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Old Town San Juan
Historical Sites, Museums, Shopping – and Rum
San Juan's prime
landmark is the Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
Walking the narrow cobblestone streets
of Old San Juan and then suddenly emerging to a wide-open view of a
beautiful blue ocean would seem to be enough of a self-guided sightseeing
tour to satisfy any visitor to this historic city.
But look to the right and there is an inviting fort. Further up, to
the left, is a much bigger fort, in fact a landmark of this land. Between
the two are museums, a continued vista and a vibrant collection of San
Juan's people and visitors.
Yes, there's much to do in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Take a walk – or
a ride – with us on this sightseeing journey.
Historical
Sites
The water battery
(top), the three flags and the tower at del Morro.
San Juan is all about history and it
showcases it like a fine gown in a department store window. Its historical
heart is the massive Castillo San Felipe del Morrow fort which majestically
sits at the aquatic entrance to the city.
 Dating
back to 1539, it was built by the Spanish to protect the city from a
sea invasion. Originally just a single tower, it is now a milti-level
facility that dominates the landscape.
It has cannons pointed out to the sea, the enticing sounding cassenetes
(living and storage quarters), a lighthouse (rebuilt by the US Navy
in 1908 after it damaged it in 1898 during the Spanish-American war)
and the original tower. The shell fragments on the tower's ceiling are
from the USN's bombardment.
Three flags – USA, Puerto Rico and one from the old Spanish
military – look over the fort. From that vantage point, the Bermuda
Triangle can be seen on a clear day.
The grounds getting to the fort so expansive that it takes five minutes
by foot to reach the entrance from Calle Norzagaray. Fortunately, the
free trolley goes right to the gate.
Allow at least 90 minutes to visit the entire facility, including the
brief film. Cost: $3 adults.
Castillo San Cristobal fort is on the edge of Old Town.
A second fort, Castillo San Cristobal (easily confused with
del Morrow for first-time visitors as it's at the edge of Old Town)
was built to protect the city from land attacks. It also sits on the
water's edge and makes for many outstanding photo ops.
Museums
Many of San Juan's
museums are a short walk from the del Morro fort.
Some say Old Town San Juan is an open-air
museum because of its history. But there are several actual indoor museums
to visit, and most are conveniently located practically right across
the street from Castillo San Felipe del Morrow in what is a "museum
row" along Calle Norzagaray around the Plaza San Jose.
The Museo de Las Americas explores the history and culture of
the Americas. Museo de San Juan features San Juan's history to
today through art. More artworks are on display at Museo Arte Contemporaneo
de Puerto Rico. The Museo de Nuestra Reiz Africana traced
the city's African heritage, and Institute of Puerto Rican Coluture
(books, music, arts and crafts store).
Shopping
 Naturally,
shopping is a tourist attraction, particularly in Old San Juan. Leave
some space in the suitcases for jewelry, locally made clothes, Puerto
Rico trinkets and 3-for-1 tees.
The main street of Calle de La Fortaleza – past all the restaurants
– is where to find many of the small specialty shops, even a tiny
alleyway of sorts with local artifacts curiously called the La Calle
Shopping Mall.
At the end of the street, turn right up Calle de Cristano to find some
of the more upscale stores.
There are plenty of food choices along La Fortaleza and de Cristo.
And to quench the thirst that invariably happens when walking streets
and wandering in and out of shops (particularly among men), Barrachina
is the original pina colada bar.
The Bacardi rum tour is another cool thing to do while in San Juan. Click here for a complete guide to the tour, how to get there, the hours and how to get those two free rum drinks!
The
Free Trolley
The open-air trolley is the provides a convenient and free scenic ride.
Old San Juan has a great service – a free trolley! It goes to museums, government buildings and to del Morro.
It can be caught all over town, though the main station (and for buses,
as well) is at the Western Bank office on Calle Reciento Sur. Note there
are three trolleys, one marked City Hall which just goes through the
center of Old Town, one marked El Morro Fort which goes to the fort,
and an open-air national parks version which also goes right to the
door of del Morrow.
More
San Juan Articles:
• An introduction to
San Juan.
• The ultimate
San Juan visitor's guide.
• See and feel the heartbeat of Old San Juan's nightlife.
• Read a first-person journal of Old San Juan from The
Bartender.
• See San Juan in pictures with our Photo
Essay.
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