THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WEEKEND

For personal, non-commercial use only. Do not edit, alter or reproduce. For commercial reproduction or distribution, contact Dow Jones Reprints & Licensing at (800) 843-0008 or www.djreprints.com

lndigo for It Blue leather has

swayed us when

it comes to men's

shoes and bags

03 OFF DUTY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

The Comeback Capital of

Puerto Rico

A long-weekend getaway to the island doesn't just mean balmy temperatures

and soothing beaches, but also the chance to witness San Juan's resilience

ON THE REBOUND Clockwise from top: A watermelon mojito at Santaella; one of the swimming pools at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve resort, which reopened in October; the tiny T Play a

boutique on Calle Loiza, San Juan's new hipster strip; a basketball court in La Perla. just outside the city walls of Old San Juan, erected when Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony.

BY SARA CLEMENCE

S ANJUAN,PuertoRico's nearly 500-year-old capital,isfar less predictable than otherCarib­beanvacation spots.Restau­rants with Michelin-starred chefs vieforyour attentionwith hole-in-the-wall cafes,slick ho­telswith colonial fortresses,

white-sand beaches with provocative streetart. Dense rain forests and groomed coffee plantations lie a short drive away. Puerto Rico fell off many travelers' radars afterHurricaneMaria tortured the island in September 2017, wiping out thousands of lives and homes, denuding flora and laying waste to the power grid-and the recovery has been difficult. But today in San Juan, thanks to he­roic rebuilding efforts, you'd be hard-pressed to no­tice anything amiss. Hotels have come back, new eateries have opened, and on weekend evenings, the market squareerupts into a block party.Theis­land could still use the support of travelers: Some belovedsmall businesses remain shuttered,and restaurants that once had lines out the door have tables to spare. As Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose mu­sical "Hamilton" begins a special three-week run next month, put it at an August press conference: ''There's nothing better foryour soulthana tripto Puerto Rico." Here's how to fully tap the spirit of the place over a three-dayweekend.

Day One: Friday

7p.m.Arrive atLuisMunozMarinlnternational Airport. It's a 20-minute taxi ride into the city­probably the last traditional cab you'll take in San Juan. Ride-sharing services, including Uber, are ubiquitous but barred from airport pickups.

7:30 p.m. Many hotels in the city have reopened in the past year-and there are even some new ones to pick from. With all its hotel and condo towers, Condado may not be the most charming neighborhood, but it's upscale, convenient and right on the beach. The new Serafina Beach Ho­tel has a young, sexy vibe, floor-to-ceiling win­dows and an infinity pool overlooking the beach (from $289 a night, 1077 Ashford Ave., serafina­beachhotel.com). The seven-room Casa Los Cum­mins, in a residential spot lessthan a mile away, has a bright,beachy feel and whimsical touches-a rocker is upholstered in shaggy sheepskin, Polaroids of past guests are pinned up near the entry (from $1S9 a night, 1218 Calle Luchetti, casa/oscummins.com). Bikes are com· plimentary and some rooms come with private patios. The Condado Vanderbilt is a glamorous, classic pick with a high-energy pool scene and Michelin-starred chef Juan Jose Cuevas"s 1919 Restaurant (from $425 a night, 1055 Ashford Ave., condadovanderbilt.com). For an Old World feel, change neighborhoods and bed down in El

DO VOU HAVE ANV LEVERAGE? Anopen-and-shutcasefor theMurphy

bed, in vogue again D7

Convento, which occupies a 17th-century convent on a verdant street inOldSanJuan (from $310 a night, 100 Calle de Cristo, elconvento.com).

8 p.m. After checking in and taking a quickie stroll on Condado beach, which runs behind the towers on Ashford Avenue, take a cab or ride· share or walk the half-mile to Santaella (219 Calle Canals, josesantaella.com). Chef Jose San­taella, a protege of Eric Ripert and Ferran AdriO, puts a modern twist on classic Puerto Rican in· gredients,like beef sliders with sweet plantains and red-wine mayonnaise, and seared scallops over guava and pineapple jam. Book ahead-it's crowded and festive on weekends-and beware that the signature drink, a watermelon mojito, goes down all too easily.

10 p,m. Just a block away, cocktail bar Jungle Bird embraces kitsch as well as sophisticated mixol­ogy: The #tepachecolada ls made with coconut cream and a fermented pineapple drink (te])Clche); Frida's Visit to MOMA contains raspberries as well as "cilantro air" (2S4 Calle Canals, co/ec­tivoicaro.comjbars).

