Make the most of a rainy day

Turn a grey day into a bright one with five entertaining activities to brighten your day

2022

Turn a grey day into a bright one with five entertaining activities to brighten your day

It’s raining, it’s pouring, and your day feels so boring. Luckily for you, Puerto Rico has plenty of fun indoor activities as it does outside.

Yes, this exquisite Isle of Enchantment is well known for his amazing pristine beaches, azure waters and ongoing stretches of golden sand but Puerto Rico has so much more to offer.And when the weather is grim, here are five enjoyable activities that BIENVENIDOS recommends to brighten your day.

Stroll around a first-class museum

Take advantage of a rainy day by visiting one of Puerto Rico’s stellar museums to take in incredible world-class exhibits.

Straddling the border between San Juan’s Condado tourism district and its cultural heart of Santurce is the Puerto Rico Art Museum, a glistening showcase of Puerto Rican culture.

Stroll around at your leisure or take advantage of the guided tours that are available to help visitors take in a stunning array of works in its permanent collection, which includes an exhibition representative of Puerto Rican art from the 17th century to the present, as well as world-class temporary exhibitions. The setting is calm, cool, and cutting-edge.

This museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution facility. Its 130,000 square feet of space includes 24 exhibition galleries, a theater, workshops, an interactive area for children, and a research area, among others. An upscale restaurant and eclectic gift shop round out the experience.

Also sitting in the heart of Santurce is the Contemporary Art Museum located a short stroll up the road in a former public school built in 1918. The Georgian-style building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since the late 1980s and was renovated under the direction of Puerto Rican architect Otto Reyes Casanova for its new role as home to the island’s top collection of contemporary art.

The permanent collection at the two-story museum in the Stop 18 area includes important works by Puerto Rican, Caribbean and Latin American artists produced from the second half of the 20th century to present. The galleries, which surround a stunning interior courtyard, exhibit a wide variety of works ranging from paintings and sculpture to mixed-media, sound, and video installations.

Knowledgeable and friendly staff is on hand to guide you through a collection that reveals the mixture of influences, cultures, and history behind the contemporary art movement in Puerto Rico since World War II. There is a small gift shop on the first floor.

Another great place in Puerto Rico’s southern region, referred to as Porta Caribe, is the Ponce Art Museum, a world-class institution that is recognized as an important center for European art in the Americas. Its stunning collection, the finest in the Caribbean, provides a rich panorama of western art stretching from the Renaissance to the present day.

The main building designed by Edward Durrel Stone, the architect behind the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.; has a soaring sculpture by American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, “Brushstrokes in Flight,” that gives way to a gleaming glass pavilion added to the original building.

The internationally renowned collection is comprised of more than 4,500 works of art from many cultures, dating from the ninth century C.E. to the present. The dynamic, wide-ranging works includes paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, drawings, decorative arts, pre-Hispanic, and African objects, Puerto Rican folk art, contemporary ceramics, video, and sound art.

Of course, you can’t miss “Flaming June,” the famed 1895 painting by Frederic Lord Leighton that has been practically synonymous with the museum since its opening. The Museum is partially opened. For more information please send an email to: info@museoarteponce.org.

Retail therapy

A little rain never turns away a shopping enthusiast. On a wet day in Puerto Rico, though, places like the picturesque Puerto Rico Premium Outlets in Barceloneta, most commercial strip malls, and free-standing stores in Isla Verde, Condado and Old San Juan would be difficult to appreciate because they are located outdoors and are really meant for customers to enjoy the weather.

An all-time favorite indoor mall among visitors and locals alike is Plaza las Americas, the largest in the Caribbean that literally has more clothes stores under one roof than any other place in Puerto Rico. It offers the widest variety of shopping and dining experience with over 300 stores including the only Macy’s in the Caribbean and the largest JC Penney (it has three floors). You can also find popular stores like Abercrombie and Fitch, Michael Kors, Forever 21, Banana Republic, BCBG, Old Navy, West Elm, among many others.In addition, the mall also has a Caribbean Cinemas theater and more than 40 dining alternatives at its food court with ample parking and valet service.

When visiting the east coast of Puerto Rico, you will discover two remarkable malls on your way, Plaza Carolina and The Outlet at Route 66, which is located in the town of Canovanas and named after the road that takes you there.

Over at The Outlet at Route 66 you will see stores like Nautica, Perry Ellis, Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, Kenneth Cole Outlet, BCBG Maxazria, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, and many more. This remarkable outlet has a food court where you can enjoy a great lunch or dinner alone or with your travel companions. Its spacious and beautiful architectural design features glass ceilings at its food court and a refreshing fountain that makes it an ideal spot to recharge your energy to continue your sightseer venture.

With a contemporary architectural style inspired by Isla Verde’s “beachy” atmosphere, visitors love the tropical feel at Plaza Carolina shopping mall.

It first opened its doors in 1978 in the town of Carolina, becoming the first regional commercial center in the northeast and the second largest mall on the island. Plaza Carolina has more 250 stores and restaurants. Only 15 minutes away from Luis Muñoz Marin Airport and from Isla Verde’s main hotels, Plaza Carolina is a perfect stopover to get the most out of your Caribbean vacation without fighting with your umbrella.

In the south, Plaza del Caribe is your best bet. It’s the largest mall in this region with a total of 130 stores including Forever 21, Zara, American Eagle Outfitters and Old Navy, among others. Additionally, it has a Caribbean Cinemas theater.

Heading west you’ll find the third largest shopping center in Puerto Rico, the Mayaguez Mall, which is home to stores like Sears, JC Penney, Wal-Mart, Marshalls as well as Clarks, Gordon’s, Sony Style, Totto, among plenty of others. Besides featuring a supermarket, it has Chili’s and Romano’s Macaroni Grill restaurants, just to mention a few. Mayaguez Mall is one of the most important shopping centers in the area since its opening in 1972 and it’s a place where visitors stop to assess what the west has to offer in a family environment.

On a budget or simply enjoy to hunt for bargains, then there are many U.S. style indoor malls island-wide.

Last but certainly not least, The Mall of San Juan is bursting with luxury shopping. It features an exclusive mix of fashion and lifestyle merchants, such as Versace, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Oil & Vinegar, Jimmy Choo, Kate Spade New York, Salvatore Ferragamo, among others.

All sunshine on spa day

Nothing beats a spa session, or a really good massage. Most major hotels and resorts in Puerto Rico have a full range of top-notch spa facilities. So here are some of the best hotel spas you can enjoy on a less-than-sunny day.

Achieve a blissful state of relaxation at Spa Botanico at the Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, situated on the former Laurance S. Rockefeller estate, inspired by nature for a holistic sense of wellbeing. Indulge yourself with treatments and massages prepared just for you and experience heightened levels of pampering at this amazing sanctuary. Spa Botanico’s most luxurious treatment on its menu is The Botanico Beauty Ritual, which offers a full day of treatments including a Vitamin C exfoliation combined with an Ebb & Flow massage. Then you’re treated to a facial using a non-surgical face lift micro-current machine and a hair and scalp treatment. After eating a spa lunch, you receive a manicure and pedicure, followed by a hair wash and blow dry and custom make-up session.

The incredibly intimate spa at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Rio Grande embraces the history and the lush surroundings El Yunque Rainforest. The seven treatment rooms are a dreamy escape: small casitas (little houses) in a jungle courtyard centered by a koi pond. With private terraces and water, you’ll bask in the afterglow of treatments like The Cemi Gods Rejuvenating Facial and Cacique’s Brightening Facial, which celebrate the African, Taino and Spanish heritage that make up today’s vibrant Puerto Rican culture.

Indulge yourself at Zen Spa Océano at the Caribe Hilton, with 12,000 square feet and top flight service for the leisurely traveler and the on-the-go executive. Their treatments, like the hotel itself, are tropical chic, incorporating such natural aromatic ingredients as honey, cucumber, sea salts, seaweed or mud to revitalize and relax stressed guests who deserve special attention and top-flight service. The full-service gym is handy and inspirational; the floor to ceiling glass windows with a panoramic ocean view keep spirits high on the treadmill.

