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Old San Juan
A Stay at Old San Juan in Puerto Rico
By Clint Leung
One of the most used departure ports for cruise ships in the
Caribbean is San Juan in Puerto Rico. We decided to arrive a day
early to San Juan in order to see some sights before our cruise
ship departure. San Juan, known as 'La Ciudad Amurallada' (the
walled city), was founded in 1521 and is the oldest city under
the US flag. During the 16th century, the Spanish used it as a
point of departure for expeditions to the New World.
Fortifications in the Old San Juan section of the city repulsed
numerous attacks from the English and the Dutch during those
years. Today, Old San Juan is a charming seven square block
commercial and residential area with cobblestone streets.
The cruise ship terminal is actually located near the south side
of Old San Juan so instead of booking a hotel in the beach resort
area of San Juan, we decided to book one right in the old section
for close proximity to the terminal as well as the local sights.
The $17 US taxi ride from San Juan's airport to Old San Juan was
about half an hour. During the ride, I was impressed by how
developed the city was compared to many other cities I've visited
in the Caribbean. The beach high-rise hotels along the north side
of San Juan were visible from the highway. Our stay for the night
was at the Hotel Milano which is right on Calle Fortaleza, which
is one of the major commercial streets in Old San Juan. The hotel
was clean and comfortable but not luxurious which was okay with
us as the price was very affordable. Its quality was probably
comparable to a Travelodge or Days Inn. A very pleasant surprise
was the free continental breakfast at the hotel's rooftop
restaurant. It gave a nice view of the neighborhood from the top.
We spent the day and evening walking the many cobblestone streets
and alleys in the area. There are over 400 restored colonial
buildings from the 16th and 17th century here. There were also
several plaza squares and parks. One of the nicest services
offered in Old San Juan is a free shuttle bus which covers two
different routes through the district. There was a bus stop about
1/2 block away from our hotel which was very convenient. Riding
on the shuttle buses through both routes gave us a good overview
of Old San Juan. We were able to stop off at several points of
interest including the huge El Morro fort. After our visits to
each attraction, we just had to wait for the next bus to come by
to continue our tour. In the evening, we did get lost while
walking since many of the streets look very similar. But with our
map, we eventually found our way back to the street where the
Hotel Milano was. We decided to dine at one of the nearby
restaurants for authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and were not
disappointed. My lady especially adored the two different
plantains we ordered.
When it was time to go to the cruise ship terminal, we just took
a short five minute ride from our hotel. Our short stay in Old
San Juan was definitely worthwhile and hassle free. A stay in Old
San Juan is highly recommended for those who will be taking a
Caribbean cruise with San Juan as the departure point. The only
disappointment I had with San Juan was that I was hoping to do
some scuba diving in the area but from the reports I read, the
waters off the city are quite murky with limited marine life to
see. This is likely the result of San Juan being such a busy
port. The decent scuba diving sites are about 2 hours east of San
Juan. So perhaps in a return trip to Puerto Rico, I will plan to
make a trip to the east part of the island.
About the Author:
Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery
http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing
in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including
carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous
information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and
Native Indian art as well as free eCards.
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