“Se ve lindo hasta en Google Maps,” says Bad Bunny of his native Puerto Rico in his song “Me Fui de Vacaciones:” Puerto Rico looks beautiful even on Google Maps. If there’s one thread tying together every diverse piece of the musical career of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny, it has been his love for his island.
Now, as fan flock to Puerto Rico to experience Bad Bunny’s 30-show No me quiero ir de aqui summer residency, they don’t need to look any further than the artist’s own lyrics to plan their visit from Puerto Rico from start to finish.
Visitors be warned: Bad Bunny has long maintained that there are some spots on the island that he is keeping to himself. “Lo mejor nunca se sube… si pongo el location, ya no e’ un secret spot.” Translation: the best is never uploaded; because if I add the location, it is no longer a secret spot. However, Bad Bunny has left enough clues in his lyrics to set fans up for the Puerto Rico vacation of a lifetime, whether they’re headed to the beach before his concert or for a warm weather getaway once summer ends.
Santurce
Cool, colorful Santurce is one of the largest neighborhoods in San Juan, packed with art galleries, shops, bars and restaurants that make it one of the liveliest spots in the city. While there’s plenty to see and do in one of Bad Bunny’s favorite neighborhoods, most visitors head straight to Calle Loiza to check out murals and street art, or the stately Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, which boasts an impressive collection of the island’s best.
Make sure to head to La Placita de Santurce as night falls, for “un perreo sucio en la Placita,” recommends Bad Bunny in “Te Boté – Remix.” A market by day, the area is packed with some of the best bars and restaurants in the city, but as night falls, it alights with music and dancing. Stop for a drink at La Penúltima, named to the World’s 50 Best Discovery list for it’s inventive, island-inspired cocktails, before stopping at La Alcapurria Quemá for Puerto Rican staple dishes like mofongo, alcapurrias, and carne frita.
Palomino Island
“Forget the Maldives, I’m staying in Palomino,” says Bad Bunny on one of his most popular tracks off his fourth album. It’s a fitting word of praise for an island that puts even the dreamiest tropical paradise to shame. Take a short boat ride from Fajardo on the island’s east coast and within minutes, the tiny 100-acre island of Palomino Island comes into view, little more than stretches of white sand, a fringe of feathery palms, and expanses of impossibly blue sea.
Nowadays, Palomino is only accessible via El Conquistador Resort, which sits facing the island on the Puerto Rican mainland. The resort offers guests boat transportation to and from the island throughout the day, along with beach chairs and cabanas, gear for water sports and snorkeling, and a bar and grill serving up beachside fare all day.
Fifty Eight
Hidden away within the lower level of a beach front resort in San Juan’s sexy Condado neighborhood, Fifty Eight is nothing less than a mythical destination among fans of reguetón and Latin trap music. This pulsing nightclub is has been mentioned by name by everyone who can get their hands on a mic these days, from Feid and Ozuna to Bad Bunny and Jhayco, who has an entire song named about the spot. Eagle-eyed fans can even spot it’s unmistakable light-paneled ceiling and stages in the background of countless music videos starring San Juan’s creative elite.
Partying the night away at Fifty Eight is just one reason to visit La Concha Resort these days. Long considered one of the coolest places to stay in San Juan, it’s better than ever after a top-to-toe facelift that updated and expanded rooms, introduced the brand new Elemara Spa & Salon, and added dining options like hand-rolled sushi at Tekka Bar and fresh seafood at Levant by the Michelin-starred Chef Michael White.
Isabela
If Bad Bunny calls it paradise itself, you know it has to be good. Located on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, Isabela is home to what is considered one of the best beaches in Puerto Rico: Playa Jobos. While this long stretch of golden sand is undeniably stunning, Isabela has so much more to offer than just a singular beach, with its serene, small-town vibe making it a favorite getaway destination from San Juan.
Playa Jobos appeals to surfers and swimmers alike, with sections of the beach offering choppier, wavier conditions and others perfectly peaceful and ideal for families. There’s not a single oversized beach resort here, and that’s a major part of Isabela’s appeal; instead, boutique inns, beachfront rentals and even camping facilities in nearby Guajataca State Forest make it a more accessible destination for visitors, especially those who just spent all their savings on concert tickets.
Mayagüez
Considered the western “capital” of Puerto Rico, the city of Mayagüez is a colonial marvel brimming with charm, beautiful beaches, shopping and plenty to keep visitors busy, whether they’re here at the recommendation of Bad Bunny or otherwise.
Mayagüez boasts is own beautiful city center, but most visitors head straight for its beaches upon arrival. North is Rincón and Crash Boat Beach, both known for their surfing, and Rincón even earning a shoutout from Martínez Ocasio in his song “El Apagón.” To the south, Boquerón with its blissful beaches, yet another one of the island’s beautiful stretches of sand to earn a mention in the singer’s “Me Fui de Vacaciones.”
Great snorkeling and diving can be found around the island, but Mayagüez is known as the start for the excursion to Isla Desecheo, an uninhabited island off the coast with beautiful marine life and coral formations. It is known for having some of the best underwater visibility in Puerto Rico.
Dákiti
With well over two billion listens on Spotify, “Dákiti” is Bad Bunny’s most streamed song. Despite the song’s unrivaled popularity, the inspiration behind the Dákiti title remains a bit of a mystery to fans, who have been quick to identify a few key spots in Puerto Rico with a similar name.
Some say the song is named after a small stretch of beach in Old San Juan, or even a tiny bar in the same neighborhood with the same name.However, others think it refers to Bahía Dákiti, a crystal-clear bay on the island of Culebra off of mainland Puerto Rico.
Dákiti Bay sits at the mouth of the entrance to this tiny, white-sand island, a popular getaway destination for locals and savvy visitors alike who know that the island is home to gems like Playa Flamenco, considered one of the best beaches in the entire Caribbean.
Whether you head all the way to Culebra to visit the famed Dákiti Bay in person or don’t get any further than Old San Juan, it’s part of a Bad Bunny-themed pilgrimage you won’t want to miss this summer.