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PUERTO RICO | San Juan, Puerto Rico Travel Guide
Friday, April 19, 2024
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Condado and Santurce
Condado
On the ocean side of Hwy. 26, also known as Avenida Baldorioty de Castro, Condado is an extremely popular tourist area that bustles with restaurants, hotels and wide sandy beaches. The western end begins at Puente Dos Hermanos, which connects the island of Puerta de Tierra and Old San Juan to mainland Puerto Rico, and runs along the either side of the main thoroughfare, Ashford Avenue, to Ocean Park. The area is packed with little guest houses and a few large hotels, including a Marriott, with casinos, exotic eateries, funky shops and some wild nightspots. The gay scene thrives here, and the tourist crowd is a healthy mix of young couples and families of all stripes.
Ocean Park
Just east of Condado, the quieter neighborhood of Ocean Park is protected from high-rise development by a municipal code barring the construction of buildings taller than three stories. Many visitors prefer to stay in the mellower guest houses in this residential area, most of which face a wide, clean beach.
Santurce
On the other side of Avenida Baldorioty de Castro, Santurce could hardly be more different. A flourishing business and residential area during the mid-20th century, it quickly declined into a gritty neighborhood of poorer families and hoodlums as business owners flocked to the new commercial center in Hato Rey. During the past few years, however, Santurce has begun to experience something of a revival, thanks to increased police presence, the opening of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico and a civic revival that has included the makeover of the popular Plaza Mercado open-air market on Calle Canals, with dozens of stalls vending fruit and vegetables, meats and cheeses, flowers, sandwiches and coffee. Especially if you’re staying in Condado, Plaza Mercado is definitely worth a stop, especially early in the morning for picnic supplies. You’ll know you’ve found it when you see the large metallic avocados out front.
Last updated November 20, 2010
Posted in Puerto Rico | San Juan
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