which day to go?

[KatPem]

I have two questions. First off, we will be in San Juan for two nights prior to a cruise. It is Good Friday when we get there and then we leave to cruise on Easter Sunday. We get back into San Juan the following Sunday and then don't fly home until Monday. We want to rent a car one of those times to go to El Yunque. How busy will it be on a holiday weekend Saturday versus a Sunday? Also, we will be staying at the Comfort Inn in Condado before and Le Consulat after.....how hard will parking be to find on the holiday weekend versus the weekend after? Thanks in advance!

[Aviator of the Seas]

Many if not most Puerto Ricans head away from the San Juan metropolitan area and to the beaches in the east, south and west of the island and the offshore islands during the Holy Week holidays. To avoid the leisure crowds on weekends, Saturdays are almost always better than Sundays, as most people use Saturdays for shopping and chores. If you go to the rainforest, your best bet is to go first thing in the morning to avoid the noonish and afternoon beach rush hours. There's a very popular public beach just past El Yunque rainforest which gets very crowded.

 

Parking in the area of both hotels you mention is difficult. The Condado area is very cluttered. If you can't find parking right next to them, there are several for pay parking garages along Ashford Avenue. Of course, contact your hotels ahead of time because they might have special parking arrangements for guests.