OLD SAN JUAN:
This area of San Juan is breathtakingly beautiful and to this day, retains a lot of its colonial character. It is a Unesco World Heritage site, and I was charmed by its colorful architecture and the cobblestone streets. Most of San Juan’s significant attractions, such as El Morro and Fuerte San Cristobal, are located here.
El Morro is the New World's oldest Spanish fort and in 1983, it was declared a Unesco World Heritage site. It played a large role in preventing various attacks by the British, Dutch and US against Puerto Rico. Besides its fascinating history, El Morro offers picturesque views of the Caribbean Sea, Old San Juan, modern San Juan, and the island's rain-forest and mountains.
Fuerte San Cristobal is a 5-minute walk from El Morro. It is San Juan's other major fort and was built to protect the city from land-side attacks. Its attractions include the dungeon, the tunnels and the troop headquarters.
Besides these forts, Old San Juan offers plenty of other highlights. For instance, the charming and elegant Gran Hotel El Convento. Hopefully, next time I am in San Juan, I will stay here. Gran Hotel El Convento is located in a beautiful section of Old San Juan, and I would categorize it as a must-see. It was built in the 1600s as a convent for wealthy women from Spain widowed in the New World. It has a beautiful atrium and a couple of restaurants (we dined at El Picoteo, which I discuss below).
Other Old San Juan attractions:
1) Plaza de Armas, which was built in the 16th century, is the city's most significant square. It was great for people-watching.
2) Paseo de la Princesa , which is a 19th-century esplanade (restored in the 1990s) lined with antique street lamps, palm trees, statues, fountains, benches and live entertainment on weekends. It leads strollers to the San Juan Bay.
3) Puerta de San Juan is where Spanish ships once achored to unload colonists.
San Juan has fantastic restaurants. I had memorable meals at these restaurants:
a) Tantra is located in Old San Juan, serves Indo-Latin fusion cuisine, and has a unique vibe.
b) El Picoteo is also located in Old San Juan. It is an authentic tapas restaurant with a wonderful, low-key atmosphere .
c) Yerba Buena is located in the Condado section of San Juan and the perfect spot for Puerto Rican food, drinks and music.
EL YUNQUE:
Besides Old San Juan, a popular Puerto Rico attraction is El Yunque, which is about a 2-hour drive east of San Juan. It is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System. We came here to hike for a few hours. There is nothing as exhilarating and rejuvinating as hiking in a rainforest.
RIO CAMUY CAVE PARK:
Another attraction I enjoyed is Rio Camuy Cave Park, located 1.5 hours west of San Juan. It is a network of subterranean caverns carved out by the Camuy River over one million years ago. It is the third-largest cave system in the world. Our visit started with a tram ride down a sinkhole lined with dense, green tropical vegetation. It was scary in a good way.
Of course, there were beaches to soak up some sun! The beaches improved as you head east of Old San Juan.
In Liquillo:
In Condado area:
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