bad bunny in puerto rico

La Residencia in Puerto Rico was all anyone was talking about. Summer 2025 was 3 months of Bad Bunny shows. Christine and Mike had tickets to show #15. I didn’t have a ticket. I didn’t have a hotel room. But I desperately wanted to go. DTMF was the album of the year for me and I had never seen him perform. This concert was more than just a show, it was a welcome to country.

I finished an event in New York, found a cheap flight on Frontier, and landed in San Juan 3 days before the show. I booked an apartment in old town San Juan Wednesday through Friday and a hotel on Condado for the weekend. I came early to work a couple days, leaving the weekend for the show. I flew out Monday with a layover in Denver getting me to my next event in Costa Mesa that night. Talk about squeezing it in.

To Stay

In Old Town San Juan I rented this adorable apartment, fit with a little kitchen, quiet bedroom, hammock, and strong wifi. It is walking distance from everything in old town and the perfect location.

In Condado, I went with the Tryst Hotel, affordable, right on the beach, and LGBTQ+. That meant gorgeous men in speedos serviced the lounge chairs and the music at the beach was a vibe. Literally 3x the price as staying in old town.

To Explore

I worked Wednesday and then took the bus, which is free during the summer, over to the mall. Bad Bunny had a pop up for VIP guests and locals. I talked my way into the last tour and joined a family who had an extra ticket. Flexing on my Spanish and following the locals was the best way to start the trip.

Now I came for Bad Bunny but there is more to do besides that. Take a walk through Old Town along the marina. Walk up to Castillo San Felipe del Morro where the wind is so strong it is a famous spot for kite flying. From there walk down to la Puerta de San Juan. At night the ocean breeze blows, the city lights twinkle, and the cats come to hang on the rocks.

I didn’t have time but heard MADMi – Museo de Arte y Diseño de Miramar, is worth a visit too.

Most importantly take a day trip to El Yunque, the national park and forrest about an hour away. Take this tour here. You hike, you swim, you climb, you jump, and there are chances to snack on fresh fruit.

After that take a boat ride along the bay. We grabbed a yacht last minute to take the 10 of us out for the afternoon before the concert. The sun was strong, the water was cool, and we danced.

To Eat & Drink

Verde Mesa – for local farm to table
Eter Rooftop & Lounge – for rooftops
Sobao Bakery & Restaurant – for pastries
Calle Elisa Cerra – for dancing

Whether you go for Bad Bunny or not, Puerto Rico has endless beauties. Cramming this trip in between two events on opposite sides of the US may have not been the best idea for my peace, but you cannot beat being front row with Bad Bunny in his home town.