Rio Mar Beach Resort, A Wyndham Grand Resort’s Mandara Spa in Rio Grande also draws inspiration from the rainforest, as well as the ancient Sanskrit legend about the gods’ quest to find the elixir of immortality and eternal youth that gives it its name. Eastern and Western traditions combine with Balinese décor and tropical ingredients like coconut and frangipani for a sensual Caribbean experience like no other.

On the rum trail

You might not know it, but Puerto Rico is one of the biggest and best rum-producing nations in the world.So why not warm up your rainy day by visiting the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center in Cataño and take a rum tasting tour. Learn about the past, present, and future of Bacardi, one of the world’s most popular rum brands.

Inside the giant iron gates embellished with its distinctive fruit bat logo lies the 127-acre Bacardi distillery that resembles an exclusive country club, where over 250,000 tourists flock each year making it the second most-visited tourist attraction in Puerto Rico. The lush manicured lawns and tropical palms decorated with modern art sculptures provide the perfect backdrop for the tropical art deco building.

Founded in 1862 by Cuban immigrant Don Facundo Bacardi Mass, the Bacardi factory is one of the largest factories in the world for production of rum, making over 100,000 liters a day. His first distillery in Cuba opened in 1862 and as Bacardi grew more successful, more factories were opened in Mexico and Puerto Rico. But the 1960’s saw the Bacardi family leave Cuba for good, taking their distillery in Puerto Rico to a whole new level.

At Casa Bacardi Visitor Center, guests are taken on a historical interactive journey about the brand and taught characteristics of the family. The tour includes a short film, some secrets of the distillation process, a pit stop to the museum featuring examples of the first Bacardi bottles, family memorabilia, and there is even a section to smell the types of rum. Most importantly there is a rum cocktail demonstration, and you can even sample some of the historic rums.

Sizzling hot casinos

Cabin fever can set in fast, especially when you feel trapped inside your hotel room due to rain. Just because it’s pouring outside doesn’t mean you can’t find some sizzling entertainment by stopping in at one of Puerto Rico’s sultry hot casinos with cutting-edge games.

Slot machines are the most popular games at most of the island’s casinos. You can find them ranging from penny slots all the way up to $25 slots. A few still take coins, though most of the casinos have changed to plastic magnetic strip card or paper bar-coded cards tied to a debit card.

Some casinos still have some of the older machines, where you can still get that special thrill of pulling down on that lever on the side of the machine (or push a button) and watch the reels spin with all its magical bells and whistles and hear the clank of coins hitting the payout tray.

The choice in game tables is a little more limited. Not all places will have your game of choice. Roulette and blackjack are pretty easy to find. It is best to call ahead if you have your heart set on a certain game.

So even if you get no thrill out of placing bets, a trip to the casino offers rewards if you like the finer things in life. And they offer all the entertainment of a night on the town. And like the best that Puerto Rico has to offer, casinos have that perfect mix of friendly locals and eclectic visitors from around the world.

Live music is a constant in island casinos, from versatile two-man combos to crooning divas backed up by jazz piano to full blown salsa bands on weekend nights. There are also more traditional “big bands” performing classic Spanish songs and ballads that perform right outside casinos on weekends.

Most of the island’s casinos are found in San Juan hotels and resorts, though you can also find thrilling gaming facilities in the towns of Bayamon, Caguas, Manati, Mayaguez, Ponce and Rio Grande.

And don’t worry. The sun will (probably) come out tomorrow.

Here’s what’s cooking at Loiza Street

By Peter Martin 3472 0

When you’re in San Juan, make sure to visit Loiza Street, the city’s newest hip hangout.

2022

When you’re in San Juan, make sure to visit Loiza Street, the city’s newest hip hangout.

If there is a secret to the city’s enduring appeal, it’s probably that it mixes thrilling metropolis entertainment, cultural and culinary delights with the laid back cool of a beach town. Nowhere is this delightful dichotomy in fuller view than on Loiza Street — a mélange of boutiques, restaurants and bars that stretches out for about a mile, one to two blocks away from some of the sweetest stretches of beach in Condado and Ocean Park, between the two Indio and Barbosa seaside parks.

Loiza Street is home to some of the best new restaurants to open in recent years, with talented young chefs reinvigorating island cuisine with a renewed passion, and a wide diversity of authentic cuisine taking root here: Mexican, Greek, Chinese, Peruvian, Japanese, Italian and fresh seafood. It’s also home to pubs and low-key clubs with live music and other entertainment, as well as fashion boutiques and artisan smoke and jewelry shops.

The Loiza strip runs from De Diego street to the west, home to Supermax De Diego, probably one of the best supermarkets in San Juan, and the Double Tree by Hilton San Juan, to just before Barbosa Park to the east, home to Nomad Urban Beach Hostel, one of two hostels catering to young urban travelers on the block (the other being Conturce Hostel). The low-cost, high quality hostels appeal to the same youthful crowds that are driving the street’s popularity. They offer lodging options from rooftop hammocks to coed and same sex rooms with multiple beds to private rooms with an ocean view and private bathroom. The Double Tree has golf-cart shuttle service for guests to the beach at Parque del Indio and room service, lounge chairs, and beach umbrellas once there. The bistros, bars and boutiques that line Loiza Street are also in easy reach of hotels in Condado and Ocean Park, including the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, the Numero Uno Beach Hotel, At Wind Chimes Boutique Hotel and Acacia Boutique Hotel.

The area has become one of the city’s hottest night spots, with a number of new bars specializing in cutting edge cocktails and craft beer. Piso Viejo is an old school cocktail emporium in a beautiful room that offers the best of classic Puerto Rico style. There’s a short menu fashioned from local cuisine and a gorgeous dance floor that is one of the best spots in the city to sashay to salsa.

There’s usually some serious booty shaking going on at El Barrio Socialbar, which draws a youthful crowd with loud reggaeton and local urban dance music. The cavernous space has the biggest bar on the block, an always fun crowd and the hardest working bar and service staff in the business. This is the place to, with drink in hand; shake it to the latest hits. Calle Loiza is also home to the popular club, Rumors, which has live entertainment, dance music and bistro fare.

Rumors has live entertainment, dance music and bistro fare.

Rumors has live entertainment, dance music and bistro fare.

El Bar Bero, a hipster cocktail lounge housed in a transformed barber shop, features friendly bartenders and complex, hand-crafted libations within a cool, modern, low-lit interior space.

If you had to name a place that best captures the Calle Loiza spirit, it would undoubtedly be Cafe Tresbe and the other eateries on its site, a modern open-air combination of food stands stitched together repurposed shipping containers and wood and metal terraces lined with blooming tropical flowers that is as attractive as it is utilitarian. Known for its burger sliders, seafood turnovers, fish tacos and kebabs, this is a great spot to have a snack and drink in the delicious atmosphere of Calle Loiza. The spot also offers fresh tropical fruit frappes, sushi and poke and is a great place for a drink from morning till after the sun goes down.

Tresbe was one of the first wave of restaurants and bars to open on the block, transforming the area into a vibrant San Juan hotspot from what was once an ugly strip of dingy restaurants and retail shops in decline. The opening of Sabrina Brunch & Bistro Bar here, however, put Calle Loiza on the culinary map, with chef Juan Camacho’s relaxed and soulful versions of Cuban and Puerto Rico classics, as well as tropical versions of world cuisine staples, among San Juan’s most unheralded culinary wonders. The attractive yet laid back space also features occasional live music and always friendly and knowledgeable service. Camacho, and the Sabrina management team, is also behind Azucena, the charming restaurant that more recently opened across the street in a Puerto Rico country home -style spot. Here the focus is more squarely on Puerto Rico cuisine and the entrees more focused to fine dining than bistro fare but the result is just as successful With Camacho in the kitchen, Sabrina and Azucena are two of the finest restaurants in San Juan, not just on Calle Loiza.

