San Juan

Top things to do & see in San Juan

El Yunque

Only twenty-five miles outside of San Juan, El Yunque is the only U.S. National Forest that is actually a rainforest. There are over 200 species of trees here, and only a handful of can be found on the mainland United States, so feel free to explore at your leisure.

San Juan National Historic Site & San Cristóbal

The San Juan National Historic Site features three forts: San Cristóbal, San Felipe del Morro and San Juan de la Cruz, also called El Cañuelo. In addition, there are bastions, powder houses and the majority of the city wall, which were all defensive fortifications surrounding the old, colonial portion of San Juan. Together, they are among the oldest and best-preserved Spanish fortifications in the Western Hemisphere.

Museo de las Américas

Located in the Cuartel de Ballajá (787-724-5052), this museum offers a diverse history lesson on the island of Puerto Rico. The items on display range from old New England artifacts to Caribbean Indian crafts from the island of Dominica. There are also wide selections of paintings, some of which are for sale.

Beaches

Puerto Rico has 300 miles of coastline, so you should have no problem in finding a beach. However, some locations stand out above the rest. On San Juan's north shore sits Ocean Park. Accessible easily by bus, Ocean Park is very popular among the locals as well as tourists. Neighboring it is Park Barbosa, another easy-to-find beach that is always crowded. You'll be able to find scuba diving, snorkeling and wind surfing opportunities at most of these places. However, be aware that public beaches are closed on Mondays. 

Shopping

Duty-free shopping for Americans in Puerto Rico means that there are great values to be found in San Juan. Lindissima Shop, at 300 Calle Fortaleza (787-758-6511), offers elegant woman's wear. If you're a little low on comfortable beachwear, a quick visit to W.H. Smith, located at the Condado Plaza Hotel (787-721-1000, ext. 2094), should help men and women. For souvenir shoppers, look into Puerto Rican Arts & Crafts, located in Old San Juan at Calle Fortaleza 200 (787-725-5596). Carnival masks are particularly popular here.

Best time to go

The weather in San Juan is pleasant year-round, but hurricane season occurs between June and November, so the winter months in Puerto Rico are usually the best times to visit.

Fun facts

• City walls, built to protect its citizens from both Caribbean pirates and European conquerors, surround San Juan. The walls still stand today as a testimony to an earlier, perilous time.
• Founded in 1521 by Ponce de León, San Juan is the oldest city on U.S. territory. 
• The metropolitan area of San Juan is home to half of Puerto Rico's almost 4 million citizens.
• The city was witness to attacks from the English led by Sir Francis Drake in 1595.
• The first shots of the Spanish-American War were fired at Fort San Cristóbal in 1898. 

When you arrive

Docking information

Cruise ships dock at the Puerto Rico Ports Authority in San Juan. From the port, there is road access to the entire island.

Getting around

Taxis are available throughout San Juan, and the Public Service Commission (787-756-1401) runs the taxi service. All taxis should be metered, so remain alert and check to see if your driver is using the meter so that you are not overcharged. Open-air trolleys are a wonderful and free way to travel around San Juan. Buses also travel throughout the area, making frequent stops throughout the city and costing only $0.50. If you want to visit Hato Rey or Catano from San Juan, ferries run every half hour. Call Agua Expreso (787-788-1155) for information.

Need to know

Passport: Since it is a U.S. territory, U.S. citizens will not need a passport. However, Canadian citizens will.

Language: Spanish and English are both spoken here.

Currency: The U.S. dollar.

Store hours: Most stores are open Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 9 pm and closed on Sunday. Count on convenience stores staying open late into the night, seven days a week.

Tipping: A 15% gratuity is customary in most service and restaurant locations.

Safety: While the city of San Juan carries the same risks as any big city, Old San Juan is quite safe. As in any other city, it is not advisable to go out alone late at night. Also beware of crowded spaces, as pickpockets can be attracted to them.

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