Bahia Urbana in Old San Juan, will transform the San Juan Bay waterfront with pedestrianized walkways, urban beaches, restaurants that will eventually stretch from Old San Juan to the eastern end of the bay at Club Nautico.
Bahia Urbana will open in Phases with Phase 1 now open and Phase 2 due to open in May 2013.
Paseo Del Puerto
Paseo Del Puerto is the waterfront promenade that will stretch from Pier 4 all the way along the waterfront to Club Nautico.
Currently the promenade is open from Pier 4 to the footbridge that will take you to Piers 7 & 8, though it looks like this footbridge and Piers 7 & 8 will be opening soon.
The highlight of the first phase of Paseo Del Puerto is the 38 foot tall, stainless steel and bronze Caballito del Mar (Seahorse) designed by Jose Ignacio Morales. From here you can walk along the promenade and enjoy the cool water features, landscaping and outdoor seating areas. You will also pass Pier 6 that is home to Seaplanes of Paradise and San Juan Boat Tours.
Once open, Piers 7 & 8 will be home to the visitor’s center, urban market, restaurants and more.
Even though only a small section of the promenade is currently open, it is worth taking a stroll along it, to enjoy the views of the bay and maybe see the seaplane take off or land.
Seaplanes in Paradise
Located at the newly opened Pier 6 in Old San Juan, Seaplanes in Paradise, as their name suggests, offer sightseeing tours with a difference; you take off and land on the water. Currently they offer 3 tours based on a first come first served basis on board their Cessna 208 Amphibian.
SAN JUAN DIARIES: Is a 20 minute (including take off and landing) tour over Old San Juan and parts of Isla Verde, Condado and Isla de Cabras.
Current price is $149 per person
SHADES OF TURQUOISE:Is a 40 minute (including take off and landing) tour that takes you along the north shore of Puerto Rico with views of El Yunque, Vieques, Culebra and the smaller islands off the north east coast.
Current Price is $249 per person
CHAMPAGNE SUNSET: Is a 30 minute ( including take off and landing) tour over San Juan, Isla Verde, Condado and Isla de Cabras all taking place as the sunsets to the west of San Juan.
Current price including Champagne is $199 per person
They also offer half day and full day Adventure Tours to Caja de Muertos, Cayo Luis Pena (Nature Reserve) and Culebra.
More info and times of flights, available at Seaplanes in Paradise (Tel: 602-377-8470)
San Juan Water Tours
Also at Pier 6 you will find San Juan Water Tours who offer scheduled tours of San Juan Bay daily on the hour from 10am to 8pm on board their canopy topped Duffy boats. Along with their scheduled tours, they also offer private charters if you have something special to celebrate.
Tours prices start at $28 and they can provide tours for groups of 6 to 49 people.
More info available at San Juan Water Tours (Tel: 787 624-6295)
Note: Unfortunately the day we were in Old San Juan checking out the new BahÃa Urbana and Paseo Del Puerto both Seaplanes in Paradise and San Juan Boat Tours were not operating at the time we went to check them out. If you have been on any of their tours why not leave a review in the comments below.
