Where to stay in San Juan

Old San Juan is the historic colonial district on the north-west tip of San Juan Islet, the oldest settlement in Puerto Rico and a registered historic zone. Its forts, the city walls and La Fortaleza are a World Heritage Site, and the National Park Service puts El Morro 14 km (8.5 miles) from the airport.

East of it, Condado is a beachfront district of upscale hotels, restaurants, boutiques and condos along Ashford Avenue, about 5.5 km (3.5 miles) from the old city by road. Ocean Park, next along, is a residential beachfront district with guest houses around McLeary Avenue, and Isla Verde, in the municipality of Carolina, is a beachfront district of hotels and condominiums about 3 km (2 miles) from the airport.

Miramar, another district of Santurce, was listed on Puerto Rico's register of historic sites and zones in 2007 for its Spanish Revival houses with patios and gardens, and sits about 4 km (2.5 miles) from Old San Juan.

Puerto Rico posts its speed limits in miles per hour, marks distances on signs in kilometres and sells fuel by the litre (via GetCar). Tolls are electronic, through the tag the rental car carries, and the company's own toll fee is not published on an official page, so ask at the desk (via GetCar).

In Old San Juan the municipal garages, Doña Fela, Covadonga and La Puntilla among them, charge by the hour at rates not published in 2026, and the street meters and resident-only streets are not published either (via GetCar). Vehicles are not allowed on El Morro's grounds. The city's La Línea bus is free, Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 17:00, and its route 5 runs from Ashford Avenue in Condado to Plaza Colón, so a stay in Condado can leave the car parked on weekdays.

For a rental in San Juan, the municipal licence states the parking that comes with the unit, on a sign inside it. GetCar's guide Driving in San Juan covers the tolls, the island roads and the Puerto Rico rules.

Puerto Rico's room tax is paid by the guest with the room charge, and it covers resort fees too. The general rate at hotels is 9%, at hotels with a gaming room 11%, and paradores, Posadas de Puerto Rico and certified bed and breakfasts 7%. Short-term rentals, meaning houses, apartments and villas let for less than 90 days, pay 7%, and platforms must collect it: Airbnb adds 7%, cleaning fees included, to reservations of 89 nights or fewer.

The law also makes platforms require each short-term rental host to register with the Tourism Company and hold a tax number. On top of that, a San Juan ordinance of 2023 requires a municipal licence for rentals of under 90 days, with the licence number in the online listing, so a listing without one is worth a question. The same ordinance puts fines for breaking rules on neighbourly conduct, cleanliness or safety on the guest renting the unit at the time. Isla Verde lies in Carolina, outside the San Juan ordinance.

Visitors from the 42 Visa Waiver Program countries, among them the UK and 24 of the 27 EU countries (not Bulgaria, Cyprus or Romania), can stay up to 90 days for tourism with an approved ESTA, which is required for Puerto Rico; the stay cannot be extended. ESTA costs USD 40.27 and is valid for two years. US citizens need no passport to travel between the US and Puerto Rico.

Compare totals with the room tax in: 7% on a rental and 9% at a hotel on the general rate. Check that a San Juan rental shows its municipal licence number. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, with its peak on 10 September, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Sightseeing on foot: Old San Juan.

A beach with restaurants and the old city close: Condado.

A residential beach street: Ocean Park.

A beach close to the airport: Isla Verde.

A historic residential district near the old city: Miramar.