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With palms and terracotta in lieu of ivy and bricks, RIO PIEDRAS , at the southern end of the city, is San Juan's equivalent of a college town, home to the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico (tel 787/763-4408). Located on Avenida Luis Munoz Rivera, the university hosts cultural events throughout the year, and the campus itself is a lovely place for a stroll, with a youthful vibe and cheap bars and restaurants nearby. A five-minute walk away is the not-to-be-missed Mercado de Rio Piedras (Mon -Sat during daylight hours), four blocks of indoor-outdoor shopping along the Paseo de Diego, with everything from rare fruits to high heels. It's "bien puertorriqueno" (very Puerto Rican), and full of bargains, especially if you know how to haggle. If you fancy packing a picnic with some goodies from the market, the 75-acre Jardin Botanico (daily 9am-4.30pm; free; tel 787/250-0000 ext 6580) is a pretty spot. Tucked away at the junction of highways 1 and 847, about a mile from UPR quad, you'll find cinnamon and nutmeg trees, 125 types of palms, more than 30,000 orchids (call ahead to arrange a viewing) and a lotus lagoon.
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