful!! The food was delicious, the people were so great, everything was just perfect. I can’t wait to go back again!
March 30, 2019 @ 8:29 pm
Girl!! You are looking amazing! Loved the entire outfit. It’s perfect for Puerto Rico for sure. You would’ve loved Cinema Bar. Their food is sooo good but their specialty are mojitos. I tried the coconut mojito and it was a dream come true lol I’m glad that you enjoyed your trip. It’s definitely a beautiful island.
XO
Candace
http://www.thebeautybeau.com
April 1, 2019 @ 7:23 am
Omg thank you so much babe!! Oh that sounds incredible! Our trip was super short so I am DEFINITELY planning to go back and do some more exploring! I’ll totally add Cinema Bar to the list 🙂
March 31, 2019 @ 11:04 pm
Old San Juan looks absolutely Beautiful. I can’t wait to visit one day.
Xx, Nailil
http://thirtyminusone.com
April 1, 2019 @ 7:22 am
It was so amazing!! I can’t WAIT to go back and do some more exploring.
April 1, 2019 @ 11:41 am
Looks like this was a great trip! I love the first photo, very eye-catching!
April 3, 2019 @ 1:14 pm
Thanks so much, lady! It was amazing!
April 1, 2019 @ 1:33 pm
This looks like so much fun! I have always wanted to travel here.
April 3, 2019 @ 1:14 pm
I loved it so much!! Can’t wait to go back!!
April 4, 2019 @ 1:23 pm
Old San Juan looks incredible! Love your outfit too!
April 7, 2019 @ 1:01 pm
This place looks so beautiful! My parents went to Puerto Rico and they told me that El viejo San Juan is the best part of it, but they didn’t take any pictures lol. I am so glad you shared this post! I will definitely visit Puerto Rico sometime soon!
April 8, 2019 @ 11:09 am
Omg it really was so beautiful!! Old San Juan 100% lived up to the hype! I hope you get down there sometime soon. You’ll love it!!