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San Juan Maps & Attractions Guide
San Juan maps & Attractions - Things to do
in San Juan
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San Juan
Attractions - Things to do
1. Old San Juan
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What is it? This area, encompassing about seven blocks,
dates back about 500 years to the Spanish occupation when it served
as a military stronghold that even repulsed Sir Francis Drake. The
original cobbles on the streets are blue-tinged, and were
originally ballast on the Spanish ships. The ancient stones set off
the more than 400 restored 16th and 17th century Spanish colonial
buildings that fill Old San Juan and draw thousands of tourists to
walk the narrow, steep streets every day. The old town is enclosed
in amazingly thick, high walls and features numerous attractive
plazas bearing sculptures and memorials.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
2. Spanish Forts
www.nps.gov/saju |
What is it? The mighty six-level fortress of San Felipe
del Morro, built in 1540, towers 140 feet (43m) above the sea on
San Juan Bay, its 18-foot thick (5m) walls having proved a worthy
defence against invasion. The largest fortification in the
Caribbean, it is a maze of tunnels, dungeons, barracks, lookouts
and ramps, offering spectacular views from atop its ramparts. Also
in Norzagaray Street, Old San Juan, is El Morro's partner in
defending the city, Castillo San Cristobal, built in the 17th
century to a confusing and intricate modular
design.
Hours of Operation: Forts open daily 9am to 5pm (June to November), 9am
to 6pm (December to May). Tours are available in English and
Spanish
Phone:729 6960 |
3. La Fortaleza
The Fortaleza is situated at the west end of Fortaleza
Street in Old San Juan
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What is it? The Fortaleza was built in 1540 as a fortress
to guard the entrance to the San Juan harbour, but later became the
official Governor's residence. During succeeding centuries the
original structure has been remodelled and expanded, with a
neoclassical façade being added in 1846 to leave the building with
its palatial aspect. The current governor of Puerto Rico is in
residence - the 170th Governor to live in the
Fortaleza.
Hours of Operation: Daily 9am to 6pm (until 5pm from June to November).
Tours are available every 30 minutes from Monday to Friday between
9am and 3.30pm. Reservations are required
Phone:721 7000 ext. 2358 |
4. Saint John the Baptist Cathedral
Cristo Street
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What is it? San Juan's Cathedral was originally built in
1521 by Puerto Rico's first Spanish bishop as a thatched wooden
church, but was destroyed in a hurricane in 1526. The current
medieval structure, built from the stone brought in from inland
quarries by horsepower, dates from 1540, although extensive
renovations and reconstruction was carried out in 1917. The
cathedral features Doric columns and elliptical vaults, and
contains the marble tomb of the island's first
governor.
Hours of Operation: Daily tours from 8.30am to 4pm. Regular services are
held
Phone:722 0861 or 722-1709 |
5. Casa Blanca
San Sebastian Street, Old San Juan
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What is it? The historic homestead of Casa Blanca was
built in 1523 by the family of Puerto Rico's first governor, Ponce
de Leon, whose descendants inhabited it for 250 years. It was
subsequently taken over by the Spanish and then United States
military. Today the mansion house contains two museums. A small
section is dedicated to artefacts associated with the Taino
Indians, while the rest of the house depicts the life of the house
through the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4.30pm.
Guided tours by appointment Tuesday to Friday
Phone:724 4102 |
6. Casa del Libro
255 Cristo Street
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What is it? The 18th-century mansion known as Casa del
Libro houses a vast collection of rare sketches, illustrations,
ancient manuscripts and books, some dating from before the 16th
century. The museum's most prized possessions are two royal
mandates signed by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain in 1493
regarding the provisioning of Christopher Columbus's fleet for his
second voyage to the New World. This was the voyage during which
Puerto Rico was discovered.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 4.30pm
Phone:723 0354 |
7. University campus
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What is it? The University of Puerto Rico campus in the
Rio Piedras offers two attractions for visitors. The University
Museum contains archaeological and historical exhibits and holds
monthly art exhibitions. The Botanical Gardens in the grounds of
the University are a living laboratory displaying the native flora
of Puerto Rico, containing more than 200 species of tropical and
sub-tropical plants.
Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday 9am to 11pm, weekends 9am to 3pm
(museum); daily 9am to 4.30pm (gardens)
Phone:764 0000 ext 2452 (museum); 763 4408
(gardens) |
8. Museo de Arte
299 De Diego Avenue, Santurce
www.mapr.org |
What is it? Puerto Rico's showcase art gallery opened
just a few years ago at a cost of millions of dollars. The gallery
is housed in a former city hospital in Santurce and offers a
permanent and visiting exhibition. The aim is to highlight the
island's heritage through the work of local artists, such as
Francisco Oller, who studied in France with Cézanne, and Jose
Campeche, a late 18th century Classical painter. The museum has
been described as a 'living textbook of Puerto Rico', spanning the
centuries through the medium of art.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am to 5pm;
Wednesday 10am to 8pm; Sunday 11am to 6pm; closed
Monday
Phone:977 6277 ext. 2230 or 2261 |
9. Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory
www.naic.edu |
What is it? America's ears and eyes are focused on the
stars from the island of Puerto Rico. In the northwest mountains of
the island about 90 minutes drive west of San Juan, among the Karst
Country hills, is one of the most important astronomical research
facilities on earth, the Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory. Its
massive dish is larger in area than a dozen football fields and is
sited in a sinkhole, aimed at the heavens and tuned to detect the
slightest sounds emitted from the farthest stars. This is the home
base for NASA's 'SETI' (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence)
project and as such holds great fascination for visitors. A
Visitors Centre is equipped with interactive exhibits to
demonstrate how the huge structure works. Visitors can hike to the
viewing platform to view the vast tiled
dish.
Hours of Operation: Wednesday to Friday 12pm to 4pm, weekends and most
holidays 9am to 4pm
Phone:878 2612 |
10. Camuy Cave Park
Route 129
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What is it? Well worth a day trip from San Juan is the
incredible 268-acre Camuy Cave Park, two hours southwest of the
city. The park is the site of miles of subterranean caverns that
were carved out of the limestone by the Camuy River more than a
million years ago. Only seven miles (11km) of the caves have yet
been fully explored, but 16 entrances have been discovered to what
is believed to be the world's largest cave network. Well-maintained
walking trails lead visitors down 200 feet (61m) into a fern-filled
ravine to explore the cathedral-like caverns. Guided tours are
available through one cave and two sinkholes, where you will see
stalactites, stalagmites and plenty of bats. The caverns also
contain a unique species of blindfish. The park has picnic areas,
walking trails, food outlets, an exhibition hall and a souvenir
shop.
Hours of Operation: Wednesday to Sunday 8am to 3.30pm; closed when
raining
Phone:898 3100 |
San Juan Holidays guide
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Transport -The cobblestoned old downtown area can be
explored on foot (take comfortable walking shoes).
More information at the |
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