Getting Oriented

San Juan wraps around the Bahía de San Juan (San Juan Bay) on the island's northern, Atlantic coast. Old San Juan, the original colonial city, occupies a long, slender isthmus on the northeast side of the bay and is connected by a bridge to Condado and, farther east, the districts of Ocean Park and Isla Verde (home of the international airport), which together make up San Juan's hip, touristy, 5-mi-long (8-km-long) coastal strip lined with gorgeous beaches. These districts have the lion's share of hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and sites to see. South of Condado and Ocean Park, the Santurce district—setting for the city's main art museums—melds into Hato Rey, the city's business district. The greater city fans out from here into suburbs with little touristic appeal.