The Condado Lagoon (Laguna del Condado) is a nice, calm body of water in the tourist area of Condado in San Juan. It is a perfect place to spend a few hours enjoying different types of water sports. One that the whole family can enjoy inexpensively is pedal boating.

The lagoon is bordered, on its eastern edge, by the Condado Lagoon National Park (Parque Nacional de la Laguna del Condado, Jaime Benítez Algunos) so the whole area is popular with the active crowd — lots of walkers, joggers, cyclists, and dog-walkers. But the real draw is the lagoon itself.

The Condado Lagoon is a nice-sized area, it has the Condado skyline on one side and the mangrove-lined road on the other. It is part of the San Juan Bay Estuary, so it is home to a number of wildlife species, including birds and reptiles. There have even been manatee sigthings there! Because the lagoon is separated from the Atlantic Ocean, except for a small inlet, the water in the lagoon is always calm. This makes it an ideal spot for non-motorized water sports like kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding (SUP), and pedal boating.

We recently enjoyed a pedal boat trip in the Condado Lagoon with Metro Cruisers/San Juan Paddleboarding and it was fun. The boats are so easy to manuever — here are the how-to instructions … pedal forward to go forward, or pedal in reverse to go reverse! There is a steering handle in the middle of the boat … turn it to the right to go right, or turn it to the left to go left. There — now you are a trained pedal boat captain!

They have 2 and 4-person boats. In the 4-person boat, only the people in the front have to pedal, the other people are just along for the ride.

The most important thing I can tell you is that it is not a race — take it slow and enjoy it! While you can rent the boat for a 30-minute trip, I highly suggest you rent it for at least 1 or 2 hours. That way, you can take a cooler with your favorite beverage, put the shade top up to stay out of the sun, and then just enjoy the water and scenery.

Details

The pedal boat rates are

• 2-person boat for 30 minutes is $10
• 2-person boat for 60 minutes is $15
• 4-person boat for 30 minutes is $20
• 4-person boat for 60 minutes is $30
• They give bigger discounts, for longer rentals.

They also rent and give lesson of stand up paddleboards!

They currently only rent the pedal boats on the weekends and holidays, but they are hoping to extend their hours in the coming months. Usual hours 10am – 5pm. You can call them to make sure current information 787-565-8596.

There is no minimum age requirement. If your kids can reach the pedals, then they can go! Kids under 12 years of age must wear a life jacket.

Bring drinking water, sunscreen, and a hat. Some of the pedal boats have shade tops.

You can call 787-565-8596 or email metrocruisers@gmail.com for more information.

The pedal boat dock is on the eastern edge of the Condado Lagoon, in the Condado Lagoon Park. Parking is a little difficult in the area. There are a few spots just off the Ramon Baldorioty de Castro Expressway (Route 26) right at the lagoon. But your best bet may be to park at an area hotels (like the Condado Plaza) and walk to the park.