DETAILS San Juan

GETTING THERE: It's a $16 cab ride from the airport to Old San Juan. Don't even think about driving in the historic area -- the cobblestone streets are narrow and parking's impossible. It's compact, so you can walk everywhere, or take one of the free trolleys. You'll need a taxi, bus or rental car to visit the beaches; the Isla Verde area, for example, is about a 20-minute, $20 cab ride away.

WHERE TO STAY: To fully experience the capital, spend time in both Old San Juan and one of the North Coast beach areas directly east of it: Puerta de Tierra, Condado, Ocean Park or Isla Verde. In Old San Juan, the 71-room Hotel El Convento (100 Cristo St., 800-468-2779, http://www.elconvento.com/ ), a beautifully restored, 350-year-old former convent with a stunning central courtyard, is worth the splurge. The service is a bit slow, but it's worth it for the hand-crafted Spanish-style furniture, quarry-tile floors, mahogany beams, Andalusian tiles and marble bathrooms; amenities include a complimentary evening wine and cheese reception, plunge pool, fitness center and free high-speed Internet. A special Internet promotion, available through April for Sunday-through-Thursday stays, has rooms at $295 per night plus taxes, with a two-night minimum.

Most of the major chains are represented on the beaches, and they're not cheap. The Courtyard by Marriott San Juan Isla Verde (7012 Boca de Cangrejos Ave., Isla Verde, 787-791-0404, http://www.marriott.com/ ), with 260 rooms and 33 suites, is near the airport and has a casino, a hopping dance floor, several pools and beachfront access. Rooms have DVD and CD players, refrigerators and private balconies with ocean views. Rates start at $260 per night double in high season (December through April), dropping to $185 in May, plus a 10 percent resort fee.

Smaller-scale, more affordable lodgings are also available -- check the listings at Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz, as well as sites like Wheretostay.com and Tripadvisor.com.

WHERE TO EAT: Casita Blanca (351 Tapia St., Santurce, 787-726-5501, http://www.casitablancapr.com/ ), in a little white house about 15 minutes from Old San Juan, is a sweet country-style restaurant with Puerto Rican Creole cooking and a popular Sunday buffet from noon to 5 p.m. Lunch runs about $15.

In Old San Juan: Baru (150 San Sebastian St.) is a romantic white-tablecloth restaurant featuring nouvelle Caribbean cuisine; dinner for two, with wine, runs about $60. El Patio de Sam (102 San Sebastian St.), facing San Jose Plaza, has great burgers and features locals' artwork for sale; lunch runs about $12. The Parrot Club (363 Fortaleza St.) is a happening dinner spot decorated in bright tropical colors and serving up tasty Nuevo Latino bistro fare (don't miss the ceviche) along with live salsa music; dinner entrees run from $18 to $30.

WHAT TO DO:

· El Morro (aka Fort San Felipe de Morro, 787-729-6777, http://www.nps.gov/saju ), at the entrance to San Juan Bay on the northwest tip of San Juan, is a National Historic Site that also includes forts San Cristobal and San Juan de la Cruz. Admission is $3.

· Museum of Art of Puerto Rico (299 De Diego Ave., Santurce, 787-977-6277, http://www.mapr.org/ ) showcases Puerto Rican paintings, sculpture, graphics, ceramics, folk art and photography from colonial times to the present, and has an impressive five-acre sculpture garden. Admission is $6 (free Wednesdays after 2 p.m.).

· The Pablo Casals Museum (San Jose Plaza, 787-723-9185), in an 18th-century townhouse in Old San Juan, covers the life of the famous cellist and has a good selection of posters from the island's annual Casals Festival (this year's festival is currently underway and runs through March 11; 787-728-7727, http://www.festcasalspr.gobierno.pr/ ). Admission is $1.

· Shopping is abundant in Old San Juan -- walk in any direction, down any street, for bargains on jewelry, clothing, shoes and crafts. A few standouts: Orarte Galeria Bazaar (Sol Esquina Street) for beaded necklaces ($10 to $15); Kamel International Bazaar (154 Cristo St.) for Indian tunics, paintings and coral jewelry in all price ranges; Boveda (209 Cristo St.) for the same cool African-Indian-Asian-inspired clothing, jewelry and crafts you'd find in Georgetown shops, but at much better prices; Amazonia (252 Cristo St.) for leather goods, Panama hats and framed butterfly specimens ($25 to $45); and La Calle Shopping Mall (105 Fortaleza St.) for hand-crafted carnival masks.

-- K.C. Summers