In March 2017 I took a quick trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico with some friends for the weekend. Sadly due to my work schedule I could only be there from Friday until Monday, which I soon learned was not long enough to do everything I wanted to do! Here's a quick breakdown of my trip and some recommendations.
Flights
There are many affordable flights to San Juan. I flew Southwest which was very reasonable and of course the flexibility of being able to cancel is always worth it. My flight was very comfortable, direct, and only a few hours long. The trick to securing a cheap flight is to be flexible, and book flights during their sales!Accommodations
We rented an Airbnb, which was gorgeous and walking distance to the water BUT it wasn't all that affordable, which I did not really expect. You know I like my cheap accommodations and for the price we paid for this Airbnb, I think we would have been more comfortable at a hotel. One bathroom had very low water pressure and what little water we did come was only cold. Which means we all used the master shower but that hot water ran out quickly. Aside from this inconvenience the space was roomy and nicely designed and we had a fridge and microwave which came handy.Activities
Now for the fun part - As soon as I landed I wanted to go and discover, but being in a group sometimes that's not the option. However I did manage to have some fun. To begin, we went to La Placita for some very cheap drinks, street food and dancing! It was lively and people were bursting out unto that streets that were blocked by police. Don't be afraid of the shack looking establishments, they have $2 drinks!El Yunque Rain Forest
This was probably the best part of the trip. The rainforest is vast and beautiful. We easily rented a car, and drove to the mountain, did some zip-lining and then saw a waterfall. The rainforest closes at 6pm so we weren't able to see the large waterfall where we could swim, but it was a blast anyway. I recommend going very early to make it to everything. On the way out of the rainforest I spotted a street food vendor so of course I had to indulge in some deep fried goodies and a fresh young coconut.Downtown San Juan
Sadly I think this area is very commercialized. The little shops were cute but the restaurants were a little pricey and the scene was somewhat basic. However, behind it, where the slums lie with some old fortresses was absolutely gorgeous. San Juan has a very rich history and it seemed that most of it was in this area. I was told the slums were too dangerous to walk in but this is the experience I longed for. We took a tour bus around this area and it was nice to see the view from the height of the double decker bus, but you can easily walk around this area; great way to walk off some of that mofongo. The bus was around $30 per person, not really worth it in my opinion. It's only a couple mile walk from where we were.Beaches
Sorry to tell ya, but the beach is basic. If you are looking for a beach vacation, this isn't the place to go, but it does have a gorgeous view of the Ocean!Food
Overall I had an okay time in San Juan, the flights were very cheap but most other things, other than the beer, was overpriced. I tried mofongo for the first time, and loved it. My opinion is that Puerto Rico is not very affordable, but if you are interested in the beauty of the land, the rainforest and zip lining, this is the place to go. Also, one weekend isn't enough the get the most out of this trip. If I went back, I'd want to go into the slums.