History Tells Us

Exploring Old San Juan

When you have a city that is over 400 years, it's a shame not to visit the rich history and grandeur of its colorful past. San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital offers a generous sample of the Old World, from its cobbled streets with its impressive architecture.

The overwhelming influence Spanish recently in San Juan dates back to 1521 when it was established as a settlement of the Spanish empire. For centuries, the city has witnessed the commodification vessels and military domination of board coupling and its costs, survived attacks by British troops in the late 1500s, lived bombing machines U.S. war Cuba during the Spanish war, and became the industrialized metropolis it is today.

The city of San Juan has three main districts: Old San Juan, Beach Resort and the area and outlying communities. Most ancient monuments and landmarks but are concentrated in the Old Quarter San Juan. Even the streets of Old San Juan talks about the Spanish colonial period. They are paved with cobblestones of a blue stone cast cobblestone called slag. These stones were brought to San Juan from the Spanish ships. Over the years, moisture and exposure to the elements cobblestone color was different.

Old San Juan is home to many squares, parks, museums, monuments and historic buildings would have a day or two walking tour to explore. Plaza de Armas (main square) at San Jose is the central square of Old San Juan. There are four statues, all of which have more than one hundred years old, representing the four seasons. Also has served as the main meeting place for locals and still be an interesting place for visitors.

Plaza de San Jose is another popular meeting venue Old San Juan. Its main monument is the statue of Juan Ponce de León, the first Governor of Puerto Rico. The statue was made from British cannons captured during the British attacks in the 18th century. Another place with an emblem of the city is the Plaza del Quinto Centenario (Plaza del V Centenario). Opened in 1992 as part of 500th anniversary monumental exploration of Christopher Columbus New World, the square stands a 40-foot sculpture that represents the earth and clay roots of American history. The sculpture, made of black granite and ceramics, is a creation of the Puerto Rican artist Jaime Suárez teacher.

A visit to Old San Juan is not complete without seeing tremendous strengths of the city. Built in the 16th and 17th centuries, these strengths took decades to complete, but are vital in strengthening the city defenses. El Morro stands out among all the forts of San Juan. It is the largest fortification in the Caribbean and has survived numerous attacks. The fort fell only once, during an assault land by British forces in 1598. El Morro, a marvel of construction in itself, is full of tunnels, dungeons, barracks, and ramps, but the most prominent parts of the fortress are the circular sentry boxes called checkpoints. El Morro has been declared a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service.

As a supplement to El Morro is the Castillo de San Cristobal, another brilliantly imposing fortress built 150 meters and occupies an area of 27 hectares. Recognized as one of the largest and strongest defenses in the region, Fort San Cristobal is composed of five separate structures that are connected by a moat and a tunnel. The fortress is also a national historic site by the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A journey through Old San Juan is an activity that visitors to Puerto Rico should not miss. The sight of these points of reference not only provides a visual spectacle, but one look well in history and culture of this Caribbean archipelago.

About the Author

Kristien Wilkinson is an online writer and contributor to http://www.sanjuan.com