San Juan Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

Visited in March, onboard cruise ship  MSC Poesia

 

Colourful, and small enough to see and experience in a day or two.

 

 

                On and Off  bus is free and an excellent way to move from place to place in Old San Juan.  I highly recommend you get a map before you start your tour. This is a ten block area, very distinctly different from downtown  San Juan.

 

 We started our tour at the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a fortress built in 1539. The fortress sits majestically at the edge of the blue Caribbean, at the end of Del Morro Steet.  Give yourself at least an hour to tour the fort.  It is one of two historic fortresses in San Juan. Open until 6 daily, the site offers beautiful views of both, the sea and the city of San Juan as well as historical information about the fort and the island. Castillo San Cristóbal is the other fortress and located at the opposite end of town. The On and Off trolley will take you to both.

                San Juan demands a walking tour in order to really experience the city.  Multi coloured houses and shops adorn the blue glazed cobbled streets.  Walk past tiny shops selling every conceivable item from Panama Hats to cigars. Stroll in and watch the cigars being made or talk with the proprietor of Ole, Guillermo Jeffs, who will give you the details of the history of the Panama hat in great detail. You will find arts and crafts, jewellery, clothing and the typical tourist souvenirs readily available. Most retailers speak English. There are many eating establishments where you can find refreshments.

 

                Hotel El Convento on Cristo Street was founded as a convent for Carmelite nuns and operated for more than 250 years. It fell into disrepair but was rebuilt in 1959 and opened as a hotel. Be sure to see the Cathedral while on Cristo Street.  Wear your Sunblock and good walking shoes to deal with the hills and cobblestone streets. Although breezy around the perimeter, the interior streets get much hotter, with closely spaced, multi-story buildings cutting off any breeze.

 

                La Perla, a sleepy neighborhood coexists quietly in the bustling shadow of Old San Juan, and is home to surfers, artists and tourism workers.  The tiny ocean side neighborhood over the North Wall and Norzagaray Street, is best experienced from the El Morro Fort Lawn/Cemetery tunnel entrance. Breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and some interesting  tombstones in the cemetery, for those that have an affinity for graveyards.

 

                You can walk the perimeter of the town and the fort on the seawalk.  It is a lovely breezy way to experience the seaside and cool off after a walk through the town.

                Old and New San Juan are separate, and if you want to experience the diverse differences you can walk, but it is a good distance, take a cab or take the bus from the local bus station.  Here you will find the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, a two storey local art gallery; definitely worth a look. About a ten minute walk will take you to Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Puerto Rico, home to works by local and locally born artists displayed in a courtyard. The exhibit opens at 1 p.m.

                Most of the hotels are located on Isle Verde.  Isla Verde is the area just outside the capital of Puerto Rico in District of Carolina, located east of Santurce next to the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.

                Parking is virtually non-existent in Old San Juan so take a cab, bus or walk.

                San Juan annually accommodates nearly 1.4 million passengers in cruise ship travel alone, making it the third busiest cruise port in the world.  The busiest docks are on the south side of the area near a large city bus station.

 

Senior Trip Advisor Reviewer.