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Old San Juan, San Juan

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Old San Juan: Take a Self-Guided Walking Tour
  • Tip Rating:
    • starship
  • By starship on January 16, 2005
  • San Juan Page by starship
    • Corner near Plaza de Armas - San Juan
    Corner near Plaza de Armas
    by starship
    The top of attractions of Old San Juan can easily be seen on foot for the most part. Although for anyone wishing to save the shoe leather or just get there faster, a taxi to El Morro or San Cristobal should not be too expensive. Since Old San Juan is considered to be the area within the old fort or castle walls and only 7 square blocks, you can see alot in one day on foot if you are so inclined. This area will delight you with its Spanish architecture, churches, shops, restaurants, and museums, not to mention historically significant buildings and other features. Calle Fortaleza is a street favored by many tourists because of its attractive restaurants, hotels and shops.

    Since the old town is bordered by San Juan Bay, a walk along the waterfront can be a pleasant way to start or end your walking tours or enjoy a respite while taking in the great vistas it has to offer.

    Guided tours of Old San Juan or excursions to other sites on Puerto Rico can be arranged from La Casita (see General Tips) or from your hotel.

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    Old San Juan: La Plaza de las Palomas
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    • XanderDone
  • By XanderDone on June 2, 2005
  • San Juan Page by XanderDone
    • Plaza de las Palomas - San Juan
    Plaza de las Palomas
    by XanderDone
    This is an old park that locals use to bring their kids to feed the birds here. Literally, it means "Plaza of the Doves," and all you see is pigeons (for those zoologists here, you know that pigeons are a species of dove). On the ground, there are so many pigeons that you cannot see your feet, and it looks like the ground is moving. Truly a sight to see, and younger children will get a kick out of it. Be careful where you step, though, because you might squash one of the birds. Best part: it's totally FREE! Minus the price you'd pay for the bread if you decide to bring some.

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  • Address: Plaza de las Palomas
  • Directions: I believe it's on the southwestern side of the island.
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    Old San Juan: WALK AROUND OLD SAN JUAN
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    • moiraistyx
  • By moiraistyx on August 10, 2007
  • San Juan Page by moiraistyx
    • Some of the many colorful houses you'll see - San Juan
    Some of the many colorful
    houses you'll see
    by moiraistyx
    One walk around this beautiful city and you'll fall in love. It has it's own unique charm. My favorite thing here were all the colorful houses. The old fashioned cobble stone streets are very charming also. Old San Juan is loaded with shops. It's easy to find a bargain if you don't impulse buy. My favorite store hear was called The Butterfly People, it's a store that sells preserved butterflies to use as decoration. Old San Juan is loaded with historical sites to visit, including El Morro and San Cristobal. Just about every hotel will have a walking tour map of Old San Juan available, if not pick up a free copy of Que Pasa, the local tourist magazine. The best part is most of the places to see here are free, although it will cost you a small amount to tour the forts.

  • Address: Old San Juan
  • Directions: You can get here by cab or by public transportation.
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    Old San Juan: La Fortaleza
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    • XanderDone
  • By XanderDone on June 2, 2005
  • San Juan Page by XanderDone
    • La Fortaleza in blue in the back, center - San Juan
    La Fortaleza in blue in the
    back, center
    by XanderDone
    Currently the Governor's Mansion, this is the place where the Spanish government would send their hostages and inmates back in the colonial times. You can get a tour of the place, now blue but when I was last there, it was white. The tour is highly reccomended, as the guides take you down to the tiny dungeon and through the grand rooms of the "palace." A home for the conquistadors way back when, the name and shape of the edifice definatley makes one think that it is still a fortress. Even when I was a kid, I enjoyed la Fortaleza for some reason.

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  • Directions: At the western end of Calle San Francisco and Calle Fortaleza.
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    Old San Juan: Plaza de Armas
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    • el_ruso
  • By el_ruso on March 10, 2005
  • San Juan Page by el_ruso
    • Old San Juan - San Juan
    by el_ruso
    This is the central square in the city, the site of the city's government, souvenir shops, fast food franchises, what must be a thousand pigeons, tourists, lovers sitting on a bench in the shade of a tree, older city residents chatting... You should start your tour of the city here, and end it here as well, sitting on one of the benches and taking in the atmosphere of the city.

