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We recently returned from an eight day adventure that started at the beautiful island of San Juan, Puerto Rico. While at San Juan, we did have an opportunity to spend two full days of exploring on this great island. The day both before and after returning from our amazing 2018 Royal Caribbean Southern Caribbean Cruise.
Discovering San Juan
The first day of exploring in San Juan, we took the city bus, which cost seventy-five cents per personto our first stop. Our first stop was in Old San Juan, where we decided to check out the waterfront area.
While exploring the waterfront, we observed beautiful palm trees and concrete benches for viewing. We also observed an area for San Juan Water Tours and an October 1, 2015 lighthouse Fisherman Memorial dedicated to the 33 El Faro cargo ship crew members. The crew members were lost at sea while traveling from Florida to the Bahamas. The ship reportedly disappeared, near the Bahamas, after heading directly into Hurricane Joaquin.
San Juan Holocaust Memorial
Our next stop was the San Juan Holocaust Memorial, a dedication to the six million unfinished lives. This memorial was larger than we expected and very informative. While at the memorial, we observed several testimonies of heroes, who risked their own lives to protect the jewish people. We found the Memorial to be very nice and a great place to visit!
San Juan National Historic Site
We then walked to the San Juan National Historic Site, where we explored the colonial-era fort Castillo San Cristobal fortification, where construction began in 1539. The cost was seven dollars per person. A small price to pay for such a wonderful experience of exploring this top attraction in the Caribbean.
While exploring through the fort, we walked through tunnels, dungeons, ramps, barrack stairways, pass canons and arched passageways. We also enjoyed viewing and photographing the gorgeous San Juan Bay. The Atlantic Ocean was a perfect background.
The Spanish Empire spent approximately 250 years fortifying this location, so they could control the access and commerce in and out of the New World. The fort was also used to protect the city from land based attacks.
After spending a good amount of time exploring through the amazing fort, we enjoyed an approximately one mile walk to San Felipe del Morro, ‘El Morro’ fortress. Here, we enjoyed an exterior view of the fortress.
This fort was used to protect from sea going enemies. These fortresses are amazingly built and a must see if you travel to the Old San Juan area!
For more information on the San Juan National Historic Site you can contact them at 787-729-6777 or visit their website @ http://www.nps.gov/saju
San Juan’s Governor Mansion
We then walked to the San Juan’s Governor Mansion. La Fortaleza is the official residence of the Puerto Rico Governor. Upon walking past the mansion, we observed several police officers providing security but we were able to freely walk on the streets around the mansion. The Governor’s Mansion is located at 63 Calle Fortaleza, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901.
The Governor’s Mansion is a very busy business district. While walking the streets around the mansion, we observed several people walking along the streets. Some people were enjoying the unique views around the Governor’s Mansion, while others were enjoying the stores and restaurants.
One of the must see unique sights was the street leading into the gated Governor’s Mansion. We observed several colorful umbrellas hanging above the street, with Puerto Rico proudly displaying on the umbrellas. A beautiful place to visit, for taking in the views and taking some wonderful keepsake photos!
After leaving the Governor’s Mansion, we enjoyed a dinner at a local San Juan restaurant, while taking in some of the beautiful San Juan views along the coastline.
After enjoying a tasty dinner, we walked to a location where there were some local entertainers entertaining some of the locals and island visitors. Here, we observed a beautifully decorated Christmas Tree. A wonderful way to cap off our amazing day at San Juan, Puerto Rico!!
A Puerto Rico Travel Tips
A great traveling tip for Puerto Rico is that Uber Transportation is the most popular. Most people on the island use Uber more than Taxis because the rate that you are paying is set before you get in. A taxi charges per the minute!! The only thing to be aware of is, as of this writing, Ubers can not pick up at the airport. However, the Ubers can drop off at the airport.
Old San Juan is truly a beautiful destination with many wonderful places to explore! We would highly recommend a visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico and amazing Old San Juan. Happy Travels!!
For more information on amazing Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, click their website @ http://www.sanjuanpuertorico.com
Great pictures! I would love to visit San Juan some day 🙂
Thank You, we had a wonderful time visiting San Juan. We hope your dreams come true and that you picked up some useful tips on beautiful places to visit, while you are in San Juan! Thanks for commenting and Happy Holidays to you and yours!!