San Juan

Yes — $10 per person buys you 24-hour access to both Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal, the two NPS-run forts at opposite ends of Old San Juan. Children 15 and under are free. Important: the park does not accept cash. Bring a credit card or contactless payment. The America the Beautiful annual pass is also accepted if you happen to travel with one.

Yes if your ship is in until at least 5pm. El Yunque is roughly 45–60 minutes east of San Juan by car, no reservations are required to enter the recreational corridor on PR-191, and the La Mina recreation area runs 8am–5pm. Independent travelers usually book a half-day tour or a private driver (around $100–150 for a small group); cabbing one-way from the cruise piers is not the move because you have to get back. This is a real day-trip option, not a fit-it-in-before-lunch option.

All three are real options and all three are short cab rides. Escambrón is the closest to Old San Juan, free public access, and has actual snorkeling on the reef just offshore — bring fins from home. Condado is the city beach with hotels behind it, fine but urban. Isla Verde is the longer prettier strand near the airport, a $12 fixed-rate cab from the cruise piers. If you only have five hours and you want sand, Escambrón gets you in the water fastest.

Yes — the Puerto Rico Tourism Company sets fixed rates (Taxi Turístico) between tourist zones, including the cruise piers. Look for the white taxis with the Garita logo. From the Old San Juan piers (Zone 4): Isla Verde hotels $12, Condado/Ocean Park $17, Convention Center $17, Pan American Pier roughly $10. There's a $1-per-bag surcharge, $1 late-night fee, and a $3 airport fee. Confirm the zone-rate before getting in; rates are also posted on the taxi.

Tip exactly like the mainland — 18–20% at restaurants, a couple of dollars per drink at bars, $1–2 per bag for porters. Sales tax (IVU) is 11.5% combined state and municipal, which is higher than most U.S. states and not always included in the menu price; budget for it on restaurant tabs. The currency is the U.S. dollar; cards are accepted nearly everywhere; tip in cash if you want the server to actually keep it.

Walkable, but earn-it walkable. The streets are blue cobblestone (adoquines) — beautiful and ankle-eating in flat sandals — and the district climbs uphill from the piers toward El Morro. It's roughly a 15-minute walk from Pier 1 to El Morro along the seawall, slightly longer through the streets. There's a free trolley (the Old San Juan free shuttle) that loops the historic district if knees are a factor. Wear actual shoes; the cobblestones do not negotiate.