San Juan
Puerto Rico · 8 m
Description
San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico and where nearly every visitor lands, a city of half a million wrapped around one of the great natural harbours of the Caribbean. Its old quarter sits on a headland behind city walls, seven blocks of pastel townhouses on cobbles cast from Spanish ship ballast, closed at the seaward end by the vast fortress of El Morro. The walls and forts are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beyond them the city turns modern, with the hotel strips of Condado and Isla Verde on the beach and a metro running inland.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 3 to 6 days (optimal 4 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: December – April
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Old San Juan and its cobbled streets
- Castillo San Felipe del Morro
- San Juan National Historic Site (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Castillo San Cristóbal
- Condado beach and its hotel strip
- Paseo de la Princesa along the city walls
- Isla Verde beach
- Calle Fortaleza and its canopy of umbrellas
- Cathedral of San Juan Bautista and the tomb of Ponce de León
- Mofongo and the criollo kitchens
- La Placita de Santurce after dark
- Piñones kiosks and the coastal boardwalk(Day trip)
- La Fortaleza, the governor's residence
- Casa Bacardí across the bay(Day trip)
- Santurce street art murals
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico
- Escambrón beach and Paseo Puerta de Tierra
- Piña colada at its claimed birthplace
- Santa María Magdalena cemetery below the walls
- Cruise terminals and the harbour front
Getting there
- Airports:
- SJU, SIG
- Train stations:
- Sagrado Corazón, Hato Rey, Roosevelt
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry