Caguas has no coast, no forest trails, no noteworthy museums, boring architecture, and no interesting night life. It’s the kind of town that takes pride in having two Chili’s, a bunch of American department stores, and the first Krispy Kreme on the island. Some good local cuisine exists but for some reason many local restaurants advertise “pechuga de pollo a la plancha” (chicken breast on the griddle) as if it were a local culinary masterpiece. The main attractions of Caguas are an OK botanical garden, a bowling alley, and a large format movie theater that they advertise as if it were IMAX. They used to have a small water park but it shut down (a few times).
Traffic is stupid, especially if it rains. Rush hour traffic to and from San Juan bumps the travel time from 30 minutes to an hour (or more). The Sheraton hotel is located right next to the highway so it’s fairly easy to get to but for the same reason you won’t be walking around it. It fills up on Sundays with pensioners who come for the buffet.
But Caguas is changing. The local government is making an effort to revitalize it’s downtown area by hosting markets, music, and art events. In terms of food some places are starting to take risks. It even has a microbrewery although it’s not great. But it’s going to be a while before I can recommend Caguas as something more than a place to visit on your third to fourth week on the island.
Having said that, if you do decide to stay in Caguas let us know so that we can help you make the most of your trip.
About the sex motel comments that the other person made, they’re part of the folklore of Caguas. They’re located on the old pre-highway road (carretera vieja) that connects it to San Juan. Nowadays the road is essentially an industrial zone that’s also famous for its inane amount of tile stores, car dealerships, and old 80’s style Puerto Rican taco shops.
// I went to school in Caguas and still visit the place semi regularly but mostly because it has a nearby Sam’s Club and Costco.
Courtesy of adolfojp on Reddit. Written 10y ago lmao. https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/540u8n/first_time_to_puerto_rico_caguas_vs_san_juan/
