San Juan, Puerto Rico Travel Diary

Earlier this month Jose and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary! Traditionally, that calls for a gift made of cotton… Last year for our first one, I gave Jose a sold out, first edition, signed copy of a photo book he wanted; because the first year gift is paper –traditionally. Well, this year we threw tradition out the window and gave each other a mini vacation to Puerto Rico! My sister and brother-in-law joined us too and we had a blast. We pretty much had piña coladas and mojitos all day, every day!

Here’s a quick rundown of some highlights from San Juan:

Condado Vanderbilt Hotel: This was the Vanderbilt’s summer home… And, wow! What a home it must’ve been. There are many remains from its Art Deco past, so I was clearly inclined to stay there. Decor plays a huge part for me in deciding where I want to stay when I travel. We got an amazing deal on Booking, BTW! I also love the location on Ashford Avenue, which is like a mini version of Miami’s Ocean Drive. There’s even a beautiful architectural jewel of an apartment building called the Miami (see photos below). It’s only a five minute walk from the Condado Vanderbilt.

Caribe Hilton: Not necessarily a recommended hotel –I wouldn’t know because we didn’t stay there– but definitely a place to visit if you want to try an authentic Piña Colada. This is where it was invented!

El Hamburger: Local’s love this spot for a great burger and fries! It was packed. It’s situated right on the waterfront between Condado and Viejo San Juan. We parked our rental car at El Hamburger and walked off our meal all the way to Viejo San Juan. It can be difficult to find parking space there so we decided to walk from there, it was only about 15 minutes and there are some great government buildings along the way with interesting architecture.

Caficultura: a good cup of coffee in Viejo San Juan.

Collective Request: small but ultra cool little boutique with emerging designers and labels.

Concalma: another great little boutique founded by a RISD alumna, selling fair trade designer goods.

La Taberna del Lúpulo: Beer fans will want to stop by here for a drink!

La Mala Vida: Right across the street from Taberna del Lúpulo is another great little place for drinks and food.

Jose Enrique: This is THE place to eat in San Juan. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get a table! It’s first come, first serve and the place was packed when we got there, with no available tables for the rest of the night.

La Casita Blanca: Another great place to eat Puerto Rican food.

Dorado Beach: A Ritz Carlton hotel and ultra posh beach resort; worth the short drive to take in the sights of the beautiful beachfront community, originally developed by a Rockefeller. There’s also a pretty good restaurant in the hotel: Mi Casa by José Andrés. Or, of course, you can also stay there if you want to splurge 🙂

Have any of you guys been to Puerto Rico? What were your favourite spots? I’ll be posting a second round-up soon, featuring our highlights from Vieques Island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, where we spent a few days during our trip.

Thanks for reading!

xo

Maristella

Midcentury lettering of the Caribe Hilton sign in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Retro, midcentury, art deco, vintage architecture design of the Normand building in San Juan, Puerto Rico

El Hamburger in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Retro, midcentury, art deco, vintage architecture design of the Normand building in San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

Architecture in San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

Pink walls, pink building, Architecture in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Retro, midcentury, art deco, vintage architecture design of the Normand building in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Architecture in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Colonial architecture in San Juan, Puerto Rico

What to do in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Things to do in San Juan Puerto Rico

 

Traveling to San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

Puerto Rico recommendations for San Juan

 

Good coffee in Caficultura in Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

Caficultura in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Cobblestone streets and colonial architecture of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico

Pink building, colourful colonial buildings in Old San Juan Puerto Rico

Vacation style ideas, what to wear in San Juan, Puerto Rico

La Mala Vida is a great bar and restaurant in Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico

Shopping at emerging brand and label boutique Collective Request in Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico

Great little shop in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico selling emerging designers and labels called Collective Request

La Perla in Puerto Rico

Blogger vacation style by Maristella Gonzalez

New annex of the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Infinity pool overlooking the Caribbean ocean at the Condado Vanderbilt hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Tropical decor at the Condado Vanderbilt hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Tropical art deco interiors of the Condado Vanderbilt hotel's original 1919 building in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Maristella Gonzalez in San Juan, Puerto Rico wearing a Zara top, Nightwalker embroidered palazzo pants and Michael Kors leather clutch

Pink walls, terrazzo floors and rattan furniture at the art deco / spanish revival Condado Vanderbilt hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Beautiful sunset at Dorado Beach by Ritz Carlton in Puerto Rico

The Miami Art Deco building in Ashford avenue, San Juan Puerto Rico

Architecture in Ashford Avenue Puerto Rico

Art deco design of the Miami apartment building in Ashford Avenue, San Juan, Puerto Rico in Condado

Vacation in Puerto Rico

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