Things to do in Old San Juan

Feature

What is now known as Old San Juan is now only a small portion 
of the city of San Juan, but was once a town in its own right. Founded 
in 1509, after the original “capital” of Caparra (founded by Ponce de 
Leon in what is now Guaynabo) was abandoned, the area was first 
known as ‘Puerto Rico”, until it was rechristened as “San Juan Bautista” 
in 1521. Old San Juan is about seven square blocks in size, and you 
can see most of it by foot, although this can be made difficult by the 
steep hills and the heat. OSJ is in reality an island itself, and rises 
from the area by the cruise ship piers and the Paseo de la Princesa 
up towards Calle San Sebastian and El Morro castle. An ancient city 
wall surrounds it, and its narrow cobblestone streets and Spanish
colonial architecture give it a unique, charming look.

Castles

Old San Juan boasts two major Spanish colonial forts: San Felipe 

del Morro, or just “El Morro” (built in the 16th century) and San 

Cristobal  (built in the 18th century). Both are managed by the 

United  States Park  Service. El Morro...[CONTINUE READING]