#Old san juan puerto rico map full#

It is a scenic quiet stroll surrounded by nature with an unending view of the ocean. The trail starts after descending a flight of stairs from inside El Morro and leads all the way to the San Juan Gate at the end of Paseo de la Princesa. It is an unpaved path right over the water outside the city walls. This is a hidden gem in the middle of Old San Juan that tourists do not know about. This is the place to be during the weekends! 9. The vendors have authentic treats like Piragua which is shaved ice mixed with syrups that works wonder to cool off in the heat. During weekends local vendors, artists and musicians set up shop all along the boardwalk and create an unforgettable experience. Paseo de la Princesa is the street adjacent to the boardwalk that runs across the southern part of Old San Juan on the sheltered bay. Your girl loves chocolate so this definitely ranks high on my list. Chocobar Cortes is a gem that has chocolate in every single dish. The hotel caters to tourists so it tends to get noisy and crowded at dinnertime. Barrachina is known as having invented the Pina Colada and you can opt to have yours made fresh in front of you. They also have a vegetarian plate which was lovely for me. Pirilo has an authentic Puerto Rican cuisine with plates that have a small portion of multiple dishes. My top 3 restaurants in Old San Juan are Pirilo, Barrachina and Chocobar Cortes. Old San Juan has some of the best Caribbean food I have ever tried. Checkout my guide to The Top 8 Bars in San Juan, Puerto Rico to see where you should be drinking in the city. I loved the bars in Old San Juan and the lazy tropical vibe they all seem to ooze. This is the epitome of what it means to go on holiday in the Caribbean. You can find tropical drinks of every kind, from a Lavender cocktail to a freshly made Pina Colada. The bars in Old San Juan are some of the most amazing establishments I have witnessed. San Juan is said to be the birth place of the Pina Colada and it certainly lives up to the legend. It is a good way to wind down in the evening before finding a place for dinner. I loved sitting on the bench here and eating the local treats. The plaza is bang in the middle of Old San Juan and you will probably stumble upon it sooner or later.

It has a twinkling fountain in the middle where families and children come out in the evening to play games, socialize and enjoy local food. The Plaza de Armas in Old San Juan is a gorgeous shady square flagged by small food stalls and local stores.

#Old san juan puerto rico map full#

You can also call ahead and schedule a tour to get the full effect of this important building in the city. The entrance to the building and access to the Puerto Rican constitution is free. The dome inside is magnificent with a colorful mosaic that depicts important events in Puerto RicoвЂ™s history. It is impossible to miss the shining white marble as you pass it by. The Capitol Rotunda is a large domed white building at the start of Old San Juan. The tombstones shine bright against the colorful background of the houses on the hills. You can explore the cemetery in person or glimpse it from atop the walls of El Morro. Its location across from the Atlantic Ocean symbolize the dead crossing over into the afterlife. The cemetery is filled with life sized marble sculpture and bright burial sites. This famous cemetery is know for being the resting place for famous Puerto Ricans such as Pedro Albizu Campos and Jose de Diego. This fortress is an amazing example of both architecture and the history of what makes San Juan so special and one thing you should not miss. You can use a brochure to explore the fortress by yourself and it got real spooky when I found an abandoned staircase leading to a small jutting overlooking the crashing waves. It spans 27 acres and is created in 3 distinct levels. This fortress serves as the counterpart to El Morro and was used for land protection against invaders. This is one of my favorite things to do in Old San Juan. El Morro has expansive gardens where you can see kids flying kites on sunny days. From the top level you can see El Canuelo, the fort across the Bay of San Juan that was used to create a crossfire and sink enemy ships. It is a formidable 6 level fortress that is ridiculously fun to explore. El Morro was the second fort built on the island for protection from attacks from the sea. This is one of two fortresses in Old San Juan that form the history of this place.