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.
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.
|
