It's worth reserving a day for exploring outside the city limits; in fact, a trip to El Yunque national rainforest, 25 miles southeast of the capital, is a must. From there it's easy to get to Playa Luquillo , a palm-lined balneario (public beach) on the northeast shore. Rio Camuy Cave Park , set in an eerie, lunar-like landscape an hour west of San Juan boasts world-class spelunking, and makes for another good escape from the noise and haste of the city. All three places are serviced regularly by hotel shuttles.

Piñones State Forest , just east of Isla Verde, is on the farthest reaches of city bus routes. Here, you can bike, surf, picnic, party and sample food from the kiosks along the wild beaches. As a local gathering spot, it's a world apart culturally - far more Afro-Caribbean than the capital proper.