What’s the Best San Juan Puerto Rico Beach?
If you’re visiting the Island of Enchantment, I’m sure you’ll seek out a San Juan Puerto Rico beach to catch some rays and work on your tan. While there’s plenty to do in Old San Juan away from the sand, a San Juan Puerto Rico beach day is a must for your next trip itinerary!
Playa Peña –
Closest San Juan Puerto Rico Beach
When you visit Castillo de San Cristobal, explore the grounds. If you’re facing the ocean and then turn to your right, you’ll see Playa Peña just off in the distance. This is the closest beach to Old San Juan. You can access it via a staircase across from the Capitol Building. The beach is also called Playa del Capitolio due to its close proximity.
Playa Peña is a San Juan Puerto Rico beach that’s better for a romantic stroll rather than a traditional beach day. You certainly could hunker down here and find a spot to the left of those stairs but there are a few things you’ll want to know.
This beach has no bathroom facilities and the rip tides here can be very strong. There is no lifeguard on duty either, so this may not be the best or safest beach for a family beach day. I recommend breaking up your Old San Juan exploration, to take a walk here and look for sea glass!
Escambron Beach –
Closest San Juan Puerto Rico Beach (with Facilities)
On the map, you’ll find this San Juan Puerto Rico beach in the sub-barrio of Puerta de Tierra, which is nestled between Old San Juan and Condado.
Escambron Beach has two distinct areas, one for swimming and the other for snorkeling and scuba diving. Animal lovers can even find sea turtles here! There are facilities here, bathrooms and showers. They’re a bit on the older side, but they exist.
Isla Verde Beach
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My Favorite San Juan Puerto Rico Beach
Isla Verde is one of my favorite areas to stay in just outside of Old San Juan. Isla Verde Beach is a short 15-20 minutes (depending on traffic) car ride from the historic city. Technically this large three-mile-long beach area is comprised of three different beaches. This area is dotted with tall residential buildings and hotels, so there’s always a mix of locals and visitors.
Alambique Beach
El Alambique is the beach furthest west and closest to Old San Juan. This beach is picturesque, with stunning turquoise waters. It is directly across from where we stayed on my last trip so I can attest that this San Juan Puerto Rico beach is one of the best!
This area has many restaurants and shops across from the beach. I recommend stopping at Walgreens or CVS to stock up on any beach necessities (adult beverages included).
Pine Grove Beach
Moving further east down Isla Verde, there’s Pine Grove Beach. While this beach has no lifeguards, the water is usually quite calm, making it family-friendly. This section of the beach is also a little quieter given that fewer hotels are located here. The only big resort is the Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach.
Carolina Beach
All beaches in Puerto Rico are public, don’t let anyone tell you different! Balneario de Carolina is known as the public beach here in Isla Verde because it is monitored by the Compania de Parques Nacionales. It has facilities like bathrooms, showers, and parking. They also make sure the water quality is good and clean the sand.
Condado Beach
Condado Beach can be found between Old San Juan and Isla Verde. It is home to many luxurious hotels, making it very popular among tourists. If you choose a resort or hotel in this area, this is the most convenient and logical choice for a San Juan Puerto Rico beach.
La Playita del Condado
This tiny, calm cove is the most western portion of Condado Beach, where Ashford Ave crosses the Puente Dos Hermanos heading into Puerta de Tierra. The rest of Condado can be quite windy and the waves can be rough, so this is a great San Juan Puerto Rico beach if you’re looking for shallow, calm water. The beach itself is also dotted with plenty of palms to provide shade, and there are outdoor showers to rinse off.
This part of Condado Beach is small, so it can get crowded. Be sure to pick a spot early and away from the roadway to avoid noise. Guests at the Condado Plaza Hilton use this beach as well, so you can rent lounge chairs ($5/day) or umbrellas ($11/day).
Laguna del Condado (Condado Lagoon)
Just south of Condado Beach, Condado Lagoon sits between Ashford Ave and the highway (Expreso 26). This is the spot for all of you active explorers out there. You can paddleboard, kayak, snorkel, and more. Best yet, you may spot some manatees!
Why not try a night or sunset kayak tour?
Ocean Park Beach –
A Local’s San Juan Puerto Rico Beach
Moving further east, this two-mile beach is much more popular with locals, but still a friendly San Juan Puerto Rico beach choice for those visiting! Most people access the beach across from Barbosa Park. This section is also called Playa El Ultimo Trolley. This used to be the last trolley spot, hence where this name comes from. Today there’s no trolly but if you’re driving this is a convenient area to park in.
This beach has a lot to offer – volleyball nets, great wind for kitesurfing, and turquoise waters. Unfortunately, it does not have bathroom or shower facilities so keep that in mind when choosing this Ocean Park beach.
La Posita de Piñones
If you keep moving east, and cross from Carolina into Loiza, the first beach you see is named La Posita Beach or La Posita de Piñones. It is located very close to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU) so you can watch airplanes take off while you lounge on the sand. On busy days the kiosks across the street serve up food and snacks.
This San Juan Puerto Rico beach is quiet during the week and picks up with locals on the weekend. There are no public facilities or lifeguards on duty, but the coral wall here has created a safe, calm pool that is perfect for little ones to splash around in.
Isla de Cabras
San Juan has a Goat Island? Yes, it does. And there is a beach, but it’s not the best one for actually sunbathing. This is technically a recreational park and is really meant for jogging, kayaking, snorkeling, biking, and other activities. If you do plan to go to the Bacardi factory, this is a great stop before or after your tour and tasting.
While this isn’t the best traditional beach, you absolutely cannot beat the views of Old San Juan and Castillo San Felipe del Morro from this final San Juan Puerto Rico beach!
The Best San Juan Puerto Rico Beach –
In Summary
The best news, and what you can take away from this round up is that there is no shortage of beaches all around San Juan. Each beach has different strengths and weaknesses. How you determine the best San Juan beach truly depends on what type of beach day you’re looking for, who is in your party, and many other factors.
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