Puerto Rico: To Party like the Locals

Puerto Rico is definitely a great destination for vacationing.  Be it a quick getaway, or a family vacation, it’s lush beaches, spectacular scenery and world-class cuisine offer a rich mix that will guarantee a great Caribbean vacation. Plus, you can leave your passport at home, you don’t have to worry about currency changes and you can leave the Spanish dictionary (although it never hurts to make an effort to know at least the basics of the language spoken in your destination) because Puerto Rico is U.S. territory. 

When it comes to partying, the same rules apply to Puerto Rico as any country that you’re visiting: There are ‘tourist’ spots, and then there are the local spot. And, of course, you want to get the real flavor of Puerto Rico, not the sugar coated version that the Tourism Company tries to portray. 

I feel it is my duty, as a true Puerto Rican to let all of you hip and adventuresome travelers in on the secrets to party hard in Puerto Rico and, even better, not necessarily spend a fortune. 

First and most importantly is where you’ll stay. In Puerto Rico there are two main tourist hotel spots: Isla Verde and Condado. 

Isla Verde is nearest to the airport (like a three minute cab ride) and has a number of fancy hotels with beach access and an avenue that offers almost everything you may need within walking distances. Sounds good, right? Well not if you want to party with the locals. While you might like the idea that you will have Piña Colada service while you listen to the waves, let’s just say that the beach isn’t the best and there’s not much of a scene. Another thing is that Puerto Ricans don’t really hang out in Isla Verde; you would have to take an expensive cab ride to party. The only place where there you can really party in Isla Verde is Brava, a disco in the Wyndham San Juan Hotel. And worst, the hotels are very EXPENSIVE.