San Juan Puerto Rico Greater Antilles West Indies Vacations San Juan (IPA: [saŋ hwaŋ]) (from the Spanish San Juan Bautista, "Saint John the Baptist") is the capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico. How San Juan crams so much fun and flavor into one small city is part of its undying allure. While other destinations offer seclusion, San Juan offers inclusion. Come on in, join the party, eat a little more, drink a little more, love a little more - excess is what it's all about.
Visiting San Juan can be a history lesson, a beach getaway or a little of both. Old San Juan, a walled center dating to Puerto Rico's days as a Spanish colony, is a square mile of restored buildings, narrow streets, plazas, former forts and an oceanfront esplanade. The beaches are in the resort area of Isla Verde and in the more urban Condado. Visual and performing arts and a bustling marketplace dominate the Santurce quarter. Casinos, hip restaurants and clubs are scattered throughout the city. The population of the metropolitan area, including San Juan and the municipalities of Bayamón, Guaynabo, Cataño, Canóvanas, Caguas, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Carolina