LuxurySTND Welcome To San Juan Puerto Rico
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Welcome To San Juan Puerto Rico en la isla de encanta.
San Juan is the capital and most populous city in Puerto Rico.
Founded in 1521 by Juan Ponce de León, who named it City of Puerto Rico (Rich Port).
The capital of Puerto Rico is the oldest city under U.S. jurisdiction, but some people argue than St. Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565 is the oldest city in the continental United States.
The history of San Juan begins a long time before its official foundation, in 1493, during his second voyage, Christopher Columbus landed in Puerto Rico.
He named the island “San Juan Bautista”, in honor of John the Baptist.
But was not until 1508, that the Spanish government appointed Juan Ponce de León as the first governor of the island. 
He founded the original settlement in Caparra, now known as Pueblo Viejo, behind the almost land-locked harbor just to the west of the present metropolitan area and the city quickly became Spain’s most important military outpost in the Caribbean.
A year later, the original settlement was relocated to a nearby coastal islet (to the site of what is now called Old San Juan) and named Puerto Rico.
Sometime during the 1520s, confusion over the names led to a switch, the island took the name of Puerto Rico and the town became San Juan.
Today, San Juan is known as “La Ciudad Amurallada” (the walled city) and is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean and is the second oldest European-founded city in the Americas (after Santo Domingo, which was officially founded on August 5, 1498.)
San Juan is located in the Northern Coastal Plains region in the karst zone, north of Aguas Buenas and Caguas; east of Bayamón; and west of Carolina and Trujillo Alto.
The metropolitan area known as San Juan has 3 distinct areas: Old San Juan, the Beach & Resort area, and other outlying communities, the most important: Río Piedras, Hato Rey, Puerta de Tierra, and Santurce.
Río Piedras was founded in 1714 but became incorporated into San Juan in 1951.
During the early 16th century, San Juan was the point of departure of Spanish expeditions to charter or settle unknown parts of the New World.
Its fortifications repulsed the English navigator Sir Francis Drake in 1595, as well as later attacks.
In the 20th century the city expanded beyond its walled confines, known as Old San Juan, to incorporate suburban Miramar, Santurce, Condado, Hato Rey and Río Piedras.
San Juan is the largest processing center of the island, the metropolitan area has facilities for petroleum and sugar refining, brewing and distilling and produces cement, pharmaceuticals, metal products clothing, and tobacco.
The port is one of the busiest in the Caribbean. San Juan is the country’s financial capital, and many U.S. banks and corporations maintain offices or distributing centers there.
San Juan is center of Caribbean shipping and is the 2nd largest sea port in the area (after New York City).
Points of Interest
Old San Juan
This is a 465-year-old neighborhood originally conceived as a military stronghold. Its 7-square-block area has evolved into a charming residential and commercial district.
The streets here are paved with cobbles of adoquine, a blue stone cast from furnace slag; they were brought over a ballast on Spanish ships and time and moisture have lent them their characteristic color.
The city includes more than 400 carefully restored 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial buildings.
The Old San Juan attracts many tourists, who also enjoy the gambling casinos, fine beaches, and tropical climate.
More tourists visit San Juan each year than any other spot in the Caribbean.
A leisurely foot tour is advisable for those who really want to experience this bit of the Old World, especially given the narrow, steep streets and frequently heavy traffic.
To really do justice to these wonderful old sites, you’ll need two mornings or a full day.
Old San Juan has several plazas: Plaza de San José is a favorite meeting place for young and old alike.
At its center stands the bronze statue of Ponce de León, made from a British cannons captured in during Sir Ralph Abercromby’s attack 1797.
The plaza is skirted by a number of historic buildings.
Abutting Plaza San José is the Plaza del Quinto Centenario (Quincentennial Square), opened in October 12, 1992.
This plaza is the cornerstone of Puerto Rico’s commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of the New World, has a sculpture which rises 12 meters (40 feet).
The monumental totemic sculpture in black granite and ceramics symbolizes the earthen and clay roots of American history and is the work of Jaime Suarez, one of Puerto Rico’s foremost artists.
Plaza de Armas (Arms Square) is Old San Juan’s main square, on San José Street.
Features four statues representing the four seasons; all are over 100 years old.
It was carefully planned as the main city square and has served as a social meeting place for generations.
Plaza de Colón (Columbus Square) was originally called St. James Square was renamed in 1893 to honor Christopher Columbus on the 400th anniversary of his discovery of Puerto Rico; bronze tablets at the pedestal of the Columbus statue record important episodes in the explorer’s life.
Plazuela de la Rogativa (Plaza of Religious Procession) was built in 1971, features a modern sculpture depicting a procession of religious women commemorates an event that took place on the site in 1797.
During the spring of that year, a fleet of British ships led by under Sir Ralph Ambercrombie sailed into San Juan Bay, meaning to launch an assault on the city and take control of the colony.
When the attack was foiled, they undertook a naval blockade of San Juan, hoping to starve the residents into submission.
As the towns people began to despair of any help from soldiers garrisoned in the inland towns, the governor ordered a rogativa, or divine entreaty, to ask the saints for assistance.
The women of the town formed a procession through the streets, carrying torches and ringing bells. The British, hearing the commotion and seeing the moving lights, decided that reinforcements had arrived and quickly sailed off.
The Plaza de Hostos is located near La Casita, features artisan displays, snack stands, and traditional piragüeros, who sell shaved ice topped with tropical fruit syrup.
Parks
The Parque de las Palomas (Pigeon Park) is located near the Paseo de la Princesa, next to Capilla del Cristo at the end of Cristo Street.
This park overlooks the restored La Princesa Jail, now a government office with an attractive art gallery.
It is the perfect spot from which to enjoy a magnificent view of the harbor, city and mountains.
It is also a great choice for families with small children; kids will enjoy interacting with the local pigeons.
The Luis Muñoz Rivera Park is an spacious ocean side park with large trees, landscape gardens and wide walks, located on Jesús T. Piñero Avenue. Open Tues-Sun 9:00am – 5:00pm.
Other parks include: Martí Coll Linera Park, and Central Park (with facilities for jogging, baseball, calisthenics and tennis).
Forts
San Felipe del Morro was named in honor of King Phillip II, commonly known as El Morro, is a 16th-century citadel. The word itself sounds powerful and this six-level fortress certainly is.
The construction of the Castillo San Felipe del Morro began in 1540 when King Charles V of Spain authorized its construction, including the surrounding walls and completed in 1589.
Most of the walls in the fort today were added later, in a period of tremendous construction from the 1760’s-1780’s.
Rising 140 feet above the sea, its 18-foot-thick wall proved a formidable defense.
It fell only once, in 1598, to a land assault by the Earl of Cumberland’s forces. The fort is a maze of tunnels, dungeons, barracks, outposts and ramps.
El Morro is studded with small, circular sentry boxes called “garitas” that have become a national symbol.
The views of San Juan Bay from El Morro are spectacular. The area was designated a National Historic Site in February, 1949 with 74 total acres.
It has the distinction of being the largest fortification in the Caribbean.
In 1992, in honor of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of Puerto Rico by Christopher Columbus, the fortress was restored to its historical architectural grace and beauty.
El Morro Fortress is a National Historic Site administered by the National Park Service.
The fort is open to the public everyday from 9am to 6pm except on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Admissions US$3 adults, children under free, (787) 729-6960.
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