11 p,m, If you have the stamina, head around the corner to La Placita de Santurce. Bars and fon­das(local taverns) cluster around the city's cov-

PleaseturntopageD4

For personal, non-commercial use only. Do not edit, alter or reproduce. For commercial reproduction or distribution, contact Dow Jones Reprints & Licensing at (800) 843-0008 or www.djreprints.com

D41 Saturday/Sunday, December 29 - 30, 2018 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

ADVENTURE & TRAVEL

Continued from page DJ

ered market. On weekends the party spills onto the streets-and makes for great peo­ple-watching.

/Jay Two: Saturday

8 a.m. Slap on some sunscreen and slip on walking shoes. Start your day in Old San Juan, the historic heart of the city, settled by the Spanish in the early 16th century. Stop by high-ceilinged Caficultura for a cup of Puerto Rican coffee. Try to resist the coconut-milk­soaked french toast-you'll thank yourself later (401 San Francisco St., 787-723-7731).

9:15 a.m. Stroll the neighborhood's blue cob­blestones-blocks of Spanish foundry slag that were used centuries ago as ship bal­last-to the meeting place for Spoon Food Tour's three-hour morning excursion, which starts at 9:30 (from $79 a person, spoon­foodtours.com). An expert will guide your small group to a half-dozen local eateries, pointing out historic sites (such as remnants of the old city wall and the 16th-century Ca­thedral of San Juan Bautista) and explaining the origins of Puerto Rican cuisine. Expect to sample everything from chocolate to slowly roasted pork and ultra-flavorful beans and rice.

12:30 p.m. Bid farewell to your new (and probably full) friends. Take an Uber to one of two museums. Visit the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Puerto Rico (MAC), in a century-old Neoclassical-style brick building, to sample post-1945 ait by Puerto Rican and other Caribbean and Latin American artists. All the museum's holdings officially belong to the people of Puerto Rico (corner of Avenida Juan Ponce de Le6n, and Roberto H. Todd, Parada 18, mac-pr.org). Several blocks away, the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR) looks at Puerto Rican art from the 17th century to the present. A couple of fas­cinating galleries focus on 20th-century printmaking and graphic art; kids will love the interactive section (299 Avenida Jose de Diego, mapr.org).

2 p.m. Peckish? Walk five minutes from MAPR or 15 from MAC to Lote 23, a gravel­lined food court where more than a dozen gourmet food kiosks and Airstreams sell ev­

erything from poke to ice pops to Puerto Ri­can-inflected bao. If you're overwhelmed by choice, hit Alcapurrias Quemci for deep-fried yucca fritters stuffed with meat. Lote 23 is open late into the night and attracts a di­verse crowd: young professionals, multi-gen­erational families and everyone in-between.

3 p.m. It's a IS-minute walk or 3-minute drive to Calle Loiza, which has been transi­tioning from a working-class thoroughfare

into the city's new hipster strip. Some nota­ble boutiques include Sixne Concept Store, a tiny men's streetwear shop that sells some local brands (1752 Calle Loiza, soysixne.com), T Playa, which focuses on straw hats and bags (1804 Calle Loiza) and Luca, which feels strangely Scandinavian but stocks locally made jewelry and accessories (58 Calle Taft, shop-luca.com).

4:30 p.m. Take a break, either at your hotel or at the beach. Tireless travelers can rent a stand-up paddleboard from a vendor on Con­dado Beach for just $20.

7 p.m. Return to Old San Juan for dinner at Verde Mesa, which received its first James Beard nomination last year. The look is French flea-market, the food is vegetarian­and pescatarian-friendly, and tables are first-come, first-serve (JO? Calle Tetuan, 787-390-4662).

8:30 p.m. Walk down to El Paseo de la Princ­esa, which leads to the Paseo de! Morro, a pedestrian path that runs along the edge of the islet to Castillo de! Morro. Take a short stroll, admiring the harbor lights.

9:30 p.m. Walk back into the heart of Old San Juan. La Factoria is laid-back-even shambolic, with no sign and peeling paint­but it helped jump-start San Juan's contem­porary craft cocktail scene. It's also much bigger than it first appears: actually four bars, which you access through unmarked doors and which open on a rolling basis through the night, ending with an all-out dance party (148 Calle San Sebastian, 787-412-4251).

/Jay 11iree: Sunday

9 a.m. Sleep in a little bit, then take a long walk down Avenida Juan Ponce de Leon, a gritty thoroughfare that's also replete with

colorful street art. Stop into Caldera Cafe Coffee Shop, which has vintage luggage tacked to the walls and serves breakfast sandwiches, empanadas and excellent local coffee (1057 A venida Juan Ponce de Leon, 87-710-3299).

10:30 a.m. Stroll a few blocks around the corner to hunt for more street art on Calle Cerra. Take a smoothie break at El Patio de! Sole, an indoor-outdoor cafe filled with art and vintage furniture (718 Calle Cerra, 787-225-0967).

