Biking in San Juan

Most streets don't have bike lanes, and auto traffic makes bike travel somewhat risky; further, all the fumes can be hard to take. That said, recreational bikers are increasingly donning their safety gear and wheeling through the streets, albeit with great care.

Your best bet is to look into a bike tour offered by an outfitter. One popular 45-minute trip travels from Old San Juan's cobblestone streets to Condado. It passes El Capitolio and runs through either Parque del Tercer Milenio (ocean side) or Parque Luis Muñoz Rivera, taking you past the Caribe Hilton Hotel and over Puente Dos Hermanos (Dos Hermanos Bridge) onto Avenida Ashford. The truly ambitious can continue east to Ocean Park, Isla Verde, and right on out of town to the eastern community of Piñones and its beachside bike path.

Rent the Bicycle. For about $30 a day, this friendly operation offers bicycle rental with free delivery to all major San Juan hotels, in addition to guided tours of Old San Juan, greater San Juan beaches and parks, and Piñones. The bilingual guides are authorized by the National Park Service to give tours of the forts. Pier 6, corner of Av. Fernández Juncos, Old San Juan, San Juan, 00901. 787/602-9696. www.rentthebicycle.net.