Sabrina Brunch & Bistro Bar put Calle Loiza on the culinary map.

Sabrina Brunch & Bistro Bar put Calle Loiza on the culinary map.

Bottega, located in the heart of the area, has been one of the city’s “in” spots since opening in 2019. It pairs an extensive wine list and tapas menu with both Spanish classics and modern renditions. It’s a great big room with high ceilings and wall-sized windows, large comfortable tables and chairs and a wrap-around bar that is the spot to mingle. The staff knows their wine and food and is as welcoming as they are knowledgeable.

Everybody goes to Bebo’s Cafe for the tasty and large platters of comida criolla at economic prices that makes it a rave for locals as well as travelers. Bebo’s, near the west end of the area, is just one of several comida criolla emporiums offering up price and taste on Calle Loiza, and you’ll find the same fresh local flavors and friendly vibes at Ana’s Cafe and Cafeteria Quisqueya, which are both closer to the eastern end. Gorge on mofongo relleno, grilled chicken criolla, tender island beefsteak and fresh seafood specials, usually fried red snapper or codfish serenata. All these spots have daily specials feature classic Puerto Rican plates at even better prices than the regular menu. Start off with fried cheese or a combination of turnovers. They also serve fresh fruit frappes and standard American breakfast and sandwich items, as well as wonderful local deserts – tropical flans, tres leches and cheesecakes. Molini’s also offers affordable tasty meals built on island flavors.

Calle Loiza also an ever broadening array of restaurants offering distinct world cuisines. One of its most established restaurants is Pan-Asian emporium Silk, on the grounds of the Gallery Plaza Double Tree by Hilton complex, which offers Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian and Vietnamese cuisine and sushi with flavor as big as its cavernous interior dining room and bar. This spot’s SoHo vibe is as authentic as the Chinatown special menu. There are kicking versions of the classics (Kong Pao chicken, Mongolian beef and, not to mention the steamed and fried dumplings and sesame noodles), a slick sushi bar offering Golden Dragon and Rock Rolls and tempura and teriyaki delights. Finish it off with fried ice cream.

Theos Greek Cafe is another long-term resident on Calle Loiza that offers authentic and inventive Greek cuisine served within a beautiful room that bows to Mediterranean classic design. The flavorful meals are as satisfying and refreshing as the ambiance.

Calle Loiza also has two fine authentic Italian trattorias – Mangiare Italian Trattoria & Pizzeria and Bocca Osteria Romana, that are top shelf and comparable to the finest such spots along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. While pizza and pasta are the main stays, there are fabulous daily specials at both spots from grilled rib eye with rosemary to sophisticated sautéed fish platters.

It’s always brunch at Tostado, the big beautiful hipster breakfast spot at the center of the block that serves wonderful coco pumpkin pancakes, eggs Benedict with pulled pork, vegetable omelets and tasty burgers made with Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico raised beef.

Pinky’s, which has the best sandwiches and wraps in San Juan, has found a new home on Calle Loiza after bouncing around a number of different locales around Ocean Park and Condado for the last decade. The small spot with big flavor also has among the best breakfasts in town.

It’s no secret that Calle Loiza’s restaurant scene is certainly keeping pace and evolving.

Santurce es Ley transforms an urban neglected neighborhood into a fashion forward open-air art gallery showcasing amazing murals created by great artists from Puerto Rico and around the world.

Santurce es Ley celebrates artistic empowerment through amazing murals

There was an era when artists would have been reprimanded for painting on abandoned buildings but times have changed, for the most part in the Santurce Arts District.

2019

There was an era when artists would have been reprimanded for painting on abandoned buildings but times have changed, for the most part in the Santurce Arts District.

Santurce es Ley (Santurce is Law) celebrates artistic empowerment which transformed an urban neglected neighborhood into a fashion forward open-air art gallery showcasing an amazing public display of murals created by great artists from Puerto Rico and around the world.

Santurce es Ley Urban Art Festival is an annual celebration that takes place technically in Santurce but closer to the Miramar district on Hoare and Cerra streets. Last year, about 20 artists participated not only from Puerto Rico but from the Dominican Republic, Holland, England, Canada, and U.S mainland. As you walk through Cerra Street you can instantly feel the artsy vibe and the uplifting energy emanating from the people, the art on the buildings, and the galleries open to the general public so they can walk around and explore.

But Santurce es Ley is much more. Visitors can listen to great live bands or Djs, grab local street fare sold at food trucks, buy artisan made goods and tattoos, run into friends to grab a beer at popular bars like El Watusi and Las Palmas, or just have a great time hanging out and making new friends.

There’s lots of liveliness, hunger to explore, and an air of youthfulness not only physically but spiritually. A smile or friendly gesture, a genuine quality of Puerto Ricans, never fails.

Nonetheless, this festival began in an unpredicted manner.

  • Dominican artist Evaristo Angurria painted a mural that embodies two women – a red and blue – to represent a fraternal tie between Puerto Rico and its sister country, the Dominican Republic.
  • As the night falls and the darkness makes it difficult to appreciate with clarity the details of the murals and plastic arts, an evening of partying begins.
  • Mural painted by Puerto Rican illustrator Sergio Vazquez aka Sergio Stuff situated on Cerra Street in Santurce.
  • Santurce es Ley celebrates artistic empowerment through amazing murals
  • Santurce es Ley transforms an urban neglected neighborhood into a fashion forward open-air art gallery showcasing amazing murals created by great artists from Puerto Rico and around the world.

 

Eight years ago, Alexis Bousquet had an audacious idea. The artist who owned his own gallery on Cerra Street was looking to do something different, so he decided to take his art out to the street, literally – and decided to hold a street art fair. The event was so successful, Bousquet decided to develop a strategic plan.

“We painted murals and lots of people arrived,” Bousquet told Bienvenidos. “We noticed that we could change this neighborhood that was extremely abandoned.”

He began his quest to search for muralists for the next edition, making himself a curator of the event. “It’s interesting what the artists say through their work. They are powerful messages. Even if the artists are foreign they become affected about what’s happening in Puerto Rico. Their art tell stories about frustration with the government, corruption, among other issues.”

There is art that asks questions, whimsical, that begs to be explored deeper and there is art about where Puerto Rico came from, it is, and currently heading.

Canadian muralist Danae Brissonet showcases a mystical creature with elements that symbolize the ocean, hurricane, and natural richness of Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, the mural painted by Dominican artist

Evaristo Angurria from impressionism to realism represents two women – a red and blue – that rembodies a fraternal tie between Puerto Rico and its sister country, the Dominican Republic.

The 2018 edition of Santurce es Ley also included an installation called “Are we okay” from artist Mark Rivera, where a toy car (represented the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico) goes on a rollercoaster built over trash – debris left behind by the hurricane. The artwork provokes curiosity and reflection.
Next the visitor comes across a mural of two doves intertwined painted by Ana Marietta and the pigeon created by Belgian artist Adele Renault. Both stimulate the imagination and invite visitors to keep exploring this renovated environment on Cerra Street that despite the presence of these works of art conserves its old school neighborhood ambiance.

According to Bousquet, the selected artists to take part in Santurce es Ley are distinguished for the quality of their work and tendency to continue working no matter any limitation that c
ould occur.

“Sometimes the artists are not well known but they should be and other times they are talented and the event provides promotion,” Bousquet added.

As the night falls and the darkness makes it difficult to appreciate with clarity the details of the murals and plastic arts. Now the day acquires another dynamic, an evening of partying. From the speakers, the loud salsa music playing reminds us that we are at the quintessential corner of the Caribbean, where Ruben Blades sings for us to continue “buscando guayaba” and Hector Lavoe reminds us to “entren, que caben cien.” The celebration just begins. There is so much more to see in Santurce and its Bousquet who keeps reminding us. “It’s important to search for more information of what was and is Santurce. Not to only be aware of what you see at first sight.” So come to the next festival and immerse yourself entirely in the canvas called Santurce.

