Condado area- suggestions needed

[fraternal]

We will be arriving in San Juan and staying at the Comfort Inn Condado for a few days before and after our cruise. Any suggestions of things to do within walking distance of the hotel? How close is the hotel to Old San Juan? Can we walk there or will we need to take a taxi there and back?

[Stinger-pr]

We will be arriving in San Juan and staying at the Comfort Inn Condado for a few days before and after our cruise. Any suggestions of things to do within walking distance of the hotel? How close is the hotel to Old San Juan? Can we walk there or will we need to take a taxi there and back?

You will be staying near the heart of Condado's restaurants, shops and nightlife area. If you're into them, you have two casinos nearby (La Concha and Marriott Stelaris), restaurants of all types from local to sushi to high cuisine. Three beaches are nearby: The one behind the Marriott and the one behind La Concha. Both are nice so long the water is not rough. These are unprotected beaches and can have some nasty under tow. A bit further you have a small but well protected beach besides the Hilton Condado Plaza (about 1/2 a mile walk). If you decide to go to the Condado Plaza area, there's also the Condado Lagoon where you can rent kayaks and stand-up paddle boards across the street from the beach area. Escambron beach is further out but it's just over a mile away from the hotel. But it's the best beach of the group.

 

You COULD walk to Old San Juan, but it's an hour walk so you'd be better off taking a taxi from the hotel or basically anywhere along Ashford Ave. which is the mains strip where most everything is.

[georgiacat]

If a person stays at the Comfort Inn, what about the beaches behind the Marriott and La Conchada? Do you pay for chairs? Will they run you off? How bad is the undertow?

[Stinger-pr]

If a person stays at the Comfort Inn, what about the beaches behind the Marriott and La Conchada? Do you pay for chairs? Will they run you off? How bad is the undertow?

No chair rentals are available at either at the Marriott, La Concha or Escambron. Not really sure about the one at the Condado Plaza. It's a cultural thing, I guess. Beach chairs or, in this case the loungers all tourists look for, are not really in a Puerto Rican's beach "accesory list". We might take small, foldable ones but we're just fine with a big beach blanket. That's why you mainly see the loungers at hotels/resorts but they might only be for hotel guests exclusively.

[georgiacat]

Thank you for that information. My arthritis prevents me from lying on the beach any more even though I do enjoy the sun. I will look at resorts now.