Puerto Rico in march

[donsorsa]

Hullo - I'm taking my 11 year old son to Puerto Rico March 6-10 for

the World Baseball Classic. It will be my first trip there and I'm

looking for recommendations on inexpensive hotels and good places for

pics. (Old San Juan, the beaches, street shots, night, etc.) It's a

very short trip, I know, but better than staying in Chicago! Thanks much.

 

I searched the archives the best I could and didn't find anything that

seemed to answer my questions. I will buy guidebooks but tips from

locals and recent visitors are always appreciated. Thanks.

 

Don

[donsorsa]

I found <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Cnf3"> this thread</a> as a good starting point but cheap hotels aren't included.

[Ed_Ingold]

If the baseball tournament is in San Juan, I suggest you look at the Condado area for an hotel. While not cheap, they are certainly less than at the resort areas. It is perhaps 2 miles from the Condado to Old San Juan. I recommend renting a car or taking a taxi - the intervening neighborhoods may not be to your liking.

 

Old San Juan is fine by day - all the stores will be open on March and there'll be a lot of people. By all means see the forts - El Morro and San Cristobal (your 11-year-old will like all the passages and stairways in San Cristobal). Walk along the harbor from El Morro and see the Governor's mansion, "La Fortaleza", and the home of Ponce de Leon, "Casa Blanca". Continue into Old San Juan along "La Princesa Boulevard", past the tour boat harbor and into town.

 

Things can get rough at night, so do your walkabout during the day. The Condado is mostly OK at night, if you stay on the main street. All the Condado hotels have a nice casino, if that interests you, and there are many excellent restaurants.

 

Buenvenidos

[donsorsa]

Thanks, Edward. Those are helpful suggestions and I appreciate your time.

[brad_bell]

I just returned from San Juan a few days ago. This time of year is high cruise season so inexpensive hotels will be nearly impossible to find. The cheap ones are typically places you wouldn't want to stay. There is a Howard Johnson's in the Isla Verde area which is near the airport. You can get a room there for around $150. Prices jump quickly to the $250 range for most places on the beach. The HoJo is just across the street from the beach.

 

I would definitely rent a car. Taxi's are a ripoff in San Juan. They don't use meters and seem to charge whatever the traffic will bear. From HoJo's to Old San Juan will cost you $20 and it's only about a 10 minute ride. If you rent a car, you can drive to the Rain Forest where you will find lots of interesting things to shoot. It's about a 45 minute drive. Take the extra insurance on a rental because driving and parking is not a strong suit in Puerto Rico. Also, NEVER leave anything of value in your car. Crime is a problem. Shopping Center parking lots even have guards up on stands in the middle of the lot to watch over the car.

 

Some cruise ships don't depart until 9:00 or 10:00 at night and since the port is right in Old San Juan, the streets will be crawling with shoppers and safe to walk. It's dark by 7:00 so that would give you ample opportunities for night shots.

 

There are plenty of good restaurants all around.

 

Brad

[donsorsa]

Thanks, Brad. Good tips, especially about renting a car. I got lucky when non-stop tickets

Chicago -SJU sold for $240 (for about 6 hours!) and now I can almost afford to make the

trip!!