The Musem de las Americas at Cuartel de Ballaja is the largest of the museums.

Enrich your knowledge of Puerto Rico visiting Old San Juan’s unique museums

By Eugenio Hopgood 3066 0

What does an instrument used to steer a course using the bright stars, books published when printers were invented; folk art exhibitions, and a woman with a high bun who formed a network of schools and transported snow to the tropics have in common?

2019

What does an instrument used to steer a course using the bright stars, books published when printers were invented; folk art exhibitions, and a woman with a high bun who formed a network of schools and transported snow to the tropics have in common?

Well all the aforementioned subject matters are at your reach, walking distance at a choice of museums found in Old San Juan.

The Museum of Las Americas, La Casa del Libro, Maritime Museum and the Felisa Rincon de Gautier Museum are the original four institutions that formed part of the Cultural Alliance of Old San Juan, created to promote the cultural and historical spaces of the Old City.

Also part of the Alliance is the National Foundation for Popular Culture (folkloric music), the Art School of San Juan, the Casa Cortes Foundation (plastic arts) and the Reenactment Site in San Juan.

Bienvenidos visited the original museums to get an idea of what you’ll find to further enrich your experience with knowledge, beauty, history and culture in Puerto Rico.

Museo de las Americas

It’s the largest and grandest of the museums. The Musem de las Americas is located on the second floor of the Cuartel de Ballaja, a magnificent historic building from the 19th century constructed by the Spanish government to house troops and officers who worked on the grounds of El Morro San 
Felipe Fort.

The Museum de la Americas was founded in 1992 by archeologist Ricardo Alegria, responsible for the conservation and restoration of the historic architectural traits in Old 
San Juan.

Its mission is to offer a concentrated vision of the history and culture of the Americas from the pre-Columbian era to the present with an emphasis on Puerto Rico. It has four rooms with permanent displays and two with seasonal exhibits – plastic arts made by local and international 
artists.

  • The Musem de las Americas at Cuartel de Ballaja is the largest of the museums.
  • The Museum de la Americas’ mission is to offer a concentrated vision of the history and culture of the Americas from the pre-Columbian era to the present with an emphasis on Puerto Rico.

The rooms with permanent exhibitions are “The Birth and Evolution of the Puerto Rican nation; and “The Indian of America,” that showcases 22 ethnicities that have survived the European conquest; “The African Heritage,” which is about the African culture of the Americas legacy and the fourth features Plastic Arts of Puerto Rico.

The exhibit about The Birth and Evolution of the Puerto Rican Nation describes in a brief manner through graphics, images, artifacts, and text the history of the Puerto Rican nation from the arrival of Juan Ponce de Leon to now,” said Museum Director Maria Angela Lopez. It includes text in form of bullets designed to be read by children as young as the age of seven.”

Lopez added the tourists who visit appreciate the exhibit because they take something home with them about Puerto Rico.

“Many visitors arrive without any idea about the history of Puerto Rico and here they take home a notion about where Puerto Ricans come from and the different events and processes that formed us as a nation.”

The Indian of the Americas Exhibit suffered damages in 2017 even though some of its main pieces, hyperrealism sculpture figures that represent members of the different indigenous ethnicities, and other artifacts were not damaged. This exhibit is expected to reopen during the second half of the year and is being redesigned to give more emphasis on the Taino culture – the indigenous that lived more than 500 years ago in Puerto Rico and Greater Antilles.

The Plastic Arts exhibit features pottery, basketry, homes and furniture, parties and traditions as well as traditional music instruments like the cuatro and marimbula. There is a small room with valuable models of wood saints made by the Ricardo Alegria collection.

“This is a multidisciplinary museum with elements of art, history, and anthropology that tell stories,” Lopez said. “Through the seasonal exhibits we balance the content of the permanent displays with more current and varied projects.”

In the rooms that feature seasonal exhibits, there will be a display in May and June by Ivan Girona, one of the most distinguished young artists of Puerto Rico.

Also, there will be a tribute exhibit of the Art School of San Juan during August and September to commemorate its 50 year 
anniversary.

Another option that will be presented from August to December is the Caribbean Ties exhibit that showcases indigenous of the Caribbean.

The museum has a store where you can buy handicrafts, books, music, and souvenirs. The general admission is $6 and $4 for children under 12 years of age as well as for adults over 62. There are tours in English and Spanish and it opens from Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Every other Sunday of every month the museum holds an open house with free admission. For more information call (787) 724-5052 or visit www.museolasamericas.org.

Museo del Mar

Located on 360 San Francisco Street, just one block from Plaza Colon is an interesting place called the Museo del Mar. Here you will see the impressive side of the maritime history in Puerto Rico from civil to military to the arrival of the European conquerors with the expedition of Christopher Columbus in 1492 to date.

“We tell history through a collection of maritime articles, maps, models, images, and routing instruments,” said Manuel Minero, curator of the museum.

Close to the door is a map that demonstrates the voyages from an island that is now called the United States by Juan Ponce de Leon, the Spanish conqueror of Puerto Rico. He headed an expedition to Florida in 1512 and returned in 1521 when he died by arrows shot by indigenous of the region while searching for the mystical Fountain of Youth.

  • There is an assortment of replicas and styles of astrolabes at the Museo del Mar used to navigate by using stars.
  • At the Museo del Mar you will see the impressive side of the maritime history in Puerto Rico.

 

In the museum you can see a Spanish coin collection from the Conquista era like maravedies and real silver, the coin most used in America during those times.

An object, not too old but curious, is an autographed photograph of Christopher Columbus of Carvajal, and Duke of Veragua, a descendant of 18 generations of Admiral Columbus.

There is small scale replicas of the three ships used during the Christopher Columbus’ Discovery of America mission by the Europeans. They were made in 1992 for the 500 year commemoration event in Puerto Rico. The Santa Maria carried a crew of 40 and La Pinta and La Niña were two smaller vessels.

Aboard the vessels, Minero explained, were pilots that not only knew how to orientate themselves by using the stars but also drew the coasts to make cartographies. They submitted these drawings to the main pilot in Sevilla who would connect the drawings like a puzzle and develop maps.

One of the most interesting items in the museum is a mockup that illustrates the siege of the churches in San Juan in 1797. The movement of ships and troops in this battle by 6,000 Puerto Rican militants that supported the Spanish soldiers was decisive in repelling the attack.

And there was a replica of one of the barges that were used in the 18th century to extract sediment from the bay and sustain a secure canal for the entry of boats.

One of the most valuable objects at the museum is the astrolabe of Rincon that was constructed in 1616. It was found in 1987 close to the coast of Rincon, situated on the western region of the island. Similarly there are an assortment of replicas and styles of astrolabe that are old instruments used to navigate by using stars as a point of reference.

There are photos and mock ups of the Titanic, the most representative of the steam boat era. There are also pictures and memorabilia of the first steam boats in Puerto Rico that belonged to the Porto Rico Line, a company that started with Spanish and U.S. interests before the Hispanic American War in 1898 and remained with the owners of the U.S. During the First World War, the Germans sank a ship from this line, the Carolina that was departing from New York and another, Coamo was sunk by a German submarine in the Atlantic while it served as a barge hospital with injured soldiers aboard. These were cargo vessels but in 1917 most were converted into passenger vessels and it was the only commercial way to travel between Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland, once traffic increased as Puerto Ricans obtained U.S. citizenship that year.

This continued to be the main mode of transportation to and from Puerto Rico in the 1940s and 1950s as air traffic began to rise.

The Museo del Mar has the largest collection of life preservers in the world, certified by the 
Guinness Book of World Records. Among them is one from Tynwald, which participated in the battle of 
Dunkirk during the Second World War and Grozny. The Soviet vessel tried to break the U.S. siege of taking nuclear missiles to Cuba and with its withdrawal it is believed was the reason for avoiding a nuclear war.

Also, there are assorted boat bells including one from the U.S. San Juan that fought in the Pacific during the Second World War. There is a flag from the boat that shows signs of shrapnel of some of the naval battles.

