A visit to Puerto Rico won’t be complete until you experience the BACARDÍ Legacy Tour.
Besides having the opportunity to taste a variety of cocktails made with the King of Rums, you’ll also learn about the brand’s history, rum-making process, and how it became the most awarded rum brand in the world.
Casa BACARDÍ invited Roam Puerto Rico to partake in their Legacy Tour, available in English and Spanish. This review will focus on the Spanish version.
Read on to learn why this is a must-do island activity for tourists and locals.
Legacy Tour Details
Duration: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Ideal for: Rum fans, groups, couples, and even solo travelers
Minors: Those under 18 won’t be allowed to take the tour but can access Casa BACARDÍ’s gift shop, food kiosk, or pavilion area and must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Legacy Tour in Spanish Hours: Friday through Sunday at 12:15 pm
Parking: Free
Price: $40 + tax
How to Get to Casa BACARDÍ?
Casa BACARDÍ is located in the town of Cataño, which is only a 20-25 minute drive from San Juan.
Traveling to Casa BACARDÍ is pretty straightforward. As a Puerto Rico local, the typical transportation method is to drive your car.
However, if you are visiting Puerto Rico for a few days, we recommend taking private transportation, a taxi, renting a car, using a ride-sharing app like Uber, or even Casa BACARDÍ’s free shuttle service.
The shuttle departs from Old San Juan’s Ferry and takes you directly to Casa BACARDÍ.
Things to do before starting your BACARDÍ Legacy Tour
After parking at Casa BACARDÍ and walking to the Pavilion area, you will be happily greeted by a smiling and enthusiastic staff who will provide you with information regarding your tour’s starting time, duration, and a BACARDÍ Token redeemable for a free cocktail.
We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before your tour’s start time. This way you can enjoy your free welcome cocktail and play games like Cornhole, Tic-tac-toe, or Giant Jenga.
If playing games or tasting a refreshing Mojito is not your thing, you can always relax in the Pavilion’s comfy chairs and enjoy the cool Caribbean breeze. Be careful not to fall asleep and miss the tour.
💡 Roam Puerto Rico Local Tip 💡
All welcome cocktails are served in compostable cups, which you can take with you during the tour
What to Expect from Casa BACARDÍ’s Legacy Tour
When it’s time for your tour to start, Casa BACARDÍ’s staff will let you know through the Pavilion’s speakers. All tours start on time, so be sure to pay attention.
The Legacy Tour starts with a short five to ten-minute shuttle ride around the BACARDÍ facilities. During the ride, there will be a guide providing you with rich information about the brand’s beginnings, its founder, Don Facundo Bacardí Massó, and the purpose of each building.
The most striking structure for visitors is a tall building named, ‘The Cathedral of Rum’. This is one of the most important buildings in Casa BACARDÍ.
The reason is, on the 4th floor behind three security doors is the same original yeast Don Facundo Bacardí Massó used since 1862.
💡 Casa BACARDÍ Fun Fact 💡
Did you know only 5 people in the entire world can access the BACARDÍ Cathedral?
Also, the iconic name was given by the former Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Muñoz Marín in 1958
After the shuttle ride, you will arrive at Casa BACARDÍ’s visitor center where you will learn the story of an external wall art titled “El Festejo” made by local artist David Zayas.
This work of art does a great job of showcasing the culture and spirit of Puerto Rico and its people through two of its most important autochthonous rhythms, ‘Bomba’ and ‘Plena’.
Additionally, the mural also portrays one of the most well-known characteristics of Puerto Ricans amongst tourists: the ability to look for any excuse to party; mostly likely at the beach.
Shortly after, the tour takes place inside the visitor center where your guide will tell you the story behind BACARDÍ’s iconic bat logo, and the importance of sugar cane.
Next on your journey will be a short historical movie about the Bacardí family history from its beginnings in 1862 to the present day where the brand has become the most awarded spirit of all time.
Once the movie ends, the tour will move to an area resembling BACARDÍ’s original distillery setup. On this part of the tour, your guide will explain the rum-making process along with a fun interactive activity.
💡 Roam Puerto Rico Local Tip 💡
Don’t forget to check out the small room right next to this area. You will find family photos, letters, original BACARDÍ bottles, and many more historical gems
Here you will notice big oak barrels and immense metal containers but we won’t spoil any of the information on the purpose of each of these elements played in the rum-making process. For that, we recommend to book their Legacy Tour and find out.
After this part of the tour, you will be taken to a great area to take pictures in. Below are our Legacy Tour giveaway winners, Louis Jr. and his dad Louis, who were ecstatic throughout the entire tour.
Finally, you will head to the final part of the tour: A final presentation of six types of BACARDÍ spirits, including their exclusive Special Reserve bottle, only available here at Casa BACARDÍ.
The remaining five BACARDÍ spirits are:
- BACARDÍ Superior
- BACARDÍ Gold
- BACARDÍ Añejo Cuatro
- BACARDÍ Reserva Ocho
- BACARDÍ Gran Reserva Diez
Your tour guide will talk about the history of these spirits, how to best enjoy each one, and what to mix them with.
For example, a Cuba Libre is made with BACARDÍ Gold, not BACARDÍ Superior as it is commonly made in a lot of bars and restaurants.
The tour ends with a tasting sample of BACARDÍ Special Reserve, a rum aged 8 to 12 years.
After this delicious activity, the tour will officially end with a visit to Casa BACARDÍ’s gift shop.
Here you can find all sorts of cool souvenirs to take back home and show off to your friends. But if you’re the type of person who enjoys acquiring unique items, Casa BACARDÍ’s gift shop allows visitors to bottle their own BACARDÍ rum.
We’d love to give more details on why this is a must-do tour for anyone visiting Puerto Rico, but hopefully, our brief review took care of that.
Don’t forget to book your Legacy Tour directly at Casa BACARDÍ’s website.
