Description: At Wind Chimes Inn, a restored Spanish villa dating back to the 1920s, is an affordable and charming place to spend a vacation in San Juan.
White-washed walls surround the main building, adding to the colonial ambiance while blocking out the noise of the street. A sun deck and pool provide respite from the beach, which is just a block away. And there is a namesake terrace covered in dozens of wind chimes that chime and jingle in the breeze.
The rooms are small and simple, but the owners clearly put effort into making the rooms cozy with sunflower bedspreads and Taino artwork on the walls. The hallways hide several tiny reading nooks stocked with trashy novels and out-of-date guidebooks--a perfect place to escape an afternoon thunderstorm.
A block down Calle Taft, you arrive at Playa Condado. This stretch of beach is somewhat more eroded than others but avoids the throngs of tourists that flood the surrounding hotels. Playa Condado is where families picnic, where teenagers smoke under the palms, and where kids play rowdy tournaments of beach volleyball. It provides a reminder of everyday life in this bustling tourist district.
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