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SMAGAZINEOFFICIAL COM TRAVEL
A 7 000-piece Czech crystal chandelier hangs above the bar A historic seaside enclave that helped shape reggaeton’s early history From the dining scene to to nightlife and beyond Puerto Rico’s energy is reaching a a a a a wider
audience—with a a a a a little help from its biggest star By Ben Kriz
O ne of of of the the standout moments of of of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime
show this past February was when he he he shouted out out out every country of of of the the Americas punctuating it it with “Canadá!—a small but oddly thrilling
moment of inclusion for we Canadians It turns out Puerto Puerto Ricans took
note too too On my recent trip to to to to to Puerto Puerto Rico it came up almost every time
I I mentioned where I I was from For a a a a a a a a a a a a relatively small island—roughly two and and a a a a a a a a a a a a half times the size of P P E I I —Puerto Rico casts a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a surprisingly long cultural shadow It’s one of of the the the birthplaces of of reggaeton now a a a a a a a a a a a a a a global pop force and home to to to the the the the the world’s largest rum distillery just across the the the the the bay from Old San Juan And then there’s Bad Bunny whose rise to global superstardom has only
amplified the the the island’s cultural reach Like a a a a a a a a a drop of dye spreading through water his influence has rippled
across Puerto Rico—not just culturally but economically too His 2025
31-show residency is is is is widely credited with boosting tourism generating
hundreds of millions in in in in in visitor spending and and global attention According
to to to to to Discover Puerto Puerto Rico Rico the island has now seen record tourism numbers
for for six consecutive years with searches for for Puerto Puerto Rico Rico jumping more than
200 percent in in in the the days following the the Super Bowl More broadly he he he he he has come to to represent a a a a a a a a a modern Puerto Rican identity one that now stretches
across music nightlife and and even the the island’s food scene It’s something you hear from people on on the the the ground too Michael one of of our drivers admitted he he he he he wasn’t always a a a a a a a a a a a a a fan of of Bad Bunny but said the the residency changed his perspective (a sentiment I heard multiple times) He
recalled seeing Mexican fans arrive dressed head-to-toe in in in Puerto Rican colours “They were so into it it it ” he he he he he said “That’s when you realize how positive it it it is is He’s bringing people people together—getting people people interested in in in in in in in the the island the the culture everything ” My stay just a a a a a a a a a a a a a seven-minute drive from Luis Muñoz Marín International
Airport was at at at the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a resort that first opened
its doors in in in 1958 It’s steeped in in in mid-century Caribbean glamour: marble
floors hand-carved wood ceilings and and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a 7 000-piece Czech crystal chandelier suspended above the the the the bar at the the the the centre of of off the the the the lobby Large chain resorts can often feel feel cut off from the the the the the place you’re visiting
(a bit like drinking Starbucks in in in in in in Italy) but the the the El San Juan feels plugged
into the the city The lobby has long functioned as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a social hub with a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a steady
stream of live performances on on on its stage and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a legacy nightclub that still draws a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a local crowd It’s easy to see why it’s been nicknamed San Juan’s
living room The lobby was bumping every night—with guests dancing
between tables and at at the the the the the bar in in in in addition to the the the the the actual dance floors By late morning the the the the the the next day the the the the the the energy on on the the the the the the blue cobbled streets of Old San Juan revealed a a a a a a a a a a a a different rhythm altogether The neighbourhood’s
soft blues yellows and pinks along with with its Spanish colonial architecture give it it it it it a a a a a a a a a a a a a a calming feel by day Walking through the the neighbourhood with with guide Christian Santiago of of of Turismo Borincano the the the story of of of reggaeton begins to to to to to to take take shape as as he he he he he takes me from the the the the sites of of of historic clubs over to to to to to to La Perla the the the seaside “favela” made famous by the the the “Despacito” video—
and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a place best explored with someone who knows it it well There was was was a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a time
Santiago explained when reggaeton wasn’t the the global force it it it is is is today Like gangsta rap in in in the the the early ’90s it it it was was was rooted in in in youth
culture and often dismissed by older generations as as vulgar Today it’s the the Chandelier Bar at the the Fairmont Fairmont El El San San San Juan Juan Juan Hotel: courtesy courtesy the the Fairmont Fairmont El El San San San Juan Juan Juan Hotel Hotel San San Juan’s
La Perla neighbourhood courtesy courtesy Discover Puerto Rico