The Museo del Mar opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, and $2 for children.

For more information call (787) 977-4461 or visit the Facebook page: el museo del mar.

La Casa del Libro

Book aficionados have a place to visit on 255 Cristo Street. Inside a traditional large house situated in front of the iconic Cristo Chapel is La Casa del Libro, a museum and special library dedicated to the art of books and the display of rare books with historical value.

“The museum is dedicated to the culture and art of books from binding, printing, typography, engraving, calligraphy, illustration and photography,” said Museum Director Karen Cana-Cruz. “We alternate our exhibits every three to four months and then we present an exhibit of an artist or artists who work on the art of books.”

Casa del Libro is a museum and special library dedicated to the art of books and the display of rare books with historical value.

Casa del Libro is a museum and special library dedicated to the art of books and the display of rare books with historical value.

Founded by renowned editor and printer Elmer Adler in 1955, the museum has a collection of over 6,000 rare books which includes a volume of the first book in history never printed, the Chronicles of Nuremberg of 1493.

The collection includes valuable documents like one page of the first bible printed by the inventor of the printer, Johannes Gutenberg in 1454, Cana-Cruz added.

Also it has two manuscripts of 1493 signed by the Catholic Kings, Fernando of Aragon and Isabel of Castilla, which is believed to be the oldest documents to exist in America related to the expedition of Admiral Christopher Columbus to the New World.

“The invention of the printer increased the access of information in a way similar to the Internet during the end of the 20th century,” said Cana-Cruz. The collection of rare books includes 400 early prints from 1450 to 1490 – the first 50 years since the printer was invented.

All the rare books are not permanently exhibited only temporary selected volumes from the collection and the remainder is kept in a suitable condition for conservation.

On the first floor, antique presses are exhibited and among them is a French Koine of 1812 that arrived in Puerto Rico in 1867 and is believed was used by famous Puerto Rican writers like the poet Jose de Diego. Also you can see a Chandler & Price of 1903 and a Vandercook of 1925.

La Casa del Libro offers workshops from typography to the fabrication of paper and it has a store that permits visitors to buy reproductions, exposition catalogs, art, handmade jewelry, stationary, books and other unique gifts.

Admission is $4.50 adults and $2.50 students. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call (787) 723-0354 or visit www.lacasadellibro.org.

Felisa Rincon de Gautier Museum

A few minutes by foot from la Casa del Libro is the Felisa Rincon de Gautier Museum, dedicated to a variety of memorabilia of one of the most interesting personalities and ambassador of the history of San Juan in the 20th century, who was also mayor of San Juan for 22 years.

Waiting to greet Bienvenidos was Hilda Rodriguez, daughter of Hilda Jimanez, founder of the museum and former secretary of the mayor known to all as Doña Fela.

Doña Fela, who had a fashion boutique in Old San Juan, was a women’s-rights activist in favor of the right for women to vote and that privilege in Puerto Rico was achieved in 1932; six years later she helped initiate the Popular Democrat Party that dominated the island’s politics for three decades, and also was the mayor of San Juan from 1946 to 1968.

  • Felisa Rincon de Gautier was known for her elegant attire and was distinguished by a high bun.
  • You can see the 166 keys Felisa Rincon de Gautier received from different cities as an honorary visitor.
  • The Felisa Rincon de Gautier Museum is dedicated to the ambassador of the history of San Juan in the 20th century, who was also mayor of San Juan for 22 years.

 

Upon retirement at the age of 71, Doña Fela moved and resided for three years in the house that was converted in 1987 into the museum dedicated about her life and she was able to enjoy it since she died at the age of 97 in 1994.

The first floor of the house has a great collection of photographs that included the legendary event where she transported in 1952 refrigerated snow inside a cargo plane to Luis Munoz Rivera Park in San Juan to show kids that never saw snow.

Doña Fela was a clever politician with ideas that captivated the imagination of the town like when she transported snow and her tradition to join the crowds and jump backwards into the ocean for good luck during the traditional Noche de San Juan celebration at Escambron public beach, which is also documented in the photo exhibit.

The mayor was known for her elegant attire and her Spanish hand fans and as she got older she was distinguished by a high bun and large dark glasses. On the second floor you can see her bedroom and outfits. Also, there is her large collection of Spanish fans and cute photos of kids dressed up as Doña Fela in school activities.

Besides being known for her colorful personality, Doña Fela is recognized for her hard work that includes developing public hospitals in the city, parks, roads, nursing homes, preservation of historical buildings in Old San Juan and the creation of a network of centers for pre-school kids that was avant-garde for its time.

When President John F. Kennedy visited Puerto Rico in 1961 he learned about the preschool centers program that was developed by Doña Fela in San Juan and he gave instructions to develop a similar initiative at the federal level in the U.S. mainland, which became the Head Start program that still is active. From that historic visit of Kennedy to Puerto Rico, two years before his tragic assassination in Dallas, there is an oleo portrait of him which he gave to Doña Fela as a personal gift.

The exposition includes photos of Doña Fela with Kennedy, Lydon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon and with vice president Hubert Humphrey, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and with New York Mayor Abe Beame, among other important political figures. Also, there was a handwritten thank you letter signed by Dwight D. Eisenhower after his visit to Puerto Rico.

Doña Fela was named a Goodwill Ambassador of the United States and also was a committee chairwoman of the Democratic Party in Puerto Rico.

Her distinction in U.S. political affairs and her photos with important politicians demonstrates her great influence in the Puerto Rican community in New York.

Kennedy was grateful for Doña Fela’s help and said that her participation with the Puerto Rican community in New York during the presidential campaign of 1960 was important in achieving his victory by a slight margin.

Although Doña Fela never finished high school because she took over the job of raising her eight younger siblings after being orphaned, she received 11 honorary doctorate titles that formed part of the museum’s exhibit and in 1954 she was named “Woman of the 
Americas.”

You can also see the 131 awards, plaques, and merits that were given to her by countries and cities and the 166 keys she received from different cities as an honorary 
visitor.

For more information call (787) 723-1897 or (787) 724-7239 or visit www.museofelisarincon.com/casamuseo.

Cristo Chapel - Mi Viejo San Juan

En Mi Viejo San Juan

By Peter Martin 3748 0

Anyone who has spent enough time in Old San Juan to be seduced by this gorgeous Spanish colonial jewel by the sea will leave still longing for “en mi Viejo San Juan,” or “in my Old San Juan,” just like that classic romantic ballad by Puerto Rican song writer Noel Estrada says.

2018

Anyone who has spent enough time in Old San Juan to be seduced by this gorgeous Spanish colonial jewel by the sea will leave still longing for “en mi Viejo San Juan,” or “in my Old San Juan,” just like that classic romantic ballad by Puerto Rican song writer Noel Estrada says.

It won’t take long to get smitten. Old San Juan is the Americas’ most stunning restored Spanish colonial sector. Perched on a headland overlooking the dramatic ocean coast and the island’s main harbor, the mile-square city has museums, galleries, and boutiques selling fine art, crafts, and other unique items from around the island, region, and world, as well as some of the city’s finest hotels, restaurants, bars and other night spots.

Its blue-tinged cobblestone streets, originally built from the ballast of New World explorer ships, descend from an ocean-side boulevard to the wide promenade lining the tranquil waters of San Juan bay. They are lined with colorful colonial homes, with balconies full of bougainvillea, and deftly designed office buildings, ancient cathedrals, and stately government buildings and city plazas. The architecture spans Spanish colonial to baroque to Gothic to Art Deco.

At a minimum, you’ll want to spend a morning or afternoon shopping and seeing the sites in Old San Juan, but if time warrants, there is enough to do to fill a full day. Make sure to have a delicious, gorgeously set lunch or dinner (or both!) at one of the Old City’s prime restaurants.

Plaza Quinto Centenario - Mi Viejo San Juan

Plaza del Quinto Centenario (Quincentennial Plaza) was inaugurated in 1992 to celebrate the 500th birthday of the founding of the New World by the Spanish.

