I was 11 years old when I first visited this house. I remember the beautiful garden and the very…read moresmall 16th century bed displayed in one of the rooms. We were told it was the type of bed used during the times of Spanish Conquistadors. After all, the house was originally built (a wooden structure) for Juan Ponce de Leon. Although, he never got to live in it. His descendents lived in the rebuilt stone structure for 250 years until they sold it to the Spanish government. It was then transitioned to the US Military after the Treaty of Paris (1898). It became a museum in 1974. Today, it's also an event space for weddings and celebrations. I have to be honest. I was a little disappointed during this last visit. The garden and pathways are not being maintained regularly. I wanted to step down into the area overlooking the ocean, but there wasn't a clear enough pathway due to overgrown shrubs. I was fully prepared to pay the $5 admission fee to go inside, but decided not to after seeing the condition of the public garden in the front and back of the house. We visited on a Saturday, so it's not like it was some off day for lawn services. It's a highly anticipated touristy day. Looking back at it, we probably should have paid the fee and given an extra donation for a clearer path to the ocean view. I've read that the money is needed for restorations of this historical safe haven. Don't let this review discourage you. Just pick a day to visit before or after a wedding or garden event. Then you'll be sure to see it at its best. Because... why would you have your wedding here otherwise?

Historic buildings in Old San Juan. It is call the White House. Is was belong to the captain who…read moreguide the fort nearby. His residence is this White House that can see the port entrance to Puerto Rico. The room is suitable for small family. The main bedroom can see the port easily. This house kind located at the edge of the hill. So the house has some slope with up and down. This make the garden more pleasing. It is a great home at the water.

Castillo San Cristóbal…read more First time I saw it was from a cruise ship cutting into San Juan and that's the way to do it. From the water, it doesn't look like a tourist stop... it looks like it's still on duty. Up close, it's a different story. This isn't just a fort it's the largest Spanish-built fortress in the New World, layered with tunnels, lookout points, and defenses built to stop invasions before they even got started. The history is wild too this place helped fend off a full British attack back in the 1700s. Walking it feels like stepping into a giant, strategic maze with ocean views. It's impressive, a little eerie, and way more intense than you'd expect just looking at it from the outside.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro is easily one of the most incredible places I've ever visited. The…read moremoment you walk up and see the massive fortress overlooking the ocean, it honestly feels like you've stepped into another era. The scale of the place is unbelievable -- huge stone walls, tunnels, lookout towers, and cannons pointed straight out toward the Atlantic. Walking through the fortress was an experience in itself. Every level had something new to explore, and the views from the top were absolutely breathtaking. You can see the ocean stretching forever on one side and the colorful buildings of Old San Juan on the other. It's the kind of place where you just want to stop every few minutes to take photos. At one point it actually started raining briefly, but it almost made the experience better. The rain cooled everything down and gave the whole fortress this dramatic, cinematic atmosphere with the clouds rolling over the ocean. Within minutes the sun came back out and the stone walls looked even more amazing. The history here is incredible too. Knowing that this fortress defended the island for centuries while you're literally walking along those same walls is just surreal. If you're visiting Puerto Rico, this place is an absolute must-see. Between the views, the history, and the sheer size of the fortress, Castillo San Felipe del Morro completely lives up to the hype. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

This is the other I heart PR sign on the island. Great photo…read moreopportunity! There was a line to take a picture both times we passed it. It's a popular spot!

This Sign is located at the San Juan Airport. Last thing you see as your heading into the airport…read moreto head home it's gets very nostalgic. Literally crying like I should have got one more Bacalaitos. Smh but lol all at the same time. My Puerto Rico I don't want to leave you.

We did the tour and our Guide Francheska was fantastic. We had the opportunity to walk around the…read moregardens, the chapel, visit the Dungeon... and furthermore learn the history of this historical building. LinK: https://www.fortaleza.pr.gov/recorridos

This was the perfect area in Old San Juan to spend your day in, lots of shops and restaurants to…read morewalk around and shop.

Castillo San Cristobal should be your first tourist stop in Old San Juan. I visited the castle…read moretwenty five years ago, but I did not really see the entire site. This time, I was determined to explore every inch, and it was spectacular. From the views to the historical recreations to the overall sense of place, it was absolutely worth the extra effort. I have two recommendations. First, go before noon, which is what we did. The afternoon sun in Puerto Rico can be intense, and there are often afternoon showers. Most of the castle is exposed to the elements, so the earlier visit makes a big difference. Second, I wish I had brought my America the Beautiful National Park Pass, because it would have allowed me to enter for free. It would have been nice to save a few dollars, although the ten dollar admission fee is still much lower than what many other national parks charge. One final tip. Just outside the entrance, there is a wonderful juice bar called Bien Papayas. It is a great place to refresh and recharge after walking around the expansive Castillo San Cristobal. San Juan's National Historic Site is absolutely worth doing on day one, and I am very glad I experienced it properly this time.

Amazing place to check out the view of part of the island. Easy walk from the Cruise port. Entry…read morewas pretty cheap. One of the water stations for the vertical fill station wasn't working, though. That was the only negative part. Other than that, I would recommend checking the views out.

Bastión de las Palmas de San José in Old San Juan, was built in the 17th century in 1625 after the…read moreDutch attacked. Two green-colored benches, a railing, and a masonry wall made out of stone and bricks can be observed. Bastión de las Palmas de San José was later turned into a park. The San Juan Bay and the coast of the municipality can be seen from a distance.

A this is a nice little park with a great view…read more We found it by walking down some streets just to ser what is down there.

It's the cute stone chapel that was built on the city wall near La Fortaleza at the end of Calle…read moredel Cristo in the late 1800s. The legend is that Baltazar Montañez lost control of his horse during a race and they both fell over the wall (or cliff). He was miraculously saved by divine intervention. The chapel was built at that very same spot of the miracle. Another account of the story is that he didn't survive the fall, and that the chapel was built to prevent this type of accident from ever happening again. Maybe the real story is somewhere in between the lines. Did he survive and later succumb to his injuries? Either way, it's a believable part of history which brings people to this chapel looking for miracles. The facade and bell tower make it look even more mysterious, and especially at nighttime. This is my second time visiting it. I've never been inside it. It's usually closed to the public to protect the religious relics inside. Try visiting it in the afternoon on a weekend. You may have a better chance of entering the chapel. Don't forget to visit Pigeon Park while you're there.

The legend says that the chapel of the Cristo de la Salud was erected to honor a miracle…read more Legend has it that for the years 1750 or so, there had been a horse race along the Cristo Street. One of the participants could not stop his horse and fell down the cliff. Don Tomás Mateo Prats, who was Secretary of Government for that time, invoked the Santo Cristo de la Salud and that the young man who fell off the precipice was saved. Thanking the Santo Cristo de la Salud, Don Tomás Mateo Prats ordered to build the chapel. The truth was not that. Studies by Don Adolfo de Hostos confirmed that the young man who fell down the cliff, died. Don Tomás Mateo Prats ordered to erect the Chapel to prevent future tragedies.

This place is an old prison that is converted to a tourism/welcome center. The staff there was very…read morefriendly and helpful. I went their to get a map of the local area attractions. The map was very helpful and they highlighted points of intrest for me to visit and the route to take to get to them. There is not much to this place. Inside you will find a display of local art and some history information placards. If you out of the back door you will come across a courtyard with a few tables and chairs. And if you go to the right, you will and through a very narrow walk way, you will come across three originals cells from the old prison. They do not have doors and are very primitive. If you are doing a self guided tour of San Juan, this should be your first stop. It gave me my marching orders and I was able to organize my stops.

My family and I took a seven day cruise out of Miami aboard the Carnival Celebration to Dominican…read moreRepublic, Puerto Rico and Saint Thomas. We took a shore excursion in Puerto Rico to see famous sites throughout San Juan. Our first stop was the Antigua Prison de la Princesa. This prison was built in 1837, taking the name of the walkway, the Paseo de la Princesa, that runs along it. In 1854 during the reign of Isabel II, the tower and watch were built and placed. While it was in operation it had capacity for 240 inmates, continued as a prison until the 1965. The building was rehabilitated in 1989, and currently houses today the office of the tourism company of Puerto Rico and contains a contemporary art exhibition. We toured the old prison area. It was definitely not a very nice place to spend. We were told about the history of this prison while we were inside it. Its cool that it now houses the tourism company of Puerto Rico and I really wished we had the time to actually see the art exhibition. Still, this was a great first stop on our tour of beautiful San Juan.

This was another huge sign/landmark that was used a lot for photo opportunities by people getting…read moreoff the Carnival Cruise boat we were on as well as other tourists. The sign is just outside the Port of San Juan, a bit down from the I Love (Heart) PR Sign. Not a boricua, but I can certainly appreciate the sign.