Plazas and Parks, San Juan

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At the southern end of the Calle del Cristo, just to the right of the Capilla, you'll find the Parque de las Palomas (The Pigeons Park). It's not very big, but it's super crowded - with pigeons, that is! Hundreds of pigeons hang around this little park and have built their nests in the small holes they have found in the fortifications' walls. Many people, especially those traveling with children, stop by to feed the birds - they're so used to having visitors, they'll literally eat out of your hand. Birds and I don't have such a great relationship (I've been pooped on more often than I care to discuss here) so I stuck to the part of the park that seemed a bit safer, but there was a lady getting her picture taken with a pigeon on her shoulder. To each their own, I guess!

Christopher Columbus "discovered" Puerto Rico in 1493, during his second voyage to the Americas. However, as many people in the country will quickly remind you, others had discovered it before him. The native people were known as Tainos, and they were forced into slavery by the Spanish conquerors. About 30 years after Cristobal Colon first set foot on the island, the entire native population had disappeared. In this context, it's easy to understand how some people might not look at the huge statue that sits in the middle of the plaza with a friendly eye - the statue and plaza were dedicated to Colon in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of his arrival to Puerto Rico.

Despite the slight controversy surrounding the explorer from Spain, I thought the atmosphere around the Plaza de Colon was really nice. Since we walked over from the Condado area, that's where I got my first taste of the old city. The plaza is surrounded by many cafes that offer outdoor seating, and every day people set up little tents to sell souvenirs and some local arts and crafts. Plaza de Colon is also where you need to go if you're looking for a taxi to get you back to your hotel after a great day in Old San Juan!

Right next to the Cuartel de Ballaja (the former Spanish barracks, the most massive building in all of Old San Juan), you'll find the Plaza del Quinto Centenario. This plaza was inaugurated on October 12, 1992, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's discovery of Puerto Rico in 1493. Unlike its predecessor (Plaza de Colon), this plaza does not include any direct reference to the explorer; instead, a huge totem sculpted by Puerto Rican artist Jaime Suarez sits at the center of the very large square. This sculpture is meant to represent the 500 years of Puerto Rican post-Columbian history, to which the roots of American history can be traced back. Although it is a very nice plaza, the couple times we happened to walk by we found it to be rather deserted and lacking in atmosphere, but this probably had to do with the fact that the nearby San José Church was closed for renovation. Maybe next time it'll be different!

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To the south of Old San Juan, just outside the walls that surround the city, you'll find the Paseo de la Princesa. It's worth making the quick detour to walk along the short promenade and see the beautiful "Raices" fountain. Of course, "raices" means "roots", and the fountain features three figures - representing the Spanish, African and Native peoples - that pay tribute to Puerto Rico's rich cultural heritage. The Paseo de la Princesa offers great views of the bay of San Juan and of the city's fortifications. If you've been walking all day and feel like taking a break, this is the perfect place to go to sit in the shade for a while and enjoy a more quieter side of San Juan.

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Our 5-year old twins had fun chasing the pigeons in this small Plaza Colon, also known before as St James Square or Plaza Santiago.

If you walk along San Juan, you notice some of the other Plazas undergoing some reconstruction. Plaza Colon seems to be the most visited as it is so well-located at the main entrance to Old San Juan – and the statue here honors Columbus who has been the attack of controversy as to who really “discovered” this part of the world.

We had been walking a lot through the humidity (coming from the Capitolio!), and so it was very nice to sit down in the shady grasses under the trees in this plaza.

Just like San Marco square, Parque de Palomas has many pigeons. Located right next to Capilla de Cristo with views of the caribbean this park is a nice spot.

The children love coming to this park and feeding the pigeons. Me, I love animals but pigeons are on the bottom of that love list. They carry so many diseases and caution should be the first priority. So, if you want to feed them, toss the food to the ground and watch them from afar.

Please Note: Do not allow the pigeons to climb all over you, it is a health hazard!!

Around Old San Juan you'll find several tributes to Christopher Columbus who is credited with the island's "discovery" in 1493. This particularly lovely fountain and monument can be found in Plaza de Colon bounded by Calle Fortaleza and San Francisco Street. Originally named St. James Square, the square was given its present name in 1893 when the monument was erected to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Colombus' discovery of the island. The statue of Columbus depicts him holding a flag in his left hand and a globe in the right. Some particularly finely wrought bronze plaques at the base of the monument illustrate important events in the life of Christopher Columbus.

I'm not sure what the lovely building in the background is here, but pictures of the statue taken from a different angle would show San Cristobal as a particularly fitting backdrop. Other monuments to Columbus are on display around town as well.