Capitán Jose Cruz here. Old San Juan, or Viejo San Juan as we say, is the place I tell every visitor not to skip. This walled city holds more than 500 years of history in a few square miles. You can walk it in an afternoon, or spend three days and still not see it all.
The Landmarks Worth Your Time
Start with the two forts. El Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal are the anchors of any visit, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites with wide ocean views and centuries of Spanish military history. Add La Fortaleza, still the governor’s residence today and the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Americas, and Cuartel de Ballajá, and you have half a day of real history without leaving a few blocks.
Getting Around
Old San Juan is walkable, but the cobblestones and the hills add up fast in the heat. Free golf carts called Garita Carts run between the main landmarks if you want to cover more ground without melting.
My advice as a local: do not drive in. Parking is tight and the streets are narrow. Take a ride in and walk. I compare the options, with prices, in taxi vs. Uber in Puerto Rico.
Beyond the Forts
The colorful streets are lined with local shops, art galleries and restaurants serving everything from a classic mofongo to the modern Puerto Rican cooking the island is now known for. This is also where the piña colada was born. Several bars in the old city claim the title, and trying more than one is a perfectly reasonable way to spend an evening. ¡Salud!
Best Way to See It All
With so much packed into a small area, a guided walking tour is usually the best way to learn what you are looking at: which building is 500 years old, which wall survived a siege, and where the locals really eat.
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Written by a real person
Capitán Jose Cruz
Boat captain in Puerto Rico and the person behind ThingsToDoPR. I write these guides myself, as a local and a ciudadano who uses the same roads, beaches and guaguas you will. Yes, I also run boat trips and transportation, but informing you comes first. If the honest answer is to take the bus, that is what you will read here. ¡Nos vemos en el agua!
