Step Back Into History Within the Walls of Old San Juan.
Written: Jan 18 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cute buildings and cobblestone streets, historical forts, shops and restaurants
Cons: Can get crowded with tourists, tricky to navigate
The Bottom Line: Enjoy an interesting mixture of old and modern in Old San Juan!
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| chelledun's Full Review: Old San Juan |
Mr_chelledun and I took advantage of our cruise departure from San Juan to spend two days touring the area. One of these was spent in charming Old San Juan. I have also visited this area two or three times as a cruise port. Old San Juan is a worthy destination in its own right, and I have very much enjoyed my time on its cobblestone streets.
General Information
Old San Juan is a compact subsection of the city of San Juan. This part of the city has a rich colonial history, especially in the military department. Because of its critical role as part of the Spanish Empire, San Juan was frequently attacked by competing colonial powers. The Spanish responded with intense fortification in this portion of the island. Remnants of this history remain, as much of the Old San Juan area continues to be surrounded by a large stone wall that at one point completely enclosed this section.
If you are visiting Old San Juan via a cruise ship, it can be easily accessed via a very short walk from the Old San Juan Pier area. Pretty much get off the ship and you’re there. Today some ships are being docked at the Pan-American Pier, a short taxi ride from San Juan. If you arrive from or stay near the airport, expect to pay a little more to get to OSJ. Taxi rates range from about $15-$20. You can also attempt the bus, if you are interested in an adventure. We paid 75 cents per person to take us all the way from the OSJ stop to Isla Verde Avenue near the airport. Yes, it took an hour for the bus to arrive and another hour to return to the hotel, but the trip was quite a cultural immersion experience. We traveled on Three Kings Day, and I’m fairly sure San Juan’s busses don’t have any kind of capacity limits. To get around within Old San Juan tourists can take a trolley bus. We did not use this service as we found the area easily walkable, but it is somewhat hilly so keep the trolley in mind.
Old San Juan area has some very nice places to stay, none of which we could afford. If you travel during a busy time or holiday like we did, expect to pay well over $200 a night for an OSJ location even if it’s just the Howard Johnson. We just had to settle with staying by the airport. On our next trip, hopefully we will be in a financial situation which allows us to splurge and stay at, say, El Convento.
Sites to See
On our most recent visit, we followed the walking tour recommended by Frommer’s at http://www.frommers.com/destinations/sanjuan/0323010008.html. We made a few alterations due to the rainy day and getting a bit lost. I recommend following this general route as it will take you past most of the area’s major sites. Whatever route one takes, the following sites are highlights.
1. Castillo de San Felipe del Morro - Also known as El Morro, this fortress ranks number one on my list of sites to see in San Juan. The fortress is situated at the northwestern-most point of the island, with a great ocean setting. I suggest visiting early in the day so you have the fortress largely to yourself like we did. We enjoyed ducking in and out of various chambers and passageways off the fort’s courtyard, and climbing up high for great views and photographs. This fortress remains in great shape and just feels significant. Don’t miss the movie about the fort’s history, shown in both Spanish and English.
2. Fuerte San Cristobel- This counterpart to El Morro has many similarities, but we still enjoyed visiting both. San Cristobel’s physical structure and setting do not impress me quite as much as El Morro’s, but it offers more interesting and modern displays. This fort is currently under an extensive renovation project designed to bring it back to its colonial era appearance.
3. Plazas - San Juan has several interesting and historic plazas. We saw the Plaza de San Jose, with its famous statue of Ponce de Leon. The area was surprisingly empty and quiet during our early morning tour. We ended up in Plaza de Colon by accident, and saw a statue honoring Christopher Columbus along with a nativity scene and some other nice holiday decorations for Three Kings Day. I also recommend a stop at Plaza del Quinto Centenario, an architecturally interesting plaza with lots of stairs to climb around on.
4. Catedral De San Juan - If you enjoy visiting old churches, this cathedral is a must-see. It can be found on Christo street and has an interesting facade. We weren’t really dressed for church, so we did not go inside.
5. La Marina Street/Cruise Ship Dock - If you are going on a cruise, you can get a great photo of your ship. Even if you would never set foot on a cruise ship, it’s fun to walk along the water and admire (or mock) them. Old San Juan’s dock has four piers for cruise ships and will frequently have that many docked along the water. Many smaller boats use this area as well and you can get some good pictures.
Shopping and Eating in Old San Juan
Shops and restaurants are housed in attractive, brightly colored buildings, which allow for plenty of photo opportunities. Old San Juan is, of course, a pretty touristy area. This means prices in shops and restaurants will be jacked up beyond what you would pay elsewhere in San Juan. Despite this, we found the stores and merchandise to be pretty nice and high quality. The area along and surrounding El Fortaleza has some quaint shops. I found several items of art, jewelry, and woodworking that I would gladly have taken home with me if we were not on a tight shopping budget. One particular furniture and home decor store adjacent to Plaza de Colon had enough cute things to furnish an entire house. Of course, the typical t-shirt and post card stores can also be found. In general, vendors in Old San Juan are not nearly as aggressive as those in some other Caribbean ports (St. Thomas, I’m looking at you).
We enjoyed eating lots of Puerto Rican cuisine during our pre and post cruise days in San Juan. The area is becoming more and more commercialized and less quaint, with additions of American fast food chains. No I don’t want Ben & Jerry’s in this charming old-fashioned area! Puerto Rican food is great, and takes many influences from Spain while still throwing in its own flare by heavily emphasizing plantains in all formats. I had several meals during our visit which included pork, fried plantains, potatoes, and paella. Mr_chelledun tried and enjoyed the traditional dish mofongo, which consists of green mashed plantain in a bowl with churrasco. The food we found in the Old San Juan area was a little more expensive than that near our hotel, as we expected. While restaurants such as The Parrot Club are much-hyped and often recommended for tourists, I suggest just wandering around and finding a place that looks relaxing. Old San Juan also boasts a large number of bars for a quick drink.
General Comments
Service in every place we visited was not necessarily super speedy, but friendly and helpful. A gentleman invited us to come in to his bar and out of the rain for a soda, even though it wasn’t technically open. He helped us navigate using our map to make sure we know where we were going next. The staff at another restaurant spent a half hour discussing the best way for us to return to our hotel, and the merits of local transportation. An employee at one of the forts eagerly made recommendations for restaurants and pointed us in the right direction with a warning about avoiding beggars in a certain area. We found people in Old San Juan to be really wonderful, and would return because of this.
I have just a few negatives regarding Old San Juan. The place can become a mob scene when five or ship cruise ships are in port. If you don't come in on a ship, get your start early, before the passengers start to pile off. Additionally, the cobblestone streets can be difficult to navigate, due to lack of clear street signs. We missed a couple of stops on our walking tour because we accidentally got headed off at the wrong angle and didn’t run into a street sign for several blocks. Finally, some of the public areas of Old San Juan can be a little unnerving when they are deserted in the early hours of the day. We were approached several times in plazas by very aggressive beggars, one of which followed us for quite some time. Exercise caution, as you would in any tourist area. Despite these caveats, Old San Juan really is a charming place to walk around.
Overall…
Old San Juan is a fun and unique place to visit. I enjoy the little boutiques and restaurants lining the streets as well as the important historical sites. Whether you have just a few hours or several days to explore, you’ll find plenty to occupy your time. We look forward to taking another cruise out of this area soon and paying another visit to Old San Juan.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
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