12 p.m. Have an Uber take you back to Old San Juan for lunch at Hecho en Casa, which serves local specialties. The mofongo-fried and mashed green plantains often topped with meat-is a must, especially the chicken version in white sauce (249 Calle San Fran­cisco, hecpr.com).

1 p.m. Walk down the block to Concalma, which sells casual fabric bags and backpacks made by a cooperative in the mountains. Af­ter the hurricane, owner Matilsha Marx­uach figured out how to keep workers em­ployed by making mosquito netting (207 San Francisco Street, shopconca/ma.com).

Then set off on a self-guided walking tour. Head north to Calle Norzagaray and follow it to the left along the water to Castillo San Felipe de! Morro, the historic fort that guards the entrance to San Juan

HOME STRETCH Clockwise from top: Santaella, which puts a modern twist on classic Puerto Rican ingredients; a morning workout on

1 Condado beach; one of the seven guest rooms at Casa Los Cummins, a new hotel in the Condado neighborhood of San Juan.

Spanish settlers in 1539; it was attacked several times over the centuries, including by the U.S. Navy during the Spanish-Ameri­can War. Grab a map at the entrance and wander around the site, being sure to check out the lighthouse, the sentry boxes and the variety of views from the six-level fortifica­tion. Afterward, lounge on the massive lawn and watch families flying kites (501 Norzag­aray Street, nps.gov/saju).

3 p.m. Across the street from El Morro lies El Museo de las Americas, housed in former Spanish army barracks. The collections offer perspective on the traditions and cultures of North and South America and the Carib­bean, and include Taino petroglyphs, Ama­zonian fishing baskets and colonial artifacts (Calle Beneficencia, museo/asamericas.org).

4 p.m. Take the narrow Caleta de la Monjas south, looking up near Calle Sol to see Casa Blanca, the house that Ponce de Leon had built for himself in 1521 when he was the first governor of Puerto Rico (he died in Florida without having occupied it). At Caleta de San Juan, go down the stairs to see the massive pink Puerta de San Juan, the only remaining gate to the old walled city. A little farther down Calle Clara Lair, named for the late Puerto Rican poet and essayist, you'll see a pale blue mansion with white trim: La Fortaleza, the original fort build to defend San Juan in the 1530s-be­fore the Spanish realized it was poorly posi­tioned and began work on El Morro. It's now the governor's mansion.

5:30 p.m. If urban beaches aren't enough to satisfy your Caribbean cravings, spend a night at Dorado Beach, a plantation-turned­Ritz Carlton resort that reopened in the fall. The 1,400-acre property is just 30 min­utes outside of San Juan but feels worlds away. The rooms and villas have floor-to­ceiling glass doors that open onto ocean views (from $1,299 a night, ritzcarl­ton.com). Otherwise, go back to your San Juan hotel for a rest.

7:30 p.m. In 2017, Amelia Dill and Francis Guzman, alums of Blue Hill and the Modern in New York, moved back to Mr. Guzman's hometown to start a restaurant. Hurricane Maria disrupted those plans, but the couple finally opened Vianda in the Santurce neigh­borhood this past March. The restaurant has a simple but polished look; the food is an el­egant take on Caribbean food, with dashes of Thai and Italian. Book ahead to make sure you get to try the almojabanas (Colombian cheese bread) with guava dipping sauce, butternut squash soup with hazelnut sa­bayon, and tom kha soup with bacalao (1413 Avenida Juan Ponce de Le6n, viandapr.com).

9 p.m. If you have it in you, walk a block to La Pemiltima for a nightcap. When it opened a couple of years ago it was an industry hangout, where bar and restaurant workers came after work; since the hurricane it's turned into a neighborhood joint (1359 A venida Juan Ponce de Le6n).

Day Pour: Monday

8 a.m. Fuel up at or close to your hotel: You don't want to miss the 9 a.m. pickup for your day trip to El Yunque, the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest sys­tem. The hurricane decimated the canopy and killed an untold number of birds, yet the ecosystem has begun to gradually re­cover. While you can visit the 28,000-acre forest on your own, it's easier to book a tour. Bespoke Concierge provides transpor­tation and a knowledgeable guide who will take you hiking and climbing to swimming holes and waterfalls, discussing flora and fauna along the way (from $88, bespokecon­cierge.com). You'll stop for a late lunch in the town of Kioskos Luiqillo, a strip of stalls where you can choose from dozens of differ­ent restaurants, many serving excellent Puerto Rican food. Ask your guide for his or her favorite.

4 p.m. Finish the excursion in time to head to the airport for your flight home. Or, stick around for another night and go kayaking in one of Puerto Rico's bioluminescent bays. Even better, take all of Tuesday off-there's plenty more to see beyond the reaches of San Juan. See wsj.com/travel for a few ideas.

harbor. Its founda- Hurricane repairs underway in the Old San Juan neighborhood tions were laid by of La Perla.