As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Check out our privacy policy disclosure for more information.
Last year Dixie and I went to Puerto Rico together for the first time. We hope to return again someday.
Our visit was only a few short months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. There were still a lot of indications of the extent of that damage around the capital of San Juan and all over the island, especially the central areas. We talked to many people in the hotels, restaurants, our UBER drivers, basically anyone who we encountered and heard so many stories about the hurricane and the after effects still taking place all over the island.
Besides the obvious storm damage, the first thing we noticed was the traffic – like any big city, San Juan seemed to be very congested. It took us a while to adjust to driving ‘Puerto Rican’ style, but once we did, driving there actually became better.
.
We stayed at an Embassy Suites near the airport for the first few nights and then moved to a Holiday Inn in downtown San Juan. We could walk to any number of restaurants, bars and gorgeous beaches from the Holiday Inn. And walk we did.
We went to ‘Old San Juan’. It was fascinating.
We walked streets that were hundreds of years old and we visited the old San Juan fortresses, overlooking the beautiful Caribbean Sea. They’ve been there for centuries. San Juan was founded in 1521 and is the third oldest European established capital city in the Americas after Santo Domingo (1496), Dominican Republic and Panama City (1519), Panama. We spent the entire day walking nearly every inch of the fortresses – very exhausting, but well worth every step.
The largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World in 1783 to protect San Juan against land based attacks is the Castillo San Cristobal. It is part of the San Juan National Historic Site in old San Juan. Covering some 27 acres, it wrapped around San Juan as it existed then. It has five cisterns that were used for storing water during the age of the Spanish colony and were later converted to bomb shelters during World War ll. Legend has it that the fortress is haunted by numerous ghosts, the most famous of them known as the ‘Lady in White’. She is most seen near La Garita del Diablo or the Devil’s Watchtower.
The other fort we visited is the Castillo de San Felipe del Morro. Puerto Rico was one of the first islands discovered by Christopher Columbus and later settled by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1508. Within a few decades Puerto Rico became one of the wealthiest seaports in the Americas. And as such also became one of the most desired by other European countries.
Work began on the fortress in the late 1530s to protect the Spanish conquistadors’ lands from pirates and other seafaring enemies. The fortress served the Spaniards well in staving off numerous attempts, primarily from British and Dutch rivals, to overtake San Juan. Not until the Spanish-American War would the fort and all of Puerto Rico fall to the hands of a foreign invader. When the war ended, the Treaty of Paris turned Puerto Rico and several other islands over to the United States.
Located between the two fortresses is The Cemetario Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis or simply known to the locals as Old San Juan Cemetery.
In the center of the grounds there is a small chapel. The cemetery dates back to the 1863 and is the final resting place of some of Puerto Rico’s most famous citizens. While visiting a cemetery is not typically on anyone’s ‘must see’ list, this is one you have to at least take a look at when visiting the fortresses, since it is right there.
Another thing we really enjoyed was walking the capital’s cobblestone streets taking in the many colorful buildings; all which seemed to have balconies, the open air restaurants and unique shops. We found our way to Fortaleza Street toward La Fortaleza, the governor’s residence – a street unlike any other we’ve ever been on.
Known as ‘Umbrella Street’, you’re met by a beautiful canopy of colorful umbrellas for about two blocks of the street. It’s a perfect spot for photos since this portion of the street is closed to traffic. The only traffic you’ll see there are the thousands of people angling for photos guaranteed to be treasured for many years.
We also enjoyed walking along the Paseo De la Princesa. This beautiful walk takes you along the port where the cruise ships dock and then around the old walls of the city. We took in the amazing sculptures, fountains and scenery along the coastline. Another thing we wanted to do but never had the opportunity was visit the Bacardi rum factory located very near the heart of Old San Juan.
We went to several local restaurants and tried some of the local dishes.
The Serafina Hotel had an infiniti pool and the restaurant there, aMare was right on the beach. The O:LV Hotel’s bar, Arya Rooftop overlooked La Laguna del Condado and had a rooftop bar area. One dish that we noticed on every menu for any meal it seemed, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner, was plantains. It seemed that plantains were the daily staple for everyone in Puerto Rico. 
You could have them in many different ways. At first they just seemed plain. In fact I started calling them ‘plain’ tains. But after having them a few times, I grew to like them, especially the plantain chips. One dish we saw on every menu we looked at was Mofongo. Mofongo is made from mashed plantains, garlic, salt and olive oil, then made into a dumpling and can include vegetables, chicken or any other meat. We had great empanadas at an outside restaurant in Old San Juan. We enjoyed great calamari and frutti di mare at Cayo Blanco and so many other delicious meals at several restaurants all within walking distance from our hotel. The coffee is to die for. Puerto Rico has some of the finest coffee we have ever tasted. And the local beers Medalla and Magna are outstanding.
Another highlight of our trip was our road trip to the seaport town of Ponce on the southern coast of the island. Once again we were met with beautiful scenery and had the unique opportunity to see something besides the big city of San Juan.
On our drive there we noticed field after field of bananas and plantains. It was a very worthwhile detour giving us a chance to explore a bit more of this beautiful island.
We highly recommend that you include Puerto Rico on any bucket list you are putting together. You’ll not be disappointed.
Thanks for reading…..
Paul
