The Island is alive at night, so you won't be bored after the sun goes down. Major hotels have both nightclubs and casinos, which stay open late into the evening (check under Hotels, Casinos).

Hotels draw a lively mix of tourists and locals, particularly in the San Juan area. Casinos are smaller and more discreet than the flashy gaming parlors of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Alcohol is not allowed within casinos, but bars are usually just outside the gaming areas. Most casinos also have dress codes. Several hotels have long-running musical shows, which range in content from flamenco to contemporary American music.\

Puerto Rico also draws a diverse lot of big-name entertainers. Billy Joel, Madonna, Ray Charles, Sting and Luciano Pavorotti gave performances here recently. The Centro de Bellas Artes, on Ponce de León Avenue in downtown Santurce, is home to symphonic, dance, operatic, theatrical and popular music productions. (For information on events, call 725-7334.) Various theatrical and musical productions are also held at the Tapia Theatre in Old San Juan and on the University of Puerto Rico campus. Large concerts take place at the Hiram Bithom Stadium and Roberto Clemente Coliseum, across from Plaza Las Américas on Roosevelt Avenue. Behind the athletic facilities in the Muñoz Marín Park is a more intimate ampitheater, where jazz and other concerts are held.\

San Juan is filled with nightclubs and bars that have live entertainment. A few nights a week, jazz is performed at different establishments in Old San Juan, Isla Verde and Condado, as well as in other areas. Live rock and roll and reggae music can also be heard frequently at Island nightspots, such as the Hard Rock Café in Old San Juan, and at the Reef Bar & Grill in Piñones. For lively local music, try the bars along Calle San Sebastián in Old San Juan. Discotheques include Asylum in Santurce, Egipto in Condado and Laser's in Old San Juan (check under Bars, Discotheques, Restaurants).

For listings of current events, check out The San Juan Star, the Island's English-language daily newspaper. The Spanish-language El Nuevo Día also has extensive listings. The Thursday editions of both newspapers have weekend sections and are especially valuable.

Centers of nightlife activity include Ashford Avenue and Isla Verde Avenue, which run along the beaches in Condado and Isla Verde, respectively. Old San Juan is also home to several night spots. Lively areas include Plaza Colón and Plaza de Armas, Fortaleza Street and Recinto Sur. Don't pass up the chance to walk down San Sebastián Street on a weekend evening, which is lined with establishments offering food, drinks and music. Puerto Ricans and tourists of all ages are drawn to the street's festive atmosphere. Ocean Park is also popular among the under-30 set. The establishments surrounding the Plaza del Mercado in Santurce, between Baldorioty de Casto and Ponce de León Avenues near Calle Canals, have become popular with San Juan's young urban professionals on Thursday and Friday nights. The Metropolitan Area is also awash in cinema (check under Theaters). The Metro, on Ponce de León in Santurce, is a beautifully restored, comfortable theater that shows first-run Hollywood features. Further down the road in Miramar is the Fine Arts Cinema, which specializes in foreign and independent feature films. Plaza Las Américas and Plaza Carolina also have multi-screen theaters showing current features.