One Night in Río Piedras
By: Jowen H. Ortiz Cintrón
Río Piedras is the most famous college town in Puerto Rico. In this town, the principal campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) receives thousands of students from all around Puerto Rico and from different parts of the world. Because of the huge amount of college students, it is logical that Río Piedras has the best night life spots for young people visiting Puerto Rico.
As student from the UPR myself, I took as a special assignment during my years in college to explore this nightlife scene and here I’ll present you the best spots for a night in Río Piedras.
El Refugio

El Refugio de Maggie (aka “El Refu”) is the place to start the night. Refugio, translated to the English, means shelter; and it surely is the shelter for the college students after a hard week. Every Thursday, El Refu receives college students looking for a place to forget about the downs of the college life or to celebrate the “pass” or “fail” on that awful test. In here, with beer in hand, everyone gets together to start what will surely be an awesome night.

El Refu is a good place to find your squad or meet that one person that will turn your life around. Get that conversation flowing with a “Medalla” or a shot of chichaíto–a Puerto Rican shot made out of white rum and anise — .
Remember to be there by 9:00 p. m. This place close at 12 a. m. and you want to get the best of it. Trust me!
Vidy’s Café

It is 12:00 a. m., the Refu just closed. It is time to move. Now, there are tons of options. But, my suggestion is that you go straight to Vidy’s.
Let me start by saying that, Río Piedras is a place for everyone to have a good time. In that spirit, Vidy’s is the perfect place to dance without any judgement. Vidy’s is a place where queer culture shine. Listen to that playlist full of bobs, from reggaetón to Beyoncé’s latest hit, and move your body to the beat. Dance with whoever you want. Move your hips and live that “perreo queer” with the students in the Vidy’s.
P.D.: The shots from Vidy’s are delicious. Taste one of them. But, please, drink responsibly!
La Beckett

After you’ve enjoyed some time at the Vidy’s — and that shot helped you get braver — , it’s time to sing out loud your favorite song. Go to La Beckett and write your name in the karaoke list. Don’t be shy! Everyone will follow your lead in your favorite song. Sing it with passion and people will cheer for you.
While you wait for your turn, enjoy the others performance while drinking the fine house sangria.
Bonus: They accept debit cards, just in case you have no cash left.
La Greca

After you finish your performance in La Beckett, you are ready for something called salsa. Let’s move across the street to La Greca.
There are no excuses to not dance an intense salsa. Yes, it may be hot. Yes, it may get sweaty. But, you will definitely enjoy the rhythm of the salsa in this small space. Let that be one of the highlights of your night!
Also, La Greca offers you the opportunity to show off your dance moves to the beat of the reggaetón. Music from Wisin y Yandel, Plan B, Jowell y Randy and many others iconic reggaetoneros will play between salsas and you’ll get to truly dance un “perreo Boricua”.
El Boricua

El Boricua is your last stop; end the night in a place of liberty. El Boricua, also known as El Bori, is a place where culture and freedom meets. People dancing salsa and cha-cha-cha in the dance floor, others competing in the pool table, and others in the outside talking about the events of the night under the lights of a resilient city.
Some-nights, El Bori holds concerts of plena, rap, bomba, salsa or indie music on the outside. These concerts give an artistic and soft feel to this lovely place.
After the Bori, it is time to return to your home. Always remember to drive safely and responsibly; or ask for an Uber.
While, this are my picks for the night, you can always visit the other spots in Río Piedras. They will amaze you. You’ll dance, you’ll laugh, you’ll live. Visit Río Piedras! Discover Puerto Rico!
You could also check out:
- Cultura
- Ocho de Blanco
- Mona Lisa
- Club 77
- Flor de Parcha
