Colorful, historic, vibrant. Old San Juan in Puerto Rico is all of those and more (including hot, at least in May – why do I keep traveling to hot destinations?). We spent a long weekend there, hardly leaving the historic district and still didn’t experience all of it. The old world charm that permeates from the cobblestone streets to the fortress walls, and through four centuries of history.
All photos from May 2024.
Sunset over San Juan Bay. The bay the fort historically guarded.
The Puerto Rican flag painted on a door at the end of a street.
Cementerio Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis. A 19th century Catholic cemetery just outside the fortress walls.
The fortress walls at sunrise.
Tourists under the shade of an umbrella walk by the Castillo San Felipe del Morro fortress and lighthouse.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro fortress at dusk.
Once I saw this lighthouse smiling, I couldn’t unsee it.
How the fort’s design allowed it to defend itself against invaders by allowing soldiers on the inside to fire towards itself and those trying to breach its walls.
A sentry lookout post on the fortress walls.
A storm approaches El Morro fortress at dusk.
An iguana peers over the fortress walls. Iguanas, while native to central and South America are actually an invasive species here.
While not invasive, feral cats have also become an issue due to their numbers in recent years.
Hotel staff take a look at a Macaw while his handler looks on. The opportunity to get your photo with one in touristy areas seems common, though I could not find information anywhere on whether it should be encouraged or not due to animal welfare concerns.
Walking through Old San Juan on a hot sunny day.
Calm streets at sunrise. Streets are much less calm as the day progresses.
Iglesia de San José. A Catholic church originally built in 1532.
The streets of Old San Juan.
Tourists walking up to the fort with Old San Juan in the background.
The famous blue cobblestones of Old San Juan. They are blue because they were made from furnace slag, a waste product from iron smelting, that was used as ballast on Spanish ships.
Pigeon Park where pigeons hangout in their cubbies (and everywhere else).