The Old City is largely defined by its twin fortresses – El Morro, or Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, and San Cristobal, or Castillo San Cristobal – that tower over, respectively, the entrance to San Juan Bay and the narrow land-bridge connecting the old city to the rest of San Juan. They combine to form the San Juan National Historic Site, which is managed by the U.S. National Park Service. There is trolley service between the two installations, but the Oceanside sidewalk makes for a great walk, especially on sunny days.

The fortresses and the massive wall surrounding the city have survived natural disasters and foreign invasions for some five centuries and still wield an enormous presence in the life of Old San Juan. They are filled with historic treasures and offer dramatic views of the tropical ocean, with historic exhibits, guided tours and informational brochures.

El Morro unfolds in a number of layers, with ramps winding from the dungeons to the troop barracks to the iconic guard towers. Its northernmost point overlooks the ocean surf crashing against the rocky coast. The great green lawn surrounding El Morro has become a favorite spot to fly kites and to picnics. Kites and refreshments are available at street carts outside the Spanish colonial fortress.

San Cristobal’s vast walls rise more than 150 feet above the ocean, and various lookouts offer ocean and city views that will only add to you appreciation of Old San Juan’s beauty. The fortress was constructed in circular fashion with the interior area linked by tunnel and moats to its outer rings dedicated to defense. Make sure to check out the killer view from the Devil’s Sentry Box, where Spanish guards were said to disappear without a trace while on watch.

You can ponder in all its glory El Morro, stretching across its vast green grounds and the emerald blue Caribbean horizon, from the nearby Plaza del Quinto Centenario (Quincentennial Plaza). It was inaugurated in 1992 to celebrate the 500th birthday of the founding of the New World by the Spanish, and features a granite and clay totem-like monument and adjacent fountains and sculptures celebrating Puerto Rico’s rich cultural heritage. Beyond the plaza is the Cuartel de Ballaja, a 19th century army barracks that is one of the largest buildings constructed by the Spanish in the Americas. Today it house the Museum of the Americas, focused on indigenous and regional art, a pleasant outdoor cafe and a handsome courtyard that is often host to special events. The Asilo de Beneficencia, a former indigents’ hospital dating from 1832, is also nearby and the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture. Also nearby is Casa Blanca, a charming home that once belonged to Puerto Rico’s first governor, Juan Ponce de Leon, with an interesting museum and gorgeous gardens.

The Old City is host to the Caribbean’s hottest street party, the Fiesta de la Calle San Sebastian in mid-January, but you can catch its spirit on a visit to the street that bears its name on any of San Juan’s sultry nights. San Sebastian is a cobble-stoned street lined with bars and restaurants, and art galleries and workshops are just around its many corners. Laughter and the salsa, bomba and plena music associated with the festival pour out of the bars, with their large wooden doors thrown open to the street. The party has been raging here for more than a century.

This is also the birthplace of “Despacito,” the Luis Fonsi mega-hit featuring Daddy Yankee that has become the most streamed video of all time. The colorful seaside barrio that former Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera saunters through in the video is La Perla, which is sandwiched on the Old San Juan coast between the two historic churches. The joyous dance scene at the end takes places at La Factoria, which has been named one of the world’s best bars, on Calle San Sebastian.

La Rogativa - Mi Viejo San Juan

The Plazuela de la Rogativa is a gorgeous shady square overlooking the bay and Puerto Rico’s impressive governor’s mansion, La Fortaleza.

Some of the finest churches in the New World are in the vicinity of Calle San Sebastian and Calle Cristo, including the recently restored San Jose Church, a Gothic rarity and the celestial Catedral de San Juan, a vaulted beauty that is home to the impressive works of religious arts and rare artifacts, as well as the tomb of the island’s first governor, Juan Ponce de Leon, and the mummy of Roman martyr Saint Pio. The Plaza de las Monjas, or Nuns’ Plaza, might be the most deliciously shady spot in all of Puerto Rico, with a bay breeze funneling through tow of the old city’s most gorgeous tree-lined streets, with some of the most gorgeous colonial homes.

If you don’t stay at Hotel El Convento, you’ll want to come by for a tour anyway, if not a meal or a drink at the gorgeous restaurants located in its interior patio and street-level terrace restaurant. It was born in 1651 as a Carmelite convent, and has gone through many lives since then, but today remains a part of the beating heart of the Old San Juan. Its tiled courtyards and terraces are outfitted with gorgeous Spanish furnishings, palm trees, and Caribbean flowering plants, under high-beamed ceilings that are iconic of Old San Juan. It’s really one of the perfect spots to soak up the unique Old San Juan vibe.

In fact the Old City, as it is affectionately known by locals, has wonderful lodging options, including full-scale resort hotels like the Sheraton Old San Juan across from the cruise ship piers. There are also small guest houses and inns with big charm, like Casa Sol Bed and Breakfast, on a beautiful stretch of Calle Sol.
The Plazuela de la Rogativa is a gorgeous shady square overlooking the bay and Puerto Rico’s impressive governor’s mansion, La Fortaleza. Its biggest charm however is a statute of a bishop and three women that recreates a religious procession in 1797 that legend has halted a British attack on San Juan, when sailors mistook the candles of marching nuns for the movement of Spanish reinforcement troops. La Fortaleza, the seat of local government for more than 300 years, is just down the block. The stunner incorporates neoclassical and Arabian elements and has a choice location overlooking San Juan Bay, with great views and breezes in most of the building, and from its many gardens and patios. Tours are available weekdays.

You’ll pass San Juan Gate, which was the main entrance to the city when it was built in 1635, and today leads to the charming stretch of the San Juan bay, with small fishing boats docked just off shore. To the right is a walking path that hugs the base of the massive headland on which El Morro is built and the fortresses ancient walls. The saltwater and sun sprayed path passes dramatic seascapes and patches of sea grapes and tropical vegetation. The mood turns romantic when the El Morro is lit up at night. To the left is Paseo de la Princesa, a bayside promenade between the bay and the massive wall of the ancient city. You’ll see the alluring “Raices” or “Roots,” monument and fountain, which is an impassioned tribute to the Taino, African, and Spanish roots of Puerto Rico and its people, complete with gorgeous gods and goddesses in all their naked glory riding huge sea and land creatures. The beautifully restored La Princesa housing the Puerto Rico Tourism Company Headquarters is also on the promenade, which hosts artisans and sidewalk cafes.

Bahía Urbana - Mi Viejo San Juan

Bahia Urbana, a bayside park on the outskirts of the old city that hosts concerts and special events, as well as ship tours and other tourist adventures.

Cristo and La Fortaleza streets have some of the old city’s smartest boutiques and galleries, but you’ll also want to look to Calle San Francisco, as well as San Jose. There are great cafes, bars, and restaurants throughout the historic sector, but Recinto Sur has become its restaurant row, where you can find classic comida criolla in authentic settings, Spanish food with live flamenco show, inventive contemporary cuisine to live U.S. and Latin Jazz shows and so much more.

Of course one of the joys of the Old City is stumbling around its side streets and cooling off in its gorgeous plazas, which offer shady benches and refreshment stands. Plaza de Colon, at the main entrance to Old San Juan, is centered on a monument of Columbus, but different levels of terraces and fountains and shady corners. Plaza de Las Armas, located at Old San Juan’s heart, is home to the stately San Juan City Hall and Puerto Rico State Department, as well as a number of restaurants and boutiques. The fountain was built to represent the four seasons, and the statue of the gentleman sitting on the bench is Titi Curet, and Old City fixture during his life who was perhaps Puerto Rico’s most prolific writer of salsa music. There are also a number of plazas near the cruise ship ports along the bay.

Artisans often hawk their wares in the plazas and promenades while musicians perform in these public spaces as well. In fact, the city of San Juan has a continuing live music program throughout Old San Juan and the rest of the city that take place on certain nights and weekends throughout the year. The newest addition to the ports area is Bahia Urbana, a bayside park on the outskirts of the old city that hosts concerts and special events, as well as ship tours and other tourist adventures.

