ROUTE 21 · TOURIST ROUTE

Route 21 AMA: Old San Juan – Condado – Plaza Las Américas

Route 21 is the most useful bus for visitors: in a single trip it links Old San Juan, Avenida Ashford in Condado, Sagrado Corazón Station on the Urban Train and Plaza Las Américas. It is the only route connecting the Condado hotel district with the largest shopping mall in the Caribbean.

Route
San Juan ⇄ Plazavia Condado and Sagrado
Type
Trunktourist link
Frequency
30 min35 Sat · 60 holidays
Days
Mon-Satand holidays · no Sundays
💚 Right now the service is free. Fare collection on AMA buses and the Urban Train has been suspended since March 2024. You do not need to pay or carry a card to ride Route 21.

Route and stops

Route 21 crosses San Juan’s main areas of tourist interest end to end. This is ATI’s official route in the San Juan → Plaza Las Américas direction:

  • San Juan (Covadonga Terminal)
  • Train exclusive lane
  • Ave. Ashford — Condado
  • Ave. Magdalena
  • Ave. José de Diego
  • Ponce de León exclusive lane
  • Sagrado Corazón Station — Urban Train connection
  • Ave. Chardón
  • Ave. Eugenio María de Hostos
  • Calle Juan Calaf
  • Calle Federico Costas
  • Plaza Las Américas

In the Plaza → San Juan direction the route is equivalent, with one difference: instead of Ave. Ponce de León it uses Ave. Muñoz Rivera when passing Sagrado Corazón.

Route based on ATI’s official itinerary. Check the official route map or the Transit app for real-time detail.

Schedule and frequency

Route 21 runs Monday to Saturday and holidays. These are ATI’s official times:

Direction Days First trip Last trip
San Juan → Plaza Monday to Friday 5:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m.
San Juan → Plaza Saturdays and holidays 5:30 a.m. 8:00 p.m.
Plaza → San Juan Monday to Friday 5:43 a.m. 9:11 p.m.
Plaza → San Juan Saturdays 6:00 a.m. 7:58 p.m.
Plaza → San Juan Holidays 6:00 a.m. 7:45 p.m.

Frequency: every 30 minutes Monday to Friday, every 35 minutes on Saturdays and every 60 minutes on public holidays.

⚠️ Route 21 does not run on Sundays. If you are travelling on a Sunday and want to reach Plaza Las Américas, no AMA bus serves the mall: route 22 does not run at weekends either. That day your options are getting off at Roosevelt station on the Urban Train and walking about 20 minutes, or taking a taxi or ride-hailing service.

AMA schedules can change and are not always kept exactly. Check the real arrival time in the official Transit app before leaving.

Fare

Right now travel is free because fare collection is suspended. When ATI restores fares, the price of Route 21 will be:

General fare
$0.75
Student
$0.60
Half fare
$0.35

Payment will be made when boarding, with exact change or with the travel card sold at Urban Train stations. The card allows free transfers between train and bus within a 2-hour window.

Urban Train connection

Route 21 passes Sagrado Corazón Station, the Urban Train terminal on the San Juan side. That lets you combine train and bus to reach places the train does not serve:

  • 🚆Connection at Sagrado CorazónCombine the train with Route 21 towards Condado or Plaza
  • 🎫Free transferTrain ⇄ bus within 2 hours with the travel card

To reach Plaza Las Américas you can also get off at Hato Rey station and take Route 21 or 22 there. Roosevelt is the closest station to the mall on foot, but it is just over 1.5 km west, about a 20-minute walk.

What you can see with Route 21

It is the route with the most points of interest in the network:

  • Old San Juan — from Covadonga Terminal, walking distance to the historic quarter
  • Condado — Ave. Ashford, the hotel, beach and restaurant district
  • Santurce — passing along Ponce de León and José de Diego
  • Plaza Las Américas — the largest shopping mall in the Caribbean

It also serves the Convention Center, which has a direct service on weekdays with route 35, but on Saturdays is only reachable with Route 21.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Route 21 cost right now?
Nothing. Fare collection on AMA buses and the Urban Train has been suspended since March 2024, so riding Route 21 is free. When collection resumes, the general fare will be $0.75.
Does Route 21 run on Sundays?
No. Route 21 runs Monday to Saturday and holidays, but not on Sundays. On that day no AMA bus reaches Plaza Las Américas, since route 22 does not run at weekends either.
How do I get to Condado from the Urban Train?
Get off at Sagrado Corazón Station, the train terminal, and take Route 21 there towards San Juan. It runs along Avenida Ashford, Condado’s main road, where the hotels and the beach are. Frequency is around 30 minutes.
How often does Route 21 run?
Every 30 minutes Monday to Friday, every 35 minutes on Saturdays and every 60 minutes on public holidays. It is worth checking the real arrival time in the official Transit app before leaving.
Route 21 or route 22 to reach Plaza Las Américas?
Both end at the mall, but Route 21 is the more versatile: it runs Monday to Saturday and holidays, and comes from Old San Juan and Condado. Route 22 is shorter (Sagrado Corazón to Plaza only) and runs on weekdays exclusively.