Isla Verde Beach, San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Playa Isla Verde

Top choice in San Juan


With countless tanned bodies lounging or flexing their biceps around the volleyball net, this urban beach basks in its reputation as the Copacabana of Puerto Rico. Serenity seekers may prefer to head west to Ocean Park but despite the crowds, this broad, mile-long swath of sand lying between Punta Las Marías and Piñones is an undeniable beauty, especially at sunset. Jet Skis, flyboards, beach chairs and umbrellas are all available to rent; banana boats and parasailing are on offer too.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San Juan attractions

1. Balneario de Carolina

1.46 MILES

Wedged in between the high-rise hotel strip of Isla Verde and the rustic delights of Piñones, Balneario de Carolina is a fine, clean beach that's…

2. Playa Ocean Park

2.4 MILES

Protected by offshore reefs and caressed by cooling seasonal trade winds, this wide sweep of diamond-dust sand is a favorite of locals. But this…

4. Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

2.75 MILES

San Juan boasts one of the largest and most celebrated art museums in the Caribbean. Housed in a splendid neoclassical building that was once the city’s…

5. La Placita de Santurce

3.04 MILES

Built in 1910, the Mercado de Santurce has been the center of activity for over a century, vendors doing a roaring trade in fruits and vegetables from…

8. Playa Condado

3.33 MILES

Hemmed in by hotel towers and punctuated by rocky outcrops, Condado’s narrow beaches are busier than Ocean Park’s and less exclusive than Isla Verde’s…

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