Old San Juan

Old San Juan, United States

View from the ramparts of El Morro fortress at sunset with the Atlantic Ocean in the background.

Old San Juan rewards slow walking: colonial forts, old churches and painted streets, best explored before the cruise crowds arrive.

The place

Old San Juan occupies the north-western corner of a small, narrow islet on Puerto Rico's northern coast. It is joined to the mainland by bridges, with the Atlantic on one side and San Juan Bay on the other. This is the oldest part of the city and the island's original colonial core, a tight network of cobbled streets, pastel-fronted houses and squares laid out after the settlement was founded on the islet in 1509. Walking is the main activity here. Some lanes are steep, the paving can be slick after rain, and most sights sit within a few blocks of one another. The main commercial spine, Calle Cristo and Calle Fortaleza, is lined with shops, galleries and restaurants, while the upper floors of many buildings are homes. That keeps the district lived-in after the day visitors leave. Much of the area is protected as a historic zone and a national landmark district, and several forts and the city walls form part of a World Heritage listing. Restoration is visible everywhere, from fresh paint on balconies to carefully repointed masonry. Expect the streets to feel busiest from late morning into the afternoon, when cruise passengers arrive in groups. Early mornings and evenings are calmer, and the plazas come alive after dark with music and outdoor eating. Because the streets are narrow, driving and parking inside the walls is difficult, so most people arrive on foot, by taxi or by ferry across the bay.

Its story

Old San Juan began as a move rather than a single founding. In 1508 Juan Ponce de León set up a settlement called Caparra on the mainland side of the bay. Within a year, in 1509, the site was abandoned for a better harbour on the islet, which took the name Puerto Rico, meaning rich or good port. The new town's religious roots came early. The archdiocese was established in 1511, and a first wooden cathedral followed in 1513. By 1521 the settlement had its formal name, Ciudad de Puerto Rico de San Juan Bautista, and its first streets and squares were laid out, including Calle del Cristo and the plazas around the cathedral. The church of San José, founded as a monastery in 1523, is among the oldest churches in continuous use in the New World. The city hall dates from 1602, and the forts grew over the following centuries. El Morro, the citadel at the north-western tip, and San Cristóbal, which guards the landward approach, form the most visible military legacy. The district's buildings, from the governor's residence to the stone warehouses along the waterfront, reflect centuries of rebuilding. Recognition came in 1983, when the forts and walls were inscribed as a World Heritage Site. The past is not confined to museums. The same streets carry names given soon after 1521, and the same squares still host the city's public life.

What to see

Culture

Old San Juan is a living neighbourhood as well as a monument, and people here still run the shops, bars and households that fill the streets. Spanish is the everyday language, and many shopkeepers also speak English, so a few words of Spanish go a long way. Puerto Rican identity runs strongly through the district, with music, dance and festival life spilling into the plazas, especially in the evenings and at weekends. Eating and drinking are social occasions, and conversations often run late. Churches such as San José are active places of worship, and the cathedral and chapels are used for services and quiet prayer, so behaviour inside them differs from behaviour in the streets. Many residents live above the shops, so noise after midnight is a real concern on the narrow lanes. Ask before photographing people, especially stallholders and musicians, and keep your voice down in churches and on residential lanes after dark.

What to wear

Old San Juan dresses for heat and humidity far more than for ceremony, although its traditional dress appears at festivals and in the shops. The classic countryside look is the jíbaro outfit, with a wide-brimmed straw hat called a pava, and the guayabera, a loose shirt with pleated panels, usually in cotton or linen, worn by men for both work and dancing. Bomba and plena performers wear bright, full skirts in cotton that moves well with the drums, and these costumes are most often seen at cultural events rather than on everyday streets. Today people wear light cotton clothing, shorts, sundresses and sneakers or sandals. Evenings out are a little smarter, and the restaurants along the plazas are relaxed rather than formal. As a visitor, choose breathable cotton or linen, a hat and sunglasses, and sun protection, since there is little shade on the walls. Cover shoulders and knees for churches and the cathedral, and leave swimwear for the beach. Wear closed or well-gripped shoes with thin soles for the cobbles and stepped alleys, because the stone can be slippery after rain.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. December to March is the drier season, when rain is lightest and the breeze makes walking the walls more comfortable. April to November is the wetter season, with rain peaking in September and October, and hurricane risk peaking from August to October.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Fly into Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, then take a taxi into the old quarter. Cruise ships dock at piers within the old town, and ferries run across the bay as an alternative.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources