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Old San Juan: Built to Keep Out the British

March 6, 2008 at 5:05 PM | 0 Comments

Yes, Old San Juan is touristy. But Old San Juan is totally worth it. Founded in 1521 by the forever young Ponce de León, the city was heavily fortified with turrets and walls to protect it from British invasion.

These days Old San Juan is the tourist center of Puerto Rico. Full of cruisers in for one night and day trippers coming back from the beaches, you'll see slack-jawed fanny packers by the busload.

That said Old San Juan is an interesting place, full of small town Costa Blanca influence, Puerto Rican style and US commercialism. One thing's for sure, the Puerto Ricans did successfully stave off the British. We didn't see a single Union Jack.

Fuerte San Cristóbal
No, this fort on Calle Norzagaray isn't as popular as El Morro, but we're going with the "If you have seen one Old San Juan fort, you've seen them all" theory. Cristóbal has the views without the crowds. So if you are looking to avoid the cruisers, but get your fill of forts, this is your place. Be sure to climb as high as you can once inside--the best views are up top.

Piragua
Flavored ice stands are prominent in Old Town, but our favorite is on a quiet corner right inside the walled city's main gate. We downed a uva piragua, which is a bit more sugary than an Italian ice, but muy tasty.

Dinner Out
While South Fortaleza Street, or SoFo, boasts some of the island's best restaurants, including Dragonfly (364 Calle Fortaleza), you can find little holes in the wall offering great tapas throughout the streets of Old San Juan. We liked Rosa de Triana, which is directly across from El Convento Hotel.

Art Galleries
On the first Tuesday of each month 20 galleries stay open late, (except in January, July and August), and many of these galleries offer more than run-of-the-mill seaside vistas in pastels. Try both Galería Botello (280 Calle Cristo) and Galería Fosil Arte (200 Calle Cristo). Both offer the bright colors and Gaugin-ish stylings typical of these galleries.

US Influence
While Puerto Rico successfully fought of the British, the US influence is everywhere. Yes, you can find a really spacious Starbucks in Old Town. You can also find a Pizza Hut, a Polo Ralph Lauren Outlet and a Puma Outlet. There's a bit of SoHo in SoFo for sure.

Related Stories:
· Puerto Rico Travel Guide Map [Jaunted]

Where: San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Author Photo: markj by markj

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