*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

San Juan

Overview:

San Juan is a popular Caribbean destination, but it’s also an urban city mixed with a long history, making it unlike many other island destinations. Being the second oldest European-founded settlement in the Americas, the picturesque colonial influence found inside Old San Juan provides its biggest attraction, along with its beaches. Outside of these hotspots, though, there’s a much different city that most visitors never venture. While it might be too Americanized for some, there’s a mix of Latin, American, Caribbean, colonial and urban city character wrapped into one. Not every city contains a blend like that.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that San Juan has to offer before you even arrive!

Map:

1. Old San Juan
2. La Perla
3. Candido / Ocean Park Beach
4. Miramar/Santurce
5. Avenida Juan Ponce de León

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. Old San Juan

Old San Juan is the historic district of the city and Puerto Rico’s oldest settlement. It’s also San Juan’s main attraction and for many visitors, the place they’ll spend all of their time. Lined with cobblestone streets and colorful colonial architecture, people enjoy exploring the 500-year-old atmosphere within the walled city. In addition to its history, though, Old San Juan is filled with restaurants, shopping, bars, dance clubs, museums, galleries and more. While it is a nice old city, it also feels extremely polished, even more than most others. Many tourists will enjoy this aspect, but for me, it doesn’t feel as authentic. There’s a strong made for tourist feeling. Still, there’s color, interest, and plenty of people watching in a very safe and walkable area for street photography. At the end, you also have the large, open grass field by the Morro Castle. Not only is it a pretty site overlooking the ocean and famous cemetery, but crowds of people come here to enjoy the scenery and fly kites, which can create interesting scenes for photography against the landscape.

So while it’s not really to my taste due to the extreme tourist polish, I still come back often and it will be the top spot for many others. Either way, it’s a must to come explore with your camera when you’re in San Juan.

2. La Perla

While small, La Perla is my favorite area for photography in the city. It’s also known as one of the more dangerous, which keeps many people away, but much of this isn’t warranted, especially today. You might even wander into La Perla by accident because it’s right outside the wall of Old San Juan. This small stretch of neighborhood sandwiched in-between the wall and ocean is full of character and color that I’d highly recommend walking through it for some street photography.

So why is it considered dangerous by many? For a couple of reasons. One, historically it was developed as a shanty town to home slaves and others not allowed to live inside the walled city. And two, it’s become a spot for drug trade within the city. But I’m still recommending it?? Well, outside of drug selling, crime isn’t like it used to be here and when it comes to the drug trade, it’s all very organized onto one street. They don’t want any trouble created there so just keep your camera off when on that street at the top and you’ll be fine. I’ve actually talked to the dealers about photography there and done research, you’re free to take photos everywhere else without a problem, as it’s really just another neighborhood of mostly friendly locals.

Other than the colorful and artistic latin vibe throughout La Perla, which has inspired music videos and movies to be filmed there, you also have two famous spots to check out. One is the most impressive cemetery I’ve visited, due to how it extends to the edge overlooking the ocean. And two, my favorite, is a graffiti covered abandoned building with a large pool like nothing you’ve ever seen. In addition, you’ll walk with roosters and other foul as you explore away. It’s a very cool place that doesn’t feel dangerous at all once you know where you’re going.

3. Candido/Ocean Park Beaches

When visitors aren’t exploring Old San Juan, they’re probably at the beach. San Juan makes for one of the most affordable and accessible beach destinations in the Caribbean, with some city life to top it off, so you’ll find the beaches crowded most of the time when the sun is out. East of Old San Juan on the north coast is where you’ll find the city’s main beaches.

