Photo: J Duquette/Shutterstock
If the main takeaway that you got from last month’s Super Bowl was that you need to book a flight to Puerto Rico, you’re not alone. Flight searches surged in February, as did searches around the island’s music, small towns, and rum experiences. That last one is something that I’ve thought about since my first trip to San Juan nearly a decade ago.
I haven’t booked my flight yet, but when I do, I’ve got the perfect itinerary thanks to a recent conversation with Eduardo Bacardi. If the last name didn’t give it away already, Eduardo has a generations-long family history in Puerto Rican rum. Today, he’s the sales and marketing director at Ron del Barrilito, a legacy rum brand that dates back to 1880. In other words, the perfect guide. Eduardo said it best when he told me that local rum is, of course, tasty and fun to drink, but more than that, everything that happens around rum is an excellent way into understanding Puerto Rican culture.
Cheers,
Nickolaus Hines, editorial content director
T O - D O
Photo: Ron del Barrilito
Book it: A Puerto Rico Rum Tour
In and around San Juan, rum is ever-present from distillery tours to hotel bars, serious cocktail dens, neighborhood dives, and long meals where someone will almost certainly tell you what to order next.
Photo: Zen2087/Shutterstock
Eat
Cocina al Fondo is the move for a thoughtful take on Puerto Rican cooking rooted in local farms and seafood, while Casita Blanca serves classic Puerto Rican comfort food that’s best settled with a pour of rum for dessert. For an upscale steakhouse, La Central ties fire, sugarcane, and Puerto Rican flavors into every meal.
Photo: Nickolaus Hines
Drink
For the clearest introduction to Puerto Rico’s rum culture, go straight to Hacienda Santa Ana in Bayamón, where Ron del Barrilito tours include history, guided tastings, and mixology sessions. Back in San Juan, La Factoría is one of the most iconic spots for cocktails and dancing, Antiguo 26 has staff who can talk you through your next favorite bottle, and El Batey is a classic no-frills Old San Juan stop.
Photo: La Concha Resort, Autograph Collection
Stay
La Concha brings Condado glamour with bars and restaurants that fit naturally into a late-night San Juan trip, while the Condado Vanderbilt is the better pick if you want a polished base with a strong cocktail culture. For a quieter luxury stay outside the city, Dorado Beach gives you a more secluded base without losing the rum-forward through line.
Photo: Little Vignettes Photo/Shutterstock
Experience
Do Puerto Rico the local way and go on a chinchorreo tour of rural bar-and-snack shops along the road: pile into a car, head for the hills, and stop from chinchorro to chinchorro for fried snacks, music, open views, and plenty of rum. It’s social, loud, unpretentious, and there’s always time for one more stop.
T R A V E L
Riverside’s Hops and Heritage Cruise Uses Beer to Tell the Story of the Rhine
Photo: Ian Schemper Photography Per Karehed Photography / Riverside Luxury Cruises
A Rhine cruise that uses beer to tell the story of Europe. Expect tastings, brewery stops, and a deeper look at the culture and trade routes behind every pour.
F E A T U R E
The Forests of Southwest Finland Hide One of Europe’s Richest Food Cultures
Photo: Vaclav Sonnek/Shutterstock
Just outside Turku, foraging reveals a landscape packed with wild mushrooms, deep culinary roots, and a dining scene built around what grows underfoot.
G U I D E
Airbnb Is Delivering Chef-Made Meals to Your Rental
Photo: Airbnb
Airbnb now lets you skip the grocery run with chef-made meals delivered straight to your rental. The result: surprisingly good, ready-to-heat dishes that make eating well on the road a whole lot easier.
Travel Well
The Matador Editorial Team