Spontaneous live music performances are one of the most satisfying discoveries one can make while roaming through San Juan. Street corners, residential front porches, hotel lobbies and restaurants can all be venues for amateur and professional singers and musicians, who are often accompanied by salsa dancers.  

Music can certainly be found in unexpected places, but there are many organized venues for the arts in San Juan, as well.  Santurce has become known as the city’s cultural district, and is home to the Luis A. Ferre Performing Arts Center.  Modern dance performances, ballets, operas and traditional plays are all staged on the four separate theaters that comprise the Ferre. Stand up comedians have even been known to take to the Ferre’s smaller stages, which are uniquely suited for audience-performer interaction.

Also in Santurce is the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, which despite its neoclassical white-columned exterior is actually a relatively recent addition to the island. The museum focuses on Puerto Rican sculptors and painters, with rotating as well as permanent exhibits. Highlights include its indoor galleries, many of which use interactive computer technology, and its outdoor sculpture garden. The museum’s official web site is very comprehensive and even offers a virtual tour.