The Escambron Beach, also called La Ocho, is a popular beach in walking distance to Old San Juan and the Capital, which even can be seen from the beach and gives an impressive foreground for the daily sunset behind the walls of the old fort. In the summer this beach is always packed on weekends and holidays.
Escambron is described by many as a nice family-friendly beach. It has a small crescent of clean sand and usually calm waters, thanks to the coral reef a short distance from the beach. It also is lined with trees, which provide lots of shade when you feel you have had enough sun.
We enjoy just sitting and taking in the views. The reef usually keeps the waves small on the beach, but beyond the reef you can see surfers trying to catch a wave. Another pretty view is to the west – the Capital Dome and the El Morro Fort. If you bring your own food, there are picnic tables available for your use. If you didn’t bring your own food, there’s a restaurant and other food vendors available for food and drinks.
We like to walk around this beach area to the east. There is another beach and part of the Old City Wall and a fortification to explore. And you can get really nice pictures of the Condado/Ocean Park and Isla Verde waterfront areas. Just as an aside: We would not venture in this area after dark.
