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Time Travel to the Beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan is one of Puerto Rico’s aged communities initiated for more than four hundred years ago. It has captured the hearts of tourists as both a residential and commercial neighborhood that will surely entice you with its exquisite beauty. Because of its elderly nature, this town has streets that are cobbled with adoquine and colonial buildings established during early sixteenth and seventeenth century.

Apart from its richness in culture and history, this town also is home to magnificent pristine beaches and gambling casinos that are tourists’ favorite destinations. What more way to experience a true to life historical journey than to do it by foot? In doing so, you get to suck in the extraordinary features of each attraction with a breath of fresh air. Since the vicinity is composed of precipitous and small streets, it is vulnerable to vehicle traffic which makes walking a better alternative to succumb to the place’s environment.

Since this town is packed with so many beautiful attractions, a stroll around the area would best be complimented if you brought your own water, hat, comfortable shoes and sun protection since it might get a little sunny at times. However, if walking ain’t really your thing, there are also available trolleys to tour you around to distinct places in the vicinity. Most popular means of touring the town would be booking for a Segway tour that’s available daily from nine through five in the afternoon. These tours usually come with an audio guide and tips on how to ride.

For the best sites in town, the top on your list should include visiting places like San Juan’s public squares and plazas. The Plaza de San Jose is one of the most attractive of all which has artificial water fountains that shoot up in the air complimenting the serene view of its surroundings, a wide array of historical structures surrounding the area and an attractive bronze statue of Ponce de Leon.

Another Plaza located in the Old San Jose is that of the Plaza de Armas which is contemplated as the main square in town designated for social get-togethers for visitors and locals alike.

The Plaza de Colon on the other hand, also known as the Columbus Square can also be found in the town of San Juan. Here, the later Christopher Columbus is commemorated for his iconic uncovering of this magnificent state of Puerto Rico.

Apart from the town’s structures and walkways, majestic buildings and fine architectures are present here as well. One of which is the Castillo de San Cristobal, also known as the Saint Christopher Castle, the largest one in both Puerto Rico and the Western hemisphere. Located within the San Juan National Historical Site that opens its doors for visitors at nine in the morning through five in the afternoon, this fort not only makes you appreciate the exquisitely designed castle but also the relaxing view of the waters surrounding it. The National Park Service Visitor Center, located at the Avenida Luis Munoz Rivera, gives tourists a chance to experience more from this historical architecture by offering exhibits, films and a bookshop for people to buy and gain more knowledge about the place.

Not only will you get to see the castle by the beach, the park also is home to the Castillo San Felipe del Morro which s a citadel  by the end of Calle Norzagaray. This fortress highlights picturesque views of the San Juan harbor that will make you gaze in wonder. There may be a separate entrance fee to enter these forts but it would surely be worth it. Sites like the Alcadia, Casa Blanca Museum, La Casa del Libro, San Jose Church and San Jose Cathedral are also some of the must-sees while visiting this town.

As most tourist destinations, the port of San Juan is also open to various cruise ships destined to make this magnificent place a definite destination for its customers to enjoy. As beautiful as it seems, many people would love to swing by here so it would be best if you were to visit here when ships are lesser in number to avoid hordes of people making their way to the port.

When you’re not touring San Juan aboard a cruise ship, you may also come here by bus tours set-up by yourselves or those pre-arranged ones courtesy of the hotels that you planned to stay in San Juan.

 

For hotel bookings and reservations in San Juan, click here.

For cruise deals to San Juan, click here.

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