Old San Juan is only one-square mile, but it can take days to explore its many charms. When it comes time to say goodbye, you’ll already be plotting a return to, as the Estrada song says, “search for my love, and dream again, in my Old San Juan.”

Cocina Abierta in Condado.

Hot spots right now

In San Juan, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the Caribbean, trendy and new restaurants are on nearly every corner. There’s no denying the appeal of hitting up the trendiest spots in town to get those hearts pumping and taste buds delighted.

The coolest, hippest places to go in San Juan

2018

In San Juan, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the Caribbean, trendy and new restaurants are on nearly every corner.

There’s no denying the appeal of hitting up the trendiest spots in town to get those hearts pumping and taste buds delighted.

Cocina Abierta in Condado is an interactive open kitchen where culinary ideas are inspired and created. Just like the restaurant’s name suggests, the chef opens his kitchen to share best-kept secrets and knowledge inside this unique Atelier kitchen.

  • cocina abierta - hot spots right now
  • cocina abierta - hot spots right now
  • cocina abierta - hot spots right now

The contemporary and eclectic décor is a mélange of concrete walls, modern light fixtures, custom-made furniture, and repurposed decorative pieces; making it one of the most creative multi-layered spaces in Puerto Rico.

The menu is divided into five acts, allowing you to mix, match and create your ultimate tasting menu. Three wine pairing suggestions accompany each dish.

Don’t skip on the cocktails! They are hand-crafted at the Tiki Bar by expert mixologists who use local ingredients and top-shelf liquors from the world-class collection.

VIVO Beach Club is Puerto Rico’s liveliest oceanfront destination featuring an outdoor beach club and pool, restaurants and bars, and a full-scale brewery called Ocean Lab. It serves comfort food in a casual environment with 9 plasmas to watch sports or just relax and taste the diverse offering of local beers. Guests can experience how beer is produced by taking a tour in the microbrewery.

Situated on one of the island’s top ranked beaches and next to the Isla Verde’s hotel district, VIVO Beach Club has the perfect ingredients for a great Caribbean experience. This hip venue has established itself as the best day and night club in the metropolitan area.

vivo beach club - hot spots

VIVO Beach Club is Puerto Rico’s liveliest oceanfront destination featuring an outdoor beach club and pool, restaurants and bars, and a full-scale brewery called Ocean Lab.

VIVO’s AT&T Arena includes a 9,000 square foot stage that can easily cater to over 30 musicians for a large array of performances, as well as a dance floor and multiple staging areas to accommodate over 5,000 people.

La Placita, the last of the traditional fresh food markets in Puerto Rico before the arrival of supermarkets in the 1970s, is still the heart and soul of Santurce’s hottest nightlife scene.

You can still buy fruits, vegetables, flowers, street food, and fruit shakes during the day. But La Placita is now known for its dozens of restaurants with extensive menu selections, cafes, and nightclubs that surround the traditional food market building.

Especially good on Thursday and Friday nights, the historic market plaza and its surrounding streets host what becomes a street party with people of all ages crowding the square to mingle, talk, drink, listen, and dance to music until the wee hours. The vibe is fun and laid back.

Move over old-school steakhouses, Rare 125º Neighborhood Grill in Miramar has arrived with a modern approach, excellent cuts, sides, and sauces. The restaurant is upscale and trendy without the pretensions of white tablecloths, providing top-notch service.

The lunch options are enticing, with bento box–style steak lunches.
Rare 125° refers to the ideal preparation of the perfect steak, and while this is not a house rule overriding your preferences, it is a commitment to providing the ultimate restaurant experience.

House specialty appetizers are the Beef Tataki and Pork Belly Chicharron. The pork belly is a crowd pleaser of crispy comfort served with whipped black refried beans and a cleansing lemon crème. The Tataki consists of a few slices of the house specialty pastrami rubbed steak, a small mound of dulcet mushroom escabeche, ponzu sauce, and thinly sliced cucumber.

  • Rare 125º - Hot Spots
  • Rare 125º - Hot Spots
  • Rare 125º - Hot Spots

Rare 125° opens for lunch every day from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features wraps, burgers, and $15 lunch boxes like the pork tenderloin with vegetable risotto and guava marmalade.

Puerto Rican artisan wholesale bakery Cidrines opened a stylish venue, SOBAO by Los Cidrines, located at the AC Hotel by Marriott in Condado. The name SOBAO originates from Sobao sweet bread, the company’s star product responsible for its success.

Along with the bakery, the venue also includes a restaurant called La Bodeguita, which offers a genuinely spectacular culinary experience.

Upon entering the restaurant, you will see a display of photos and tasteful memorabilia honoring the life of Doña Lidia Miranda and her family, the Cidrines.

The menu at La Bodeguita has a good selection of wines and fresh fish, meat, chicken and pasta and its famous Cocas (similar to pizzas), burgers and tapas. Sobao by Los Cidrines has live music every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening.

El Mercado de Paseo Caribe is a modern, upscale food market inside a luxurious waterfront residential complex that brings together a mix of local gourmet restaurants, butcher shops, and other gourmet food boutiques under one roof.

The market has a vibrant feel with its restaurant kitchens and food vendors complimented by the vast, colorful mural created by renowned artist Tom Christopher.

  • El Mercado - Hot Spots
  • El Mercado - Hot Spots

Eateries like Café Alto Grande, Napolitana pizzeria, and the Noodle Merchant rub elbows with well-known local favorites like La Hacienda Meat Market from Miramar, Señor Paleta from Old San Juan, and El Pescador from Santurce, just to name a few.

Along with the impressive array of food options, El Mercado de Paseo Caribe also hosts live entertainment.

Princesa Gastrobar, nestled in a beautiful garden patio surrounded by lush vegetation and trees next to the old La Princesa jail which today houses the offices of the Puerto Rico Tourism Co., sits at the edge of the famous city wall that historically encompassed all of Old City.

The restaurant’s menu features some unique recipes found in an 1800’s Puerto Rican cookbook that blends Spanish and Puerto Rican dishes. These recipes are marked on the menu by a local tree frog called the Coqui.

Princesa GastroBar - Hot Spots

Princesa Gastrobar is nestled in a beautiful garden patio surrounded by lush vegetation and trees next to the old La Princesa jail.

Its specialty is Spanish croquettes, heavenly bites made with chicken and Iberian ham and served over béchamel sauce. Princesa Gastrobar also offers a variety of refreshing rum cocktails and educates its visitors about the history of the Rums of Puerto Rico.
This exclusive venue will make its visitors feel the magic of the story behind its unique location.

Casa Cortes ChocoBar is a restaurant and art gallery in Old San Juan operated by the Cortes family, the biggest chocolate-makers in the entire Caribbean.

They opened this popular and unique venue, voted Best Restaurant in the Caribbean by the readers of USA Today, to share tasty meals and drinks that incorporate the family’s greatest treasure — wickedly delicious chocolate.

The chocolate drinks are out of this world. Get them hot or cold, or with marshmallows. The menu includes specialty drinks like a Choco Martini or Bloody Choco Mary. There are breakfast items, appetizers, sandwiches, entrees, and pastries where chocolate infuses every bite.

On Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday a gallery upstairs offers a glimpse of the family’s private contemporary Caribbean art collection.

Looking for a stiff drink? Then La Casita de Rones in Old San Juan is the right place. This pink-colored lovely venue (once the home of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company Information Center) has two bars, a restaurant, and shop developed by the local government to promote the Rums of Puerto Rico program.

This charming venue in the touristic area of the Old City next to the cruise ship terminals and with views of the San Juan Bay sells and promotes brands like Bacardi, Serralles, Club Caribe, Barrilito, Caray and Trigo and artisanal products by Destileria Cruz, and El Pitorro de Destileria Coqui.