Escambron, located on the east end of Puerta de Tierra, is probably the most picturesque with less of a city feeling, but won’t get as crowded as the other two. Walking east, you’ll hit Condado, a trendier beach with luxury resorts and tourists laying out in the sun. Further east, at Ocean Park, you’ll find probably the best beaches if you’re interested in “street” photography. It’s much more casual here with a mix of locals and tourists. It’s not as packed as Condado, but has more of a variety of activity. You’ll find a laid back vibe with friends hanging out listening to music under the palm trees, recreational activities on the sand, dogs out for a walk, and more. Photographing beach life can be interesting so if you’re in San Juan, it’s worth giving this line of beaches a walk with your camera. Having lived in Miami, I found a similar vibe here compared to mid-beach in Miami. Not as flashy as South Beach, but a comparable atmosphere north of there, including around the beaches’ back streets.

4. Miramar/La Placita/Santurce

Santurce is the largest and most populated district in San Juan. It also contains the neighborhoods of Condado and Miramar, which connect to Puerta de Tierra* and Old San Juan. I already mentioned Condado with its popular beach area, but Miramar is another prime area for visitors. This historic neighborhood contains Spanish-style homes, restaurants, bars and places to stay. It also contains La Placita de Santurce, a popular and unique spot for nightlife that has some life during the day too. You’ll find a collection of bars, restaurants and food vendors covering multiple blocks. The streets are usually pedestrian friendly too, which means there can be a lot of activity out between bars, especially on the weekend. It’s a street party atmosphere with a westernized latin vibe, which can be a decent spot for street photography, as well as entertainment.

*Luis Muñoz Rivera Park on Puerta de Tierra between Miramar and Old San Juan is another area that can be good for a street photography walk on the way to Old San Juan.

5. Avenida Juan Ponce de León / Downtown

While I’ll admit there’s not too much of interest for most visitors outside of the areas above, there can be for street photography. Those areas mentioned above only cover the small northern section of San Juan, but if you want the more urban side of the city, you can walk southeast along Avenida Juan Ponce de León. This Main Street goes on for a while and will take you right through the downtown areas of San Juan. While it’s not special compared to other downtowns, it still gives you a different side of the city outside the tourist areas. For street photography, you’ll get more gritty, urban life and should always find a decent amount of activity walking this street. And for local life, that’s all you’ll find here. (You can walk as far as Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, but I wouldn’t go much further)

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for San Juan:

• Start your day walking the beach life at Ocean Park and Condido (3)
• After Condido, head through Miramar (4) towards Puerta de Tierra
• Walk the bridge over to Puerta de Tierra and walk through Luis Muñoz Rivera Park toward Old San Juan (1)
• Once you reach Old San Juan (1), explore it all with your camera, including La Perla (2), finishing at Morro Castle
• Now you can finish your day walking back through Old San Juan (1) and along Escambron (3) to catch the sunset and people exercising

3 Things I’ll Remember Most about San Juan:

1. Touristy & Americanized

Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States and in San Juan you can definitely feel that influence. It’s a popular destination for Americans because it provides beaches and sun with a latin vibe and picturesque old town, while still being an easy and close destination for the less adventurous. For many, this could make it a perfect city to visit. For me, I want something a little more different. We’re all influenced by our experiences, though, so it might feel much more different for you. Personally, though, I lived in Miami and might even say it feels more different from San Juan. Saying that, for people who like color and picturesque Colonial architecture, the Old San Juan provides that. While it’s too polished of an old town for me, others will find that beautiful in photos.

2. La Perla is great, though

While small, I do really enjoy La Perla. It feels much more authentic and partly because of its reputation, it hasn’t been changed even though it’s right by the tourism. The colors, the life and the character make its a quick change of scenery from Old San Juan, while still giving some similar flavor. When thinking of San Juan for street photography, La Perla is my best memory.

3. A city for escape

San Juan seems to attract a lot of people escaping from something. I’ve met many people who came here to get away and hadn’t left yet. It’s probably a combination of the sun, beach and easy transition to more of an island life, but it’s very noticeable the more people I meet and see. Many are Americans, from the young and worry free to the older and seemingly early retired. There’s a decent amount of Europeans too, though, that come and never leave. This can give a slightly strange dynamic for street life when walking the streets and beaches with your camera. And I find the locals don’t always love this trend, but it is something that stands out to me in San Juan.

