Back in September, a friend and I went to see the best concert I’ve ever attended (!!): Bad Bunny’s No Me Quiero Ir de Aqui residency in San Juan.
While my friend, Devyn, took care of the practical parts of the trip such as booking the hotel, securing a car, I contributed the ~vibras~ to our days in San Juan.
Upon researching, I quickly knew that Santurce is where we’d spend most of our time. Santurce went through decades of economic hardship but has been having a revival since the 2010s and is known as the artsy/hipster area of San Juan.
This is how we spent the best day in Santurce:
- Pilates: Studio 22
We went to a reformer flow class with Anais and it was probably one of the best reformer classes I’ve been to. The class was tough but her corrections were on point and her command of the class was impeccible. 10/10 recommend but make sure to bring your own grippy socks and water to take a break from all the shaking that will inevitably occur!
- Coffee: Cafe Regina
Right after we suffered through that workout, we headed straight to Cafe Regina to get coffee. Cafe Regina is well known but 100% lived up to the hype. The coffee and juice were amazing, as was the calabaza grilled cheese. There are also bowls and other brunch foods there as well. I highly recommend for a post-workout treat!
- Museum: Museo de Arte Contemporaneo
I always try to check out an art museum whenever I’m visiting a new city and the MAC was a pleasant surprise. We ended up napping before heading back out to the museum so we had to speed through the rooms but WOW. The exhibit we saw, Caribe por venir, which translates to Caribbean yet to come, is open through Feb 1 2026 and was phenomenal. The exhibit featured mixed media, including videos, audio, paintings, photographs, and poetry in large font. Seeing art from all over the Caribbean, and especially seeing the work of Black artists was really powerful.
- Pre-dinner coffee and snack: Café con Ce
If there is one thing my friends know about me, it’s that I’m going to need an afternoon coffee if the plan is to stay out past 10pm. We weren’t sure where the night was going to take us so stopped to get a cafecito at Café con Ce. My friend’s cortado was delicious and I decided to combine my love for coffee and alcohol and get a carajillo…. IYKYK. We also split a spinach empanada which was fresh and the perfect before dinner snack to go with our coffee. Whether you need a sit down after looking at all the beautiful murals of Santurce or a pre-dinner coffee before dinner in the area, Café con Ce is a great place to stop by
- Dinner: Cocina al Fondo
When I was searching for places to eat in San Juan, Cocina al Fondo was everywhere. I’m normally a bit wary of places that are all over social media, but this restaurant was definitely worth it and the chef, Natalia Vallejo received a James Beard award in 2023! We elected to sit on the patio which was quiet and spacious. Our waitress gave us great recommendations – the taro fritters and the heirloom tomato salad were both stunners. The restaurant also has a very innovative bar program – I recommend asking what the drinks of the day are and trying at least one of them! Cocina al Fondo was definitely a highlight of our time in San Juan and I’m looking forward to going back during my next trip.
So, that’s how we spent a day in Santurce and I would do the same thing time and time again – maybe changing out the museum or going back to MAC when there is a new exhibit!
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