Yes, you can smoke at San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) in the designated outdoor areas on the curbside outside the terminal buildings. The terminal interiors are smoke-free, so all smoking happens outside on the curbside, where ashtrays and signage mark the spots. Puerto Rico’s clean-air law keeps the marked areas set well back from the doors, and because SJU spreads across four public terminal areas there are outdoor spots at multiple points along the complex.
How San Juan Airport Is Laid Out
SJU signs its public areas as Terminal A, Terminal B, Terminal C and Terminal D. Terminal A is its own building with its own check-in hall and checkpoint; Terminals B, C and D run on from one another as concourses of the connected main building, fed by the Central Security Checkpoint. A fifth area, Terminal E, is walled off from the public and used for airport operations. Everything is linked on the landside, so you can walk from one terminal frontage to the next, and the walk between the far ends takes some time.
Terminal A is JetBlue’s base at SJU, alongside Tradewind and Air Sunshine. Check-in for almost every other carrier — American, Avianca, Copa, Delta, Frontier, Iberia, Southwest, United and the regional Caribbean airlines — is in Terminal B, with departures continuing through the Terminal C and Terminal D gate areas. International arrivals from Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean clear through the main building.
Terminal A
Smoking areas: Outdoors, on the curbside directly outside the terminal. After security: The gate areas are smoke-free; exit and re-clear the Terminal A checkpoint.
Terminal A is one of the busiest parts of SJU, largely thanks to JetBlue’s operations here. The walk from the Terminal A gates back out to the exit is generally manageable, and the outdoor smoking areas sit on the curbside right outside the doors.
Terminal B
Smoking areas: Outdoors, on the curbside outside the terminal frontage. After security: The concourse is smoke-free past the Central Security Checkpoint.
Terminal B holds the main check-in hall for most airlines and connects to Terminal A on the landside. The outdoor smoking areas outside Terminal B are on the curbside, reachable from the lower arrivals level or the upper departures level.
Terminal C
Smoking areas: Outdoors, at the designated curbside spots outside the building. After security: The gate areas are smoke-free; return past the Central Security Checkpoint to reach them.
Terminal C handles a mix of domestic and international flights, including several Latin American and European carriers. The walk from the gate area out to the terminal frontage is straightforward, and outdoor smoking areas are available on the curbside outside.
Terminal D
Smoking areas: Outdoors, on the curbside outside the terminal. After security: The gate areas are smoke-free.
Terminal D sits at one end of the complex and is used mainly by the regional and inter-island carriers serving Vieques, Culebra and the nearby Caribbean islands, plus overflow gates for larger airlines at peak times. If your flight departs from Terminal D, allow extra time: the walk back from the outdoor smoking area through security runs longer during peak departure banks.
Outside the Terminal
The outdoor smoking areas at SJU are spread along the curbside outside the terminal buildings. Each terminal frontage has nearby outdoor areas where you can smoke. The arrivals level curbside tends to be less congested than the departures level, especially during the busy late-afternoon period when flights to the US mainland start clustering.
San Juan’s tropical climate means it is warm and humid year-round, with temperatures typically between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Afternoon rain showers are common, particularly from April through November, and they can roll in quickly. The outdoor smoking areas are not covered, so you may get caught in a brief tropical downpour. On the plus side, you will never have to deal with cold weather here.
E-Cigarettes and Vaping
Vaping and e-cigarettes are treated the same as cigarettes at SJU, so use the outdoor designated smoking areas for them too. Indoor areas — restrooms, gate areas, lounges and restaurants — are smoke-free and vape-free throughout the airport. TSA allows e-cigarettes and vape devices in carry-on bags but not in checked luggage.
Summary
| Area | Smoking Allowed | Location Details |
|---|---|---|
| Curbside outside Terminal A | Yes | Designated outdoor area at the terminal frontage |
| Curbside outside Terminal B | Yes | Outdoor area on the arrivals or departures curb |
| Curbside outside Terminal C | Yes | Designated outdoor area outside the building |
| Curbside outside Terminal D | Yes | Outdoor area at the eastern end of the complex |
| Inside Terminals A, B, C and D | No | Entirely smoke-free |
| Gate areas | No | No smoking past the checkpoints |
| Restaurants and lounges | No | All indoor dining is smoke-free |
For USA airport smoking rules, state vape rules, lighter rules at TSA, and other federal/state info, see our USA smoking guide.