  • La Casita de Rones - Hot Spots
  • La Casita de Rones - Hot Spots
  • La Casita de Rones - Hot Spots

A variety of mouthwatering rum-based signature concoctions, handcrafted and pressed sangrias, and tropical classics, like the famous piña colada, are masterly crafted here to compliment a varied selection of Puerto Rican appetizers, salads, sharing dishes, and entrees.

So check them out. You might just spot some celebrities while you’re there!

Viva City Bienvenidos Magazine

Mysterious San Juan

By Eugenio Hopgood 3049 0
2017

The ancient city tells its own hidden history

The city of San Juan was founded in 1520 after Juan Ponce de Leon decided to relocate from the town of Caparra.

Extreme heat and humidity as well as rebellious Taino Indians made them resettle on the edge of a 2.5 mile size isle overlooking the bay where they had already established a port.

The first dwellers were mostly gold diggers and a number of clergymen. This first settlement to San Juan occurred 100 years before the Mayflower pilgrims arrived at Plymouth.

San Juan developed into a full blown city by the late 18th century and its growth was limited because it was confined within walls built to protect it from invaders

During the 19th century, San Juan was overcrowded and a busy center of commerce, government, military, and cultural life. After the settlement of Americans and the tearing down of inland walls, wealthy and upper middle class families started moving to areas like Condado and Miramar, and the Old City became an impoverished working class town.

A restoration project in the 1970’s and a growing conscience of the city’s charm started attracting middle-class and affluent families. The one constant trait of today’s sanjuaneros is that they are proud of their town and prefer to live in a cultural and historic ambiance rather than in the midst of suburban life full of asphalt and shopping malls.

 

  • Old San Juan Bastion Sentry Box, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Old San Juan Ballaja Quarters, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Puerta de San Juan, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Plaza de Armas, Old San Juan, PR
  • Old San Juan San Jose Church, San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

The walking tour

Bienvenidos participated in a walking tour called San Juan Oculto (Hidden San Juan), a project designed to reveal the architectural wonders and details of the Old City. It was initiated by a group of volunteers, graduate students and teachers from the University of Puerto Rico’s School of Architecture, who teamed up with the San Martin de Porres Foundation. The idea was to develop an educational walking tour as a source of funding- the cost of the tour is what the guest wishes to donate towards the foundation’s work in needy areas of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

“We want to include tourists, visitors, and student groups who want to learn about the richness, and history present when you walk through Old San Juan,” said Prof. Jorge Lizardi-Pollock, who leads the project along with Pedro Van Marissing of the Foundation.

San Juan Oculto offers three different routes. The first called One City, Many Pasts demonstrates the different historical layers preserved in architectural styles. The second called Architecture, Order and Authority in the Old City explores the structures related to the institutions of power in Spanish colonial times and the third route called San Juan, A Swarm or Everyday Practices focuses on the city as it worked for the common person before electricity and modern aqueducts.

Read more

features_cabezudos

Here come the cabezudos

By Eugenio Hopgood 6038 0
2017

The century’s old tradition of full head puppets is alive and right in the heart of Puerto Rico’s largest street festival in Old San Juan

“Hurry up, the cabezudos parade is going to start!”

People are scrambling for a great spot to see the action, dads are carrying small children over their arms, and everyone has their phones out ready to take pictures or record. Nobody wants to miss the action.

The narrow street in Old San Juan is packed because the cabezudos, known as bigheads or full head puppets, are about to begin the colorful march that kicks off the traditional Fiestas of San Sebastian Street (the Fiestas), held every year on the third weekend of January. It’s a huge popular celebration that has become the largest festival in all of the Caribbean, equivalent to the island’s very own Mardi Gras.

The crowd jams out to the middle of the street and once the loud countdown reaches zero the city mayor cuts the ribbon of official ceremony, cheers erupt and the Fiestas have begun.

Then the cabezudos begin their march down the street to the beat of traditional plena drums and chants and a feisty marching brass band is immediately joined by hundreds of spectators old and young, who instantly turn from audience to participants in the swinging and joyful trek. Some of the first cabezudos that appear depict historical or folk characters of the Old City, like Doña Fela, the famous mayor of the 40’s and 50’s known for her towering  Marge Simpson- style hairdo or Diplo, a popular comedy character from the same era.

Children giggle and point at the cabezudos or try to touch them while others just stare in awe. “The cabezudos parade is one of those things that make me feel like a little boy again,” said a smiling David Padilla, who is a 55 year-old resident of San Juan who never misses the event.

Next come the comparsa or marching crew of the Agua Sol y Sereno theater company, with an explosion of energy and circus-like ambiance. More than 40 finely crafted cabezudos and giant puppets among a colorfully clad of stilt walkers manage to dance to the tropical rhythm of plena.

“I remember as a kid I was so excited to be in the cabezudos parade!” said Maria Muñoz, a 20 year-old college student from the west coast of Puerto Rico. It also made me so curious that I would bombard my parents with questions about who those characters were and their history. It’s a very exciting event and when I have kids I will definitely bring them to the parade and the Fiestas.”

 

  • Pedro Adorno, director of Agua Sol y Sereno, designs cabezudos, gigantones, and giant masks by using mache techniques.
  • Pedro Adorno, director of Agua Sol y Sereno, designs cabezudos, gigantones, and giant masks by using mache techniques.

Medieval roots

The tradition of the cabezudos began in Spain around the 12th century specifically in festivities in northern Basque Country, and in the provinces (then kingdoms) of Aragon and Valencia, among others. According to Spanish historian Javier Aparicio, the tradition became widespread as the catholic kings conquered Spain again from Islamic rule in the late 15th century. The reason, according to Aparicio, was that Islamic law prohibited depictions of saints and even ordinary people so when the Catholics regained power these restrictions were eliminated and the use of cabezudos and giant puppets proliferated through most regions.

In Puerto Rico it all started in the mid 1950’s when the parish priest in Old San Juan’s Church of San Jose organized a religious procession mixed with music and festivities to honor Saint Sebastian, the patron of the street where the temple was built and situated in 1511.

The priest, Juan Manuel Madrazo, a native of the northern Basque Country of Spain, started the festivity to help finance the repairs of the San Jose church, the second oldest Christian temple in the Americas, as well as a school he was starting in Barrio La Perla, which lies just outside the ancient city walls.

Father Madrazo went to Spain for vacation and came back with two giant puppets, known also as gigantones and a couple of cabezudos. The Basque Country of Spain is one of the regions where this tradition has been in place for centuries.

The cabezudos brought by father Madrazo were called sanchos, after the famous literary character of Don Quijote’s partner and a symbol of the ordinary man of the village. The two giant puppets depicted the 16th century Catholic kings of Spain, Fernando and Isabel, precisely the ones who conquered Spain for the second time from the Islamic rulers and sent Christopher Columbus off to conquer the New World.

So these colorful puppets of enormous heads designed to stand out in a crowd became the heart and soul of the Fiestas, kicking off the festivities with a parade along the street that featured the cabezudos along with marching bands. The event was celebrated during the 1950’s and it was a great neighborhood block party for residents of Old San Juan but unknown to the rest of Puerto Rico. Read more

art_featured

Art styles from realism to abstract painting

By Eugenio Hopgood 1824 0

Puerto Rico is an island where its creative talent and plastic arts overflow, and painting is no exception. The work of dozens of Puerto Rican artists can be appreciated at key museums and galleries in Puerto Rico, the U.S. mainland, Latin America, and Europe.

2017

Four local stars share their style, techniques and vision

Puerto Rico is an island where its creative talent and plastic arts overflow, and painting is no exception. The work of dozens of Puerto Rican artists can be appreciated at key museums and galleries in Puerto Rico, the U.S. mainland, Latin America, and Europe.

From Jose Campeche – the forefather of Puerto Rican artists to the contemporaries; local artists have cultivated a great variety of styles that go from realism to figurative to abstract.

BIENVENIDOS interviewed four Puerto Rican internationally renowned artists who reflect some of the aforementioned tendencies and exemplify the quality of art developed on the island.