You’ve booked your trip to San Juan—great! Your days will be filled with sunshine, rainforests, and beaches—but what about your nights? With some local advice, we created this guide to what to do in San Juan once it gets dark:

Eat!

Locals tell us you'll find fantastic restaurants throughout the city—honestly, eating is one of the best things to do in San Juan.

So, benefit from local advice. Our trip planners gave us these dining tips: 

• Look for traditional Puerto Rican food: Locals suggest you look out for cocina criolla—Traditional Puerto Rican food. We're talking mofongo, arroz con gandules, and more. 
• Eat local: Restaurants in Puerto Rico often prioritize local ingredients. Locals recommend checking out Santaella or El Blok—they're among the many restaurants on the island that source ingredients from local markets.
• Enjoy the street food: There are plenty of ways to travel inexpensively in Puerto Rico, and trying the street food is a great one. Locals note that neighborhoods like Santurce and Condado have fantastic street food. After a few rum cocktails, you may want to top off the night with pinchos or empanadillas.

Take a romantic stroll in Old San Juan

Old San Juan is beautiful during the day. And locals say it's especially lovely at night. Take a sunset stroll down the Paseo De La Princesa (locals say to be sure and see the beautiful Raices Fountain), wander along the neighborhood's blue cobblestones, or enjoy a craft cocktail at El Factoria.

Enjoy low-key nightlife in Condado

The beachside neighborhood of Condado is one of our top places to stay in San Juan. Obviously, Condado's beaches are the main draw during the day. So what should you do at night? 

Locals tell us that while Condado isn't known for nightlife, you'll find a collection of great bars and restaurants that are opened late. Benefit from local recs—our trip planners tell us that while Condado bars don't often make internet lists, there are some gems here. 

Party with locals in Santurce

Locals tell us that La Placita is an excellent place to enjoy the nightlife in San Juan. 

A popular farmer's market by day, La Placita (in the Santurce neighborhood) takes on a new identity come sunset. Bar patrons spill out into the public square to enjoy the crowds, cheap drinks, and occasional impromptu dance parties. Locals say that visiting La Placita is a fun thing to do in San Juan day or night—but it's really fun after sundown.

What's your travel style? If you're looking to stop in at Santurce, but have a more low-key night, our trip planners recommend El Almacén, a La Placita speakeasy that posts their password on Instagram.

Have a pina colada taste-off

When you travel to San Juan, locals say there's a good chance you'll enjoy some of Puerto Rico's famous, locally made rum. 

They tell us that the pina colada cocktail was actually invented in Puerto Rico. But there is some disagreement as to who exactly came up with the iconic drink—two establishments, the Caribe Hilton Hotel and the Barrachina Restaurant both take credit. 

Locals say if you're looking for things to do in San Juan at night, a taste test may be a good idea...