A Day in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

“Island days, island ways, surf, and sunny rays.”

Anonymous

Our cruise ship pulled into Old San Juan in mid morning on a gorgeous spring day. Coming into the port, we had fabulous views of El Morro as the ship headed to the cruise dock. How blessed we were to have this beautiful sunny day for our great adventure in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico and is the oldest city in the United States. It was founded in 1521. It is located on the north eastern coast of the island in the northern plains region of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico in Spanish means “rich port” or “good port”.

Since we only had part of a day in Old San Juan, aka the Walled City, we got off the ship as soon as we could. One interesting fact about Old San Juan is that the town was built in grids so that cross-ventilation was possible between the buildings and squares. Today we planned on walking the city with our group today of 10. Joe and I have been to Old San Juan a number of times so we knew our way around so we offered to be the tour guides for the day.

We headed towards Paseo de la Princesa which is a quarter mile long pedestrian tree lined promenade that was built in 1853 with our group. This pathway was named after the former La Princesa Prison which is now the Puerto Rico Tourism. Walking along this tree covered pathway we were greeted with many roosters strutting by and calling out to us with their crowing. There is a beautiful Banyan tree on this road. Our first stop was at a playground with a beautiful monument just outside. Some of our group enjoyed mimicking the posses of the statue. At times this street is full of vendors that sell items and food to the tourists.

Then we walked past Raices Fountain that was not working that day. It may have been drained for cleaning which is a shame as it is such a stunning fountain. As we walked along Paseo Del Morro, which is the path next to wall. It was so impressive looking up at the huge ancient walls that surround the city. It was quite the contrast with the San Juan Bay on the other side of the path with waves lapping the shoreline. This one mile trail was built in the 1630’s and was used originally for maintenance until it was open to the public in 1998.

We had planned to walk this path all the way to Paseo del Morro but it was very hot in the sun and humid so we decided to head up to the brightly painted red Old San Juan Gate, (La Puerto de San Juan). This was one of five entrances into the city and dates back to 1635. The gate stands 16 feet high. Since Old San Juan was built as a walled city, they needed access points to enter the city. These entrance ways were restricted to mainly Spanish Crown’s representatives and high-ranking military and government officers. Guards watched over it during the day and at night it was closed. It is part of the 20 foot wall that protects the city. Inscribed above the door is says “Benedictus Qui Venit in Nomine Domini” which is a phrase from a Catholic Hymn meaning “Blessed is the one that comes in the name of God.”

From there, we headed uphill till we spotted Castillo San Felipe del Morro or commonly known as El Morro. The large Esplanade leading up to the fort was loaded with people picnicking and flying kites. The stiff sea breeze felt awesome after trekking up the hill. We walked up the long pathway to the entrance where some of our group entered the fort. Joe and I stayed outside this time as we have been in quite a few times. The views of the ocean are amazing from here and worth the time to just sit and take it in. You can also see the impressive Cementerio Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery from the fort and if you have time, you can walk in and see the impressive white statues that adorn some of the grave sites.  

El Morro is a citadel that was built between the 16th and 18th century and is nearly 500 years old. Construction began in 1589 with skilled artisans including 12 stone cutters, 18 masons, 2 smiths, a cooper metal founder, an overseer assigned to the task, and 150 slaves. This six-level fortification was built to defend the city of San Juan and the entrance to San Juan Bay. The oldest lighthouse on the island was built on top of El Morro in 1846 when the Spanish were ruling it. The United States occupied this from 1868 to 1961. During that time, there were baseball diamonds, hospitals, officer quarters, and even an officer club with golf course out on the Esplanade. During WWII, the US Army built a massive concrete bunker on the top. It was used as a harbor defense first control station. During this time, it was known as Fort Brooke. In 1961 the United States Army base was closed and it became part of the National Park Service. It is a fascinating place to visit. It is also the best place to see sunset in Old San Juan.

From there we headed towards La Fortaleza Street to see the umbrellas. Walking down the narrow cobblestone streets and seeing all the beautiful colonial homes with intricate wrought iron balconies and planter boxes full of gorgeous flowers was such a joy. When we got to the section of La Fortaleza that had the umbrellas covering the road, we were disappointed that you can no longer walk under them. It must be a security thing since the governor of Puerto Rico lives at the end of the road. The vibrant colors of the umbrellas were amazing to see especially with the bright blue backdrop of the sky. This was put up by the Umbrella Sky Project to bring color back into the lives of the people in Puerto Rico after the hurricane. This anonymous quote is associated with these umbrellas and I felt it was quite fitting. “Just as umbrellas move fluidly with the wind, Puerto Rico is a place that flows and majestically embraces ever challenge it faces.”

From there we headed to Capilla del Santa Cristo de la Salud (Chapel of the Holy Christ of Health. This chapel is known for its healing powers as a miracle occurred here many years ago that involved divine intervention. The story is that a lone rider, Baltazar Montanez lost control of his horse and tried to stop him before getting to this spot on the cliff in 1753. He could not and the horse and him plunged off the cliffs. Don Mateo was watching this unfold in horror and at the last minute yelled out, “Christ of Good Health save him.” The horse died but the rider survived. That same year Montanez built this chapel in the exact spot he fell off the cliff. This is a beautiful and secluded monument in Old San Juan. This chapel is only open on Tuesday and religious holidays and is cared for by the local volunteers called “La Hermand del Santo Cristo de la Salud” (the sisterhood of the Holy Christ of Health).

Just after passing that we turned down street and headed down a hill. We then passed La Casa Estrecha (the Narrow House). This tiny home at one time was an alleyway and the home is painted a bright yellow with a green door. This two story home is only 5’ 3” across and was designed by the architect named Antonio Alvarez. Unbelievably, there is a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom in this narrow home. It is no longer used as a home and is now used as an art gallery to display local art work.

By that time, we were thirsty and hungry. We go to Raices Restaurant every time we are in Old San Juan since we are never disappointed. Today we got there early but since we had ten people with us, there was a wait. Our hostess was very gracious and even went inside to help get our two tables ready. We always enjoy the food and the mofongo (green plantains) is terrific. The meals are so huge that next time we go, Joe and I may share a meal. They waiters and waitresses wear traditional old timey Puerto Rican clothing and the decor and music make it a lovely experience. Drinks come to the table in tin mugs which is lovely and keeps the drinks nice and cold.

After that it was time to head back to the ship as we were all exhausted. It was and always is a great day in Old San Juan. We will be back, I’m sure. 

Till next time. Bye for now.