OLD SAN JUAN (VIEJO SAN JUAN)
The U.S. National Parks Service maintains this huge colonial military complex, comprising Castillo El Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal. These fortresses were constructed throughout the 17th and 18th centuries to defend the San Juan coastline from other European powers who at one time or another attempted to invade Puerto Rico. It’s an area that rises 140 ft. above the sea on a rocky promontory consisting of six huge levels of ramps, dungeons, towers, barracks, turrets, and tunnels. It has fabulous views with awesome sunset photos. Great place to hang out and relax on the lawn. It has an excellent look over the historic graveyards on the ocean. A visit to Old San Juan is not complete without exploring these fortresses. Park rangers offer fascinating tours of the tunnels, cannon batteries, and barracks, which today feature museum pieces recalling a once-glorious past.
The area within Old San Juan outside the fortresses, which is one of the first Spanish settlements in the Caribbean, is filled with colorful architecture and unexpected surprises. This historic neighborhood (consisting of 400 restored buildings from the 16th & 17th centuries) offers more than the usual tourist haunts, like El Morro and the designer outlet stores. Along the cobblestone streets, you’ll find a former convent, El Convento, turned restaurant and hotel, where you can enjoy a glass of wine or meal in an enclosed courtyard.
The district is also characterized by numerous public plazas and churches including San José Church and the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, which contains the tomb of the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. It also houses the most ancient Catholic school for Elementary education in Puerto Rico, the Colegio de Párvulos, built in 1865.