{"id":19141,"date":"2017-06-01T11:00:33","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T11:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artzealous.com\/?p=19141"},"modified":"2017-06-01T12:49:51","modified_gmt":"2017-06-01T12:49:51","slug":"your-travel-guide-for-puerto-ricos-meca-art-fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/your-travel-guide-for-puerto-ricos-meca-art-fair\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Travel Guide for Puerto Rico’s MECA Art Fair"},"content":{"rendered":"

We hope you\u2019re as excited as we are for Puerto Rico\u2019s first international art fair in seven years!\u00a0MECA<\/a> (short for MErcado CAribeno, Spanish for \u201cCaribbean Market\u201d) is coming to San Juan this weekend and takes place from June 1, 2017, to June 4, 2017. We\u2019ve written the travel guide for everything to do on the island before, during, and after MECA, no matter your budget. Whether you’re a starving artist, a young contemporary, or an art collector, you’ll be sure to enjoy your visit to San Juan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Where to Stay<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For the starving artist: Posada San Francisco<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of @jackelinehernandez94<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This quaint, family-owned hostel located in the heart of the historic Old San Juan provides a perfect lodging for your impulsive summer getaway. A convenient 10-minute drive from MECA, Posada San Fran offers the authentic Puerto Rican experience through its hand-painted murals and sunshine-filled patios.<\/p>\n

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For the young contemporary: The Decanter Hotel<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of @retrorevolutions<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Built around 1880, the Decanter\u2019s colonial-style architecture is just as elegant as it is welcoming. Sit back and reflect on all the artistic inspiration you soaked up at MECA in Decanter\u2019s beautiful interior courtyard.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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For the art collector: Condado Vanderbilt Hotel<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of @condadovanderbilt<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019re hoping to relax in style after viewing the vivid art world of Puerto Rico, look no further than the beautiful Condado Vanderbilt Hotel. With its Spanish Revival-style architecture and opalescent views of the Atlantic, Condado Vanderbilt will leave the relaxation connoisseur satisfied.<\/p>\n

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Where to Eat<\/strong>\u00a0— (V<\/span>egetarian and vegan friendly)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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For the starving artist: Pinky\u2019s<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of @angelina_angie_oh<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As any vacationer knows, brunch is the most important meal of the day. With its affordable prices and delicious sandwiches, this hole-in-the-wall diner is the perfect place to visit to fuel up before heading to MECA. <\/span><\/p>\n

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For the young contemporary: Verde Mesa<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of @verdemesa<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Known for its organic and locally sourced dishes, Verde Mesa will not disappoint, especially if you love seafood. Plus, it\u2019s only minutes away from San Juan\u2019s historic landmarks and best art museums, like La Puerta de San Juan<\/a> and El Museo de Las Am\u00e9ricas<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

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For the art collector: Marmalade Restaurant & Wine Bar <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of Marmalade<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Enjoy the best of Caribbean cuisine that San Juan has to offer at this #1-ranked restaurant, and don\u2019t leave Puerto Rico without tasting Marmalade\u2019s famous white bean soup.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Where to Drink<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For the starving artist: El Batey <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of @ahdanay<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After admiring the art at MECA, get a taste of local life with a drink (or several) at El Batey. Pick a song from its retro jukebox and leave a mark on San Juan by adding your name to its graffiti-covered walls. <\/span><\/p>\n

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For the young contemporary: El Bar Bero <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of @elbar_bero<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This cleverly named bar is a barbershop by day and cocktail bar by night. <\/span><\/p>\n

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For the art collector: Santaella<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of Santaella<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Just a three-minute drive from MECA, this restaurant is located in a beautiful historic building. \u00a0Even more impressive is the quality of their drinks–Santaella\u2019s bartenders have won the local World Class competition for four years in a row.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What to Do<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For the starving artist: Salsa at Nuyorican Cafe<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of Nuyorican Cafe<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What better way to celebrate the vibrant culture of Puerto Rico than dancing? Eat some cheap (but delicious) pizza and learn to salsa with live music at Nuyorican Cafe.<\/p>\n

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For the young contemporary: Shopping along Fortaleza Street<\/span><\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of @erikajara<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You\u2019ll need some souvenirs from your wonderful trip to Puerto Rico, so check out the stores along Fortaleza Street while exploring Old San Juan.<\/span><\/p>\n

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For the art collector: Private tour a Bioluminescent Bay and El Yunque National Rainforest<\/p>\n

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photo \/\/ courtesy of @elyunqueofficial<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a long day of seeing Puerto Rico\u2019s culture expressed through art at MECA, experience the island\u2019s natural beauty on a kayak tour of one of the bioluminescent bays. We found a wonderful combined tour with El Yunque National Rainforest on Viator<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Additional reporting \/\/ Peter Dreux<\/p>\n

top photo \/\/ courtesy of\u00a0@tounyrawdriguez<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We hope you\u2019re as excited as we are for Puerto Rico\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":19174,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,21],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19141"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}