Ever been to San Juan, Puerto Rico?

[AOII_Luv]

Has anyone visited San Juan, Puerto Rico within the last few years? My two sisters and I are planning a vacation down there in January and we want to know if they have stores like Wal-mart down there? I know it seems weird but I would rather save money and eat food for breakfast and lunch that I can get at Wal-mart. Besides, knowing myself, too much eating out would just make me sick! So, just wondering if there are stores like that in the San Juan area. If you have any other information about San Juan, I would greatly appreciate that too!

Thanks!

[ZTAngel]

I was there December 2003. There seemed to be mostly touristy type restaurants and stores there from what I remember. Then again, I stayed in the tourist-area of the city.

[SydneyK]

I was there in 2002. I don't remember seeing any WalMarts, but I didn't look for them.

Definitely go on the Bacardi tour. And, there's a bay (swamp? marsh? don't know the technical term for it) where you can kayak at night, it's all lit up with living luminescent (sp) stuff. It's wild! Isla Verde is a beautiful beach.

There are lots of casinos there (I didn't know that before I went), so, if gambling is your thing maybe you'll do well enough to just order lots of room service!

[lagirl33]

I was mostly in the southern part of puerto rico, but spend some time in San Juan as well. There are local grocery stores (where we got most of our food), but as far as I know, they are out of the main city. Food is more expensive than here in the US, but still cheaper than dining out. There are also a lot of American chains, but beware, very few locals speak english (spanish is the main language). Everyone was very helpful, however.

Old town is really neat. Shopping is great! I got a Dooney & Burke purse, and my mom got a coach wallet for fabulous prices. They have factory stores for a decent number of designers.

I also HIGHLY recommend the luminescent bay. It was an incredible experience. But beware. You will get tired kayaking! It's not a short journey, very swampy, and very dark. Make sure you wear a swim suit, because you can actually jump in the water.

The forts are neat for exploring, and there are some good restaurants in the oldtown area itself. We also enjoyed hiking through the rainforest.

[SydneyK]

Originally posted by lagirl33
We also enjoyed hiking through the rainforest.

omg! I totally forgot about the rainforest. Definitely go if you can. But, and I know this'll sound dumb, make sure you take a raincoat or poncho. They sell them there, but they'll charge you an arm and a leg. (Don't know why I didn't make the connection: RAINforest = rain gear needed duh!)

[FSUZeta]

they have a costco.