The Best Time Of Year To Visit San Juan For All The Beauty With Fewer Crowds

From palm tree-lined beaches to a cobblestone-lined historic downtown — not to mention some of the best places to get mofongo on the island — San Juan, Puerto Rico, offers the ultimate blend of beauty, culture, and adventure. But as the island's capital city, home to famous sites like 16th-century Spanish forts as well as a busy cruise port, San Juan bears the brunt of Puerto Rico's tourism. While we'd argue that there's no truly bad time to explore this Caribbean city, if you want to skip the crowds (and still avoid peak hurricane season), plan your visit to the Island of Enchantment between April and June, right after its high season. 

Puerto Rico is known as a vibrant and warm winter vacation destination, so it's no surprise that its peak season runs from December to April. During this time, the weather is generally dry and warm enough for beach-hopping, while a number of cultural events like the San Sebastián Street Festival in January fill Old San Juan with music and festivities. However, by the spring, you'll still be greeted with relatively dry weather and temperatures ranging from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so you'll be able to enjoy walking around San Juan's prettiest neighborhoods or hiking in the nearby El Yunque National Forest.

Cruise passengers, who represent a large bulk of travelers visiting San Juan (and oftentimes are only in the city for one day), significantly decrease in April. According to data collected by Tourism Analytics in 2025, nearly 206,000 cruise travelers visited Old San Juan in January, compared to around 116,000 in April. While the summertime tends to also see fewer crowds (and lower prices), this season is less than ideal for planning a San Juan trip, featuring more frequent rain, high temperatures, and humidity — not to mention hurricane season, which officially starts in June but typically peaks during August and September.

To get to San Juan, you'll fly into San Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, which boasts high scores in friendliness, access, and more. The airport is technically located in Carolina, which is 15 minutes or so outside of Old San Juan by car. In San Juan, you'll find lots of hotel options for any budget, like the four-star Hotel El Convento, which was built in 1646 and offers beach access, as well as on-site dining serving local cuisine, a plunge pool, and a fitness center.