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    Old San Juan: A Walking Tour of Old San Juan
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    • Stephen-KarenConn
  • Updated By Stephen-KarenConn on June 10, 2007
  • San Juan Page by Stephen-KarenConn
    • Our Walking Tour of Old San Juan - San Juan
    Our Walking Tour of Old San
    Juan
    by Stephen-KarenConn, 1 more photos
    Although I had walked around in Old San Juan on my own during an earlier trip to Puerto Rico, in our most recent visit Karen and I decided to cough up the $45 each for a three hour guided walking tour. Although we thought it a bit pricey, the tour did enable us to see much more than we would have on our own and to also understand more of what we saw. Our tour guide was very knowledgable, animated, and obviously proud to show us around her city. We began with a short bus ride to La Princesa Boulevard where we started our walking tour through fountains and around the old city wall. We passed the Rogativa Monument, walked to San Felipe del Morro, saw the oldest church in the western hemisphere and much more. Our tour went down famed Cristos Street and through other narrow cobblestone streets before ending up at San Juan Bautista Cathedral and Cristo's Chapel. It was a wonderful educational and cultural experience, although we were tired and sweaty after three hours walking in the tropical heat.

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  • Directions: Our tour was booked through Royal Caribbean International. Several other companies offer walking tours of Old San Juan. Most are about two hours in length and run around $30 to $35. One such tour may be found by clicking the web site below.
  • Website: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/sanjuan/0323010008.html
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    Old San Juan: Must-see: Old San Juan
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    • gdilieto
  • Updated By gdilieto on December 22, 2008
  • San Juan Page by gdilieto
    • Old San Juan - San Juan
    Old San Juan
    by gdilieto,
    4 more photos
    The cobblestone streets and colonial buildings of Old San Juan have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Site and every visitors to San Juan will likely come here without needing of any specific recommendation.

    The area is only few square blocks wide and can easily be walked around. I have no specific places, monuments, squares, buildings to recommend, all the places blend well together and there is really in my opinion no monument, plaza, building etc standing out; just walk around and enjoy the architecture and the atmosphere. The most picturesque blocks in my view are bounded by Calle Luna and Calle San Sebastián South/North and Calle Tanca and Calle del Cristo East/West, but, wherever you are landed, Old San Juan is so compact that you don't need a map and, if you enjoy walking, you will likely walk through every "calle" of the center.

    The Northern part of Old San Juan overlooks the ocean, and it is here where you will find the two forts El Morro and San Cristóbal. The Southern part faces the San Juan's Bay and it is especially enjoyable at sunset, when the sun sets on the Bay and you can enjoy scenic walks along the bay side. After dark you may want head to Southern part of Calle Fortaleza, adjacent to Plaza Colón, the center of dining and night entertainment.

    Those who have visited other colonial towns in Mexico, Central and Latin America will find Old San Juan different. A Colonial Town with a mild flavor, with the look but not the soul of Latin America, the colors without the sounds and the atmosphere, a kind of reconstruction of a Spanish-colonial Town in an American environment.

    It is enjoyable though and a must-see if you come in town.

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    Old San Juan: Paseo de la Princesa
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    • el_ruso
  • By el_ruso on March 11, 2005
  • San Juan Page by el_ruso
    • Old San Juan - San Juan
    by el_ruso, 2 more photos
    This is a promenade built for (and used by) the tourists who get off the cruise ships. Nonetheless, it offers great views of the city walls and the bay, and a fountain in front of which the cruiseship tourists feel compelled to photograph each other.

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    Old San Juan: Marble Building
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  • By Veronica1977 on November 25, 2003
  • San Juan Page by Veronica1977
    • I forgot what it was called, but there is a government building there that is made entirely of marble. It's beautiful. There are paintings of Ponce de Leon and Columbus on the walls. It only cost a half a million to make. Just breathtaking!

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  • Address: not sure
  • Directions: between the first catholic building in America & San Cristobel.
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    Old San Juan: Driving in Old San Juan
  • Tip Rating:
    • grandmaR
  • Updated By grandmaR on April 10, 2009
  • San Juan Page by grandmaR
    • Blue cobblestone streets - San Juan
    Blue cobblestone streets
    by grandmaR,
    4 more photos
    I don't do much walking, and particularly when it is hot and humid and when the footing is uneven. The streets here are blue cobblestones which do make for sometimes uneven footing. And the streets are steep. The cobbles were used as ballast on the empty Spanish trade ships. The ballast was unloaded when the ships were filled with sugar cane produced in Puerto Rico.

    We did have Marian drive us through the city and point out landmarks.

    At the end of the street in photo 5, is the old Capilla del Cristo (Cristo Chapel). It was built in 1753. There are different versions of the story of why it was built - either by a thankful father whose his son lived after his son and his horse fell over the wall, or by a sad father whose son died after falling over the wall on his horse.

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  • Website: http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/old-san-juan-walking-tour-1/
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