Founded by the Spanish in 1521 on an islet that closes off a large bay, San Juan served for almost four centuries as the empire's military lock. Ceded to the United States in 1898, it has stayed deeply Hispanic: people speak Spanish day to day, dance salsa and eat plantain. This dual identity shows everywhere, from US Postal Service mailboxes fixed to colonial facades to Puerto Rican flags flying more often than the Stars and Stripes. For a European traveller, it is America for the paperwork, without America's habits.
The historic city sits on the western tip of the islet and is explored on foot, uphill and down. The adoquines, cobbles with a bluish sheen, are said by local tradition to have arrived as ballast in the holds of ships. They lead from San Juan Bautista cathedral, where Juan Ponce de León is buried, to the small Capilla del Cristo at the end of its street, then on to Calle Fortaleza and its hanging umbrellas. Early in the morning, before the cruise passengers arrive, the yellow, turquoise and raspberry facades can be photographed with nobody in front.
Together with La Fortaleza, home of the governors since the 16th century, the fortifications form a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1983. El Morro, begun in 1539, guards the mouth of the bay from six levels of batteries; its huge grassy esplanade fills with kites at weekends. San Cristóbal, at the other end of town, defended the land approach with its tunnels and sentry boxes. A single 10 dollar ticket, valid 24 hours and payable by card only, covers both forts. Between them, the Paseo del Morro runs along the foot of the walls at sea level.
South of the walls, the Paseo de la Princesa, a tree-lined 19th-century promenade with food stalls, leads to the Raíces fountain facing the bay: this is the place to buy a piragua, shaved ice topped with tamarind or coconut syrup, at sunset. Heading east, the city changes scale. Condado lines its hotels along Ashford Avenue between ocean and lagoon, where paddleboarders glide on calm water. Further on, Ocean Park draws locals and Isla Verde, near the airport, unrolls its long pale beach. On this north coast, respect the flags: currents can be strong.
Between Condado and the business centre, Santurce is the San Juan of Puerto Ricans. The walls of Calle Cerra and nearby streets have been covered with giant murals over successive editions of the Santurce es Ley festival, and the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico shows the island's painting from the 17th century to today. In the evening, everything converges on La Placita, the market square: fruit stalls by day, bars and music until late from Thursday to Saturday. Calle Loíza, further east, strings together cafés, creative counters and restaurants serving modern Puerto Rican food.
The signature dish is mofongo, green plantain fried then mashed with garlic in a wooden mortar, served with shrimp, chicken or broth. On the road to Piñones, east of the city, beachside kiosks fry alcapurrias and bacalaítos. Night belongs to salsa: the bars of Calle San Sebastián, La Factoría among them, come alive late and dancers happily invite beginners. In January, the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián turn Old San Juan into a huge street party; on 23 June, for the Noche de San Juan, people walk backwards into the sea at midnight.
To the east, El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System: road PR-191 is free and needs no reservation according to the Forest Service. Pair it with the Laguna Grande in Fajardo, a bioluminescent bay best seen by night kayak, away from the full moon. Across the bay, the Bacardí distillery in Cataño is reached by boat from Old San Juan. As for budget, there is no direct flight from Paris: expect 659 to 941 euros return with a stopover. A hostel bed costs around thirty euros and a 3-star room about 230 euros, much as in the big cities of the
United States.
