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Getting Around
Greetings:
Welcome to our Tropical Paradise! TheNakedIsland.com is San Juan's Gay Guide to everything fabulous. Bars, nightlife, shopping, beaches, friends, and fun!
Our community has grown significantly since the days when being "gay" meant huddling in some dive bar in a sketchy neighborhood. TheNakedIsland attempts to address the expectations of the broad range within the GLBT Tourist Community. In San Juan, we practically live outdoors. Cocktails in a hammock, massages by the ocean, shopping for native art....TheNakedIsland is your Guide and is updated weekly.
In San Juan, Bar hoppers will have three delightful bars in the safe area of Condado (right on the ocean). Intellectuals will marvel at our 500 years of history. Party people will adore the street parties, beach bonfires, and and neverending dancing. Busy professionals will appreciate the modern amenities, wifi, and conference spaces. The Pampered Princess will find Isla Verde to be simply divine. Music lovers will be amazed. Puerto Rico is the world's crucible of musical innovation. Oh, and Old San Juan is...simply fabulous! The entertainment, fine dining, architecture, street parties, shopping, breathtaking ocean views of the Old City are internationally admired.
In San Juan, you will find that being Out and Proud is very accepted in the Tourist Zone. In San Juan, we spend as much time outdoors as possible. We are a very athletic, healthy bunch (read between the lines...the men and women in San Juan consistently rank as among the world's most attractive).
A Few Facts About San Juan:
Puerto Rico is an American Territory. Passports are not required for American visitors.
San Juan is very gay-friendly. It is common to see same-sex couples strolling Ashford Avenue holding hands. Condado and Ocean Park easily qualify as "gay ghettos".
The Tourist Zone in San Juan is extremely safe for visitors. The Tourist Zone is very exclusive and very well maintained, superior in many ways to (and cleaner than) South Beach or Fort Lauderdale. And you don't need a car. The Tourist Zone is walkable.
English is commonly spoken throughout the Tourist Zone.
If you are searching for a chic, cosmopolitan city with an exquisitely fabulous gay vibe (and lots of sun, sand, and palm trees), there is no comparison to San Juan. If you long for relaxation, tropical breezes, and hammocks, Puerto Rico has hundreds of Caribbean beaches and dozens of resorts. Grab your tickets, pack your swim trunks, and spend a weekend in Paradise.
-Eric Marion, Editor
Laws, Rules, Etiquette
Party Time
PRIDE 2013
June 2
San Juan
Sunday Tropical T Dance at Splash! 7 pm - ?????
Naked News
Guide to Pride
Puerto Rico has two Gay Pride Parades. The first is in San Juan, June 2. The parade launches from Parque del Indio, at the very eastern edge of Condado on Ashford Avenue. It is accessible by bus from Old San Juan and Isla Verde. If you are staying in Condado or Ocean Park, you can just walk to it. The parade begins at noon. The parade route is two miles long, so plan on a hot and tiring march. It ends at Escabron Beach across the Condado Bridge where tents and performances are set up for partiers. Splash is hosting a special Pride Event that night in the heart of Condado. Other bars such as Tia Maria and Oceano will have their own events throughout the weekend. Expect upwards of 50,000 people at the parade.
Cabo Rojo has a second (and even larger!) Pride Event the following weekend. Cabo Rojo is a small drinking village with a fishing problem. On Pride Day, its population swells to tens of thousands of gay, trans, and lesbian partiers. The festivities start of Friday night and go through Monday morning. The Cabo Rojo Pride Weekend is the largest in the Caribbean.
Previous News Stories
On the Ground Safety Tips
Support, Services, Necessities
THE TOURIST ZONE
The internet is full of stories about crime and danger in Puerto Rico. Much of that information is unfortunately inaccurate and speculative. The clickable map below is a graphic representation of crime rates in San Juan. As in any other major city, there are "safe" areas and "not so safe" areas. Light and medum blue areas are generally considered safe for walking around at night. Deep blue areas have very little street lighting or abut more dangerous areas and thus require a little extra vigilance day or night. It is advisable to always stay in the blue zones while in San Juan. Never enter the deep red zones. The Tourist Zone has almost no violent crime of any type, domestic or otherwise. You're perfectly, safe in the Tourist Zone, and we have more than enough to entertain you in Old San Juan, Condado, and Isla Verde.
View San Juan Danger Zones in a larger map
Lodging FAQ
Paseo de La Princesa Street Fair -Old San Juan Saturdays, Sundays
Clang, Clang Went the Trolley! Free trolly tours Old San Juan, Daily - Plaza Las Armas
Climate and Nature
Things To Do
Food And Lodging
TOP 10 REASONS TO VISIT PUERTO RICO
1) Our climate is always, always, between 75-92 f. Generally, 80-85 f is the norm.
2) No Passport is required for U.S. Citizens
3) We are not just in the Caribbean, we define the Caribbean experience. San Juan is the hub of the entire Caribbean basin.
4) This ain't Kansas (no offense to Kansans). San Juan is cosmopolitan, chic, and very gay-friendly.
5) Unlike other Caribbean cities, San Juan is extremely safe. Serious crime is almost uknown in the Tourist Zone.
6) You can speak English. The overhwhelming majority of residents in the Tourist Zone are English fluent.
7) The choices of activities are endless. Swimming, scuba, kitesurfing, surfing, bodyboarding, mountain climbing, hiking, white-water rafting, spelunking, zip-lining, yachting...to name only a few.
8) The choices for entertainment are endless. Jazz, cabaret, salsa, museums, opera, ballet, street fairs, historic re-enactments, theater, classic car shows, rodeos, horse racing, art fairs...just for starters.
9) Puerto Rico's rain forests, tropical beaches, and breathtaking farmland could be the planet's most beautiful.
10) We gave you Ricky Martin.
Current Weather
I AM LOOKING FOR....
Links to the left and right direct you to La Bochinchosa, TheNakedIsland's sister site. Please use these links for much more information on San Juan. They will appear in a new window allowing you retain your placemark on TheNakedIsland.
