San Juan is a Caribbean city of Puerto Rico that features colorful Spanish colonial buildings and many 16th-century landmarks. Puerto Rico is also a U.S. Territory, which means visas are not required for those who are U.S. citizens or Puerto Rican because they can travel to and from the United States and Puerto Rico. The majority of Puerto Ricans speak Spanish, but many can also speak English. From colorful buildings to delicious Caribbean cuisine, and to many historical landmarks, San Juan offers many incredible things to see, try, and do. The following are places and things you can see from just San Juan, alone.
The City & Old San Juan
La Perla
La Perla is a small neighborhood in San Juan that is located between the two forts and is made famous by the song, “Despacito.” La Perla is a hidden gem because there are little to no tourists here, but the whole neighborhood is filled with colorful and urban buildings and murals that are unique from the rest of San Juan. Why are there fewer tourists here? After Hurricane Maria, the neighborhood was severely impacted by the catastrophe. Being on edge of the ocean, many buildings and locals were negatively impacted. If you visit La Perla, you will notice many abandoned buildings or heavily damaged infrastructures as a result of the hurricane. In 2017, “La Perla pinta su futuro”, which translates to La Perla Paints Its Future, was a campaign that painted around 375 houses in bright colors in the neighborhood as an effort to revitalize and re-develop the area. However, despite this effort, tourists should keep a couple of things in mind. Firstly, it can get sketchy here, but it shouldn’t stop you from visiting because there is a lot that La Perla can offer as an experience in Puerto Rico asides from San Juan. With fewer tourists, it can be difficult for tourists to visit because walking alone in this neighborhood can be slightly frightening. While walking along the streets of La Perla, I definitely had a lot of glares from the locals and a group of people came up to us and tried to tell us something. Eventually, a man walked by and told us “Be careful taking photos around here” and it gave us a hint that perhaps the locals here may not appreciate having their homes be seen as a tourist spot, and I can totally understand from the perspective of people who have been affected by the hurricane. So I ended up not going too far into the neighborhood and only took some photos as a keepsake of this experience. Visiting La Perla reminds me of why I love traveling. Asides from eating good food or visiting pretty places, I took this visit as a learning experience because I was able to stand where a major catastrophe had happened and it allowed me to really look at the impact on the nation, its people, and the aftermath of the event that led it to its existence today.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro & Castillo San Cristóbal
You cannot visit San Juan without paying visits to the two famous and historical sites of Puerto Rico. Castillo San Felipe del Morro is a citadel built between 16th and 18th centuries, whereas Castillo San Cristobal is a famous fortress. Both were built by the Spaniards that were colonizing Puerto Rico during that time in an effort to prevent invaders.
Adults only need to pay $10 USD to visit both of the fortifications and the ticket is valid all day. It is such an affordable excursion and you’re going to need comfortable shoes and long hours to walk the entire site for the two forts.
San Juan Bautista Cathedral
If you’re a history geek like me, you may be fond of visiting Ponce de León ‘s tombstone at the San Juan Bautista Cathedral. Who is Ponce de León? He was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and the first governor of Puerto Rico. Legend also says that Ponce de León was also searching for the Foutain of Youth. He was told by Native Americans that the Fountain of Youth was in Bimini and it could restore youth to anyone and hence commenced his search in Florida. If you don’t care to see Ponce de Leon, you can still visit the Cathedral for free to see its interior and architecture that was built in 1540.
City Beaches
What other reasons are there to visit Puerto Rico than to also chill at the beach? Luckily, there are over 300 beaches in Puerto Rico. In San Juan, you can find beaches almost anywhere within the city. My favorite place near San Juan to chill at the beach is Condado because it’s close to San Juan but far enough from all the hustle and bustle of the city. If you really want to see beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico, stay tuned for my upcoming blogs on the West coast where there are tons and tons of beautiful and secluded beaches.
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