A Stay At Old San Juan
In Puerto Rico by Clint Leung
 One
of the most used departure ports for cruise ships in the Caribbean is San
Juan in Puerto Rico. We decided to arrive a day early to San Juan in order
to see some sights before our cruise ship departure. San Juan, known as
'La Ciudad Amurallada' (the walled city), was founded in 1521 and is the
oldest city under the US flag. During the 16th century, the Spanish used
it as a point of departure for expeditions to the New World. Fortifications
in the Old San Juan section of the city repulsed numerous attacks from
the English and the Dutch during those years. Today, Old San Juan is a
charming seven square block commercial and residential area with cobblestone
streets.
The cruise ship terminal
is actually located near the south side of Old San Juan so instead of booking
a hotel in the beach resort area of San Juan, we decided to book one right
in the old section for close proximity to the terminal as well as the local
sights. The $17 US taxi ride from San Juan's airport to Old San Juan was
about half an hour. During the ride, I was impressed by how developed the
city was compared to many other cities I've visited in the Caribbean. The
beach high-rise hotels along the north side of San Juan were visible from
the highway. Our stay for the night was at the Hotel Milano which is right
on Calle Fortaleza, which is one of the major commercial streets in Old
San Juan. The hotel was clean and comfortable but not luxurious which was
okay with us as the price was very affordable. Its quality was probably
comparable to a Travelodge or Days Inn. A very pleasant surprise was the
free continental breakfast at the hotel's rooftop restaurant. It gave a
nice view of the neighborhood from the top.
 We
spent the day and evening walking the many cobblestone streets and alleys
in the area. There are over 400 restored colonial buildings from the 16th
and 17th century here. There were also several plaza squares and parks.
One of the nicest services offered in Old San Juan is a free shuttle bus
which covers two different routes through the district.
There was a bus stop about
1/2 block away from our hotel which was very convenient. Riding on the
shuttle buses through both routes gave us a good overview of Old San Juan.
We were able to stop off at several points of interest including the huge
El Morro fort. After our visits to each attraction, we just had to wait
for the next bus to come by to continue our tour. In the evening, we did
get lost while walking since many of the streets look very similar. But
with our map, we eventually found our way back to the street where the
Hotel Milano was. We decided to dine at one of the nearby restaurants for
authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and were not disappointed. My lady especially
adored the two different plantains we ordered.
When it was time to go to
the cruise ship terminal, we just took a short five minute ride from our
hotel. Our short stay in Old San Juan was definitely worthwhile and hassle
free. A stay in Old San Juan is highly recommended for those who will be
taking a Caribbean cruise with San Juan as the departure point. The only
disappointment I had with San Juan was that I was hoping to do some scuba
diving in the area but from the reports I read, the waters off the city
are quite murky with limited marine life to see. This is likely the result
of San Juan being such a busy port. The decent scuba diving sites are about
2 hours east of San Juan. So perhaps in a return trip to Puerto Rico, I
will plan to make a trip to the east part of the island.
top
For accommodation in Puerto
Rico, visit All
World Vacation Station
About the Author: Clint Leung
is owner of Free Spirit Gallery ( http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca),
an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American
art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous
information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native
Indian art as well as free eCards. |
