The CRAZIEST Party In Puerto Rico | Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian
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Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian is a multi-day annual celebration that usually occurs on the third week of January in the streets of Old San Juan. Like many other festivals and celebrations in Puerto Rico, Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián started off in the 1950’s as a religious celebration to commemorate Saint Sebastian and raise funds to repair the San José Church, which you can still currently visit.
San José Church in Old San Juan
Nowadays, Las Fiestas de la Calles de San Sebastián, also known as Las SanSe or Las Calles, have evolved into a full fledged festival where you’ll find live music, parades and a lot of people having a good time!
GETTING TO LAS SANSE
If you’re excited to partake in this grand celebration, there are several things you need to keep in mind. First off, getting to Las Calles is not as easy as just arriving in Old San Juan. Because of the large number of people that attend Las Calles every year, personal vehicle access to Old San Juan is heavily restricted to residents of the old city. However, there are several transportation alternatives you might want to consider.
Public Busses
The most popular form of arriving at Las Fiestas de las Calles de San Sebastian is hopping onto the public buses. These buses constantly depart from the Sagrado Corazon train station and the Hiram Bithorn stadium. They are also escorted by police officers to prevent any traffic and guarantee a speedy arrival to their destination in front of the Puerto Rico capital building.
From there, you’ll have to walk just about 5 minutes to get to the Plaza Colon, the first plaza you see when arriving at Old San Juan. These buses, which cost approximately $5 round trip, also take partygoers back to the Sagrado Corazon train station and the Hiram Bithorn stadium once the festivities have culminated for the day. However, the cons of these buses are that you’ll likely need to make lengthy lines under the sun and at night just to hop onto one, even though they usually move relatively quickly. However, these buses are a reliable way to get in and out of Las Calles.
Electric Scooters
Another transportation option you could use to get to Las Calles are the multiple electric scooters that are located in various areas around San Juan. If you’re staying in the Condado area, this might be a great option for you since you can quickly grab one of these scooters which are plentiful in this area. You could also take advantage of the designated bike lane that goes all the way to Old San Juan.
However, this option has its drawbacks. One of the cons of using these electric scooters is that the price of a ride is much greater than that of the public buses, costing anywhere from $8 to $15 for a ride from Condado to Old San Juan. Another con of using these electric scooters is that if you haven't used them several times during the day, you might be unable to unlock them at night because of their personal security measures. And, even if you do have the ability to unlock a scooter at night, if you’re leaving Las Calles right when everyone else is leaving, you might end up not finding a working scooter or one with sufficient battery power to use.
Uber or Taxi
You could also take an Uber if you’re lucky enough to find one and if you’re willing to pay the surge prices. Alternatively, you could also take a taxi, but keep in mind that with both of these options you will likely encounter heavy traffic when going to Las Calles, and that they have designated pick up and drop of areas that might be further away than what you might think.
Ferry From Cataño to Old San Juan
Lastly, if you happen to be near or staying in the municipality of Cataño, which is on the opposite side of the San Juan Bay and where the Bacardà distillery is located, you might want to consider taking the ferry that goes in between these municipalities. For a nominal fee, this ferry will take you from Cataño, straight to the heart of Old San Juan after a 12 minute boat ride.
DISCLAIMER: These were most of the transportation options available during the 2023 Fiestas de las Calle San Sebastián, so you might want to double check online how to get to Las Calles if you’re going in the future, even though historically most of these transportation options have been available during Las Calles in the past.
What to expect from Las SanSe
Now that you have finally arrived at Las Fiestas de las Calle San Sebastián, it’s time to get this party started! One of the first things you’re likely going to see are the huge crowds of people that attend this festival, and that’s not just because we haven’t been able to celebrate Las Calles for the past 3 years because of earthquakes and the pandemic. Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian IS the BIGGEST festival every year in Puerto Rico, with over 400 thousand people attending Las Calles during the four days of celebration in 2023. So, if you’re not fond of large crowds or don’t like tight spaces, you might want to consider maybe visiting Las Calles during the daytime, especially on Thursday when the festivities begin because most people choose to attend on Friday through Sunday in the afternoon to party all night.
The Crowd During Las SanSe 2023
And party they do, because as soon as you arrive at the Plaza Colon, you’re met with a huge stage with live music playing at any moment of the day, and in the surrounding areas you’ll also find many kiosks selling all kinds of traditional Puerto Rican food and drinks. But this isn’t only at the Plaza Colon, every single plaza in Old San Juan is outfitted with a theatrical stage for the performance of traditional music and cultural presentations such as the dancing of Bomba and musicians playing Plena.
Plaza del Quinto Centenario During Las SanSe
Now, if you really want to get in on the action, you’re going to have to make your way all the way up to La Calle San Sebatian, the street where all of this starts. Throughout the four day festival, on this street you will be able to see numerous parades of all kinds including religious parades commemorating San Sebastian. Also, if you’re lucky, you’ll get the chance to see the famous cabezudos, colorful characters outfitted with oversized heads that represent illustrious people of Puerto Rican culture. And if you really want to amplify this experience, don’t be afraid to follow behind the parade with everyone else singing popular holiday songs such as Voy Subiendo, Voy Bajando while playing traditional musical instruments such as the pandero and guiros.
Los Cabezudos in Las SanSe 2023
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These parades usually end up near the Cuartel Ballaja, a grandiose building that was used as military quarters for Spanish troops in the 1800s. But, during the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, the Cuartel Ballaja’s ample center plaza is turned into an artisan fair where numerous painters, craftsmen, and other artists exhibit their work. Here you will find all kinds of items which are usually inspired and represent Puerto Rican customs, folklore and pop culture. So, make sure to take this chance to shop local and buy unique gifts and souvenirs to remind yourself of the great time you had visiting Puerto Rico during Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián.
Artisan Fair in the Cuartel Ballaja During Las SanSe
It is now the evening, the sun is starting to set, and Las Calles start to take a whole new life. At night the atmosphere at Las Calles tends to be less focused on cultural activities and more on the party. During this time of day you’ll find people dancing reggaeton and drinking with friends wherever they can find space inside bars and on the streets. And if you’re lucky, you may find yourself in one of the many balconies of Old San Juan with privileged views of the tumultuous crowd and party below. The contagious energy of this festival is felt all throughout the night, until about 12AM to 1AM when the music starts to die down, businesses begin shutting doors for the day and everyone starts walking back to the entrance of Old San Juan to rest and regain energy to continue the party the whole weekend!
Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian at Night
And that’s it! I hope you found this travel guide helpful. Make sure to check out my YouTube channel, Brik’s Travel Guides, to see the full video of this and other Puerto Rico travel guides.
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