All cruise ships arriving in San Juan will dock at Port 2 or 3. The newly opened Port of Bahia will soon offer additional docking facilities. The ports are located in the southern part of Old San Juan (“The Old City”).
The Perimeter Walls
The Old City is actually a semi-enclosed city dating back to the 16th century. The easternmost wall was dismantled at the beginning of the 20th century. The remaining walls surround the south, west and north ramparts. The Old City is laid out in a grid pattern. East-west streets are level, north-south streets require climbing a steep incline. The southern part of the city is at sea level, the northern part rises to dizzying heights overlooking the Caribbean and La Perla, San Juan’s famous slum located outside the city’s north wall.
Historical Monuments
The northwestern and northeastern portions of the city are defined by El Morro and San Cristóbal, respectively. These famous forts are a “must see” for many visitors. Famous historical sites include Casablanca, the original home of Ponce de León, the Cathedral of San Juan, the resting place of Ponce De León, and the Puerta de San Juan.
Shopping
The Walled City is home to the most eclectic shopping experience in the Caribbean. Calle Fortaleza is the “main street” of Old San Juan with a wide variety of restaurants, bars, shops and art galleries. Parallel is Calle San Francisco, which offers similar shops and restaurants in Fortaleza. The western end of Calle Fortaleza and Calle San Francisco is marked by Calle Cristo, home to some of the Old City’s most exclusive shopping venues.
stunning beauty
Paseo de La Princesa is a world-renowned boardwalk that begins just a few steps northwest of the cruise ship docks. La Princesa stretches about a quarter of a mile along the southern part of the walled city and is packed with street vendors, food carts, and live entertainment on Saturdays and Sundays. As the Paseo de La Princesa approaches the ocean on the western edge (it is actually outside the southern city wall), La Princesa turns north along the bottom of the western fortifications of the Old City . First-time visitors to San Juan are inevitably amazed by the beauty of this section of La Princesa. The street is bordered by the ocean on the left and the imposing walls of Old San Juan on the right. The only entrance back to the city is the Puerta de San Juan. La Princesa finally ends up at the foot of El Morro.
hidden gems
Many of the colonial buildings in the Old City have interior atriums, hidden from view from the street. Part of the fun of visiting the Old City is finding the half-hidden entrances to the inner halls. Many restaurants and shops are located in these cooler interior spaces, often cooler with fountains and greenery. The Convent is a local landmark designed around a large interior atrium.
Transportation
The Walled City is HOT. North breezes are blocked by the imposing north wall. Navigating the city in the tropical heat can be difficult even for locals. The City of San Juan offers free carts, which are located two blocks to the right of the cruise ship docks past the Wyndham (two blocks north, across from Banco Popular on Paseo Cavodonga). The white trams take visitors past El Capitolio and the San Juan Commemorative Gardens, while the orange and red covered trams transport passengers throughout the city and finally terminate at El Morro.
More information
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company has a store open weekdays, 9-4 pm just across from the cruise ship docks (turn left until Calle Marina ends, near the horse and buggy depot).
Other points of interest
The Old City is steeped in history, but offers world-famous cuisine and entertainment. Strolling down Calle Fortaleza or Calle San Francisco will give visitors a solid appreciation of the Walled City, but visitors will have a wide range of lesser-known alternatives, such as Plaza Las Armas, Museo de Las Américas, and Plaza Colón.
