2020-06-01_Travel+Leisure

San Juan

CARIBBEAN SEA

Old San Juan

Santurce

Condado

Miramar

Jungle Bird, a

beloved tiki bar

in San Juan.

San Juan’s craft-

cocktail scene. At

Cocina al Fondo

(cocina alfondo.com;

entrées $12–$20),

chef Natalia Vallejo

serves fresh takes

on Puerto Rican

cuisine. Within the

tiki bar Jungle Bird,

quirky Jungle BaoBao

(colectivo icaro.com)

is one of the most

creative kitchens in

town. Make time to

stroll the muraled

streets of Santurce,

and stop at gallery

Pública Espacio

Cultural (publica

espacio.org).

Outside the City

Set on 1,400 acres

half an hour west of

San Juan, Dorado

Beach, a Ritz-Carlton

Reserve (ritzcarlton.

com; doubles from

$849) is the ultimate

seaside retreat. Go

to Piñones to visit

the kioscos near

Vacía Talega beach—

look for bacalaítos

(cod fritters) and

alcapurrias (fried

plantains stuffed

with crab or beef).

Take a day trip to

El Yunque (fs.usda.

gov), the U.S.

National Forest

system’s only

tropical rain forest.

Getting There

and Around

San Juan is a major

hub for airlines in the

Caribbean. Within

the city., it is easy to

find taxis and Ubers.

For those who want

to go farther afield,

renting a car at the

airport is a cinch.

In the Capital

San Juan’s grandes

dames emerged

from Maria even

more polished—and

eager to welcome

visitors. Check in to

the Caribe Hilton

(hilton.com; doubles

from $240), for easy

access to Old

San Juan, or the

classic Condado

Vanderbilt (condado

vanderbilt.com;

doubles from $299),

for many excellent

bars and restaurants,

especially the hotel’s

Restaurant 1919 (prix

fixe from $95). Heavy

hitter Jose Enrique

(jose enrique pr.com;

entrées $15–$38)

should not be

missed; neither

should La Factoría

(lafactoria.com), the

bar that kick-started

San Juan

and Beyond

courtyard. Padró moved to Puerto Rico from

Atlanta 12 years ago in search of a slower

rhythm. She had a passion for supporting local

businesses, and, well, eating—interests that

inspired her to found her food tour company,

Flavors of San Juan. Café Cuatro Sombras used

to grow its own coffee, Padró told me, but when

the crop was lost to Maria, it started serving the

best approximation: Colombian beans grown

under the shade of orange trees. The coffee was

rich and fruity, the perfect accompaniment to a

croissant stuffed with provolone and Black

Forest ham and slathered in sweet guava butter.

As we walked the Old Town, Padró explained

that a history of inadequate government help

had long ago taught business owners in Puerto

Rico to rely on

Cet’ (young herring) with

tomatoes and calabaza

squash at Cocina al Fondo,

in San Juan.

ILLUSTRATION BY MAY PARSEY (Continued on page 102)

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