You’ll find mostly your normal tourists in Old San Juan, but a lot of these long-term tourists stay around the beaches and Santurce. And for nightlife, they mix with short-term tourists and young locals in La Placita, a plaza of bar lined streets, another decent area to check out for street photography.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Beach & Sun

You’re in San Juan, so taking a rest in the sand under the sun makes for any easy street photography break. For the sand and beach, Ocean Park gets my recommendation. If you feel like relaxing in the grass enjoying some great views, Escambron makes a nice choice too.

Street Safety Score: 6

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Statistically, San Juan has high crime. Much of that is drug related and stays within that community, but statistics say you should be cautious outside of Old San Juan. Now, I’ve explored all over the city by myself and didn’t feel less safe than most other Latin American countries, but of course that’s not the safest comparison. Funny enough, La Perla might be the most known for danger, but I find it very safe. With one street devoted to its high drug trade, the rest feels local and welcoming. Outside of there, Santurce and the city center can feel sketchy at times, but again, street smarts and keep the walking to the day and you should be fine. Just be smart and observant. 

People’s Reaction Score: 6

It’s an interesting mix in San Juan with tourists, locals and drifters. In the touristic Old San Juan, everybody has a camera so you don’t have to worry at all, although some may find it strange if you take their photo instead of the colorful colonial architecture. Overall, though, exploring the city with my camera I found it less photo friendly than most places. I know this can be a touchy thing to talk about, but I encountered more attitude here. But while it’s not the friendliest place to take candid photos, it still shouldn’t be anything to worry about. 

Street Tips:

Budget like you would for a city in the USA, not a Latin one

Be prepared for American prices because San Juan isn’t exactly cheap. If you’re comparing to other major cities in Latin America, it can be expensive. People coming from North America, Australia or Western Europe, probably won’t find it bad, but if you’re coming from any of the other major cities in Latin America, just think American prices in a Latin American city.

Uber to/from airport

The airport is right in the city, making it a quick trip to where you’ll be staying. That doesn’t mean they won’t charge your 5 minute ride like it’s a 30 minute fare, though. While the taxi rate from the airport is $20+, Uber will cost you around $5 for the same trip. So if you can, Uber it.

Walk Old San Juan/La Perla, but give the city a walk too (no one else does)

One thing I noticed was that non-locals don’t go anywhere in San Juan outside of Old San Juan and Santurce to the beaches from Condado to Ocean Park. This seems to even include people staying long-term. And when asking locals where else to go in the city, they all told me this was it. While I’ll admit there’s not too much of interest to visit outside of these areas, there can be for street photography. Most areas mentioned above only cover the small northern section of San Juan, but if you want the more urban side of the city, you can walk southeast along Avenida Juan Ponce de León.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through street photography from San Juan on Flickr and check out 22 of my photos taken in San Juan.

Conclusion:

I try to keep these guides positive, but also honest. And I have to be honest, San Juan isn’t my favorite city for photography so far during my 100 City Project. But I gave my mains reasons for it above, so it doesn’t mean it will be the same for you. The things that don’t appeal for me here could definitely appeal to others. It’s just that I love so many places in Latin America, but San Juan seems latin-lite. So for me, it’s hanging in the middle for authenticity.

That being said, you might like the easy transition for some relaxing photo walks with just enough latin atmosphere to make it interesting. For partying and beaches, it isn’t too bad, either. But San Juan is only one city on this island, so if you make it here and have some time, I’d highly recommend checking out the rest of the island if you want to get away from some of that Americanized touristic atmosphere.

There’s different sides to San Juan. There’s the polished and touristy colonial Old San Juan, there’s the variety of city beach life, and there’s the raw, slightly edgy urban core that most don’t go. Depending on what you’re interested for street photography, you do have a unique blend of influences to choose from in a package that makes for an easy destination for the general traveler too. 

I hope this guide can give you an idea of the city from a street photographer’s perspective and maybe even help you prepare to experience San Juan yourself. So grab your camera and capture all that San Juan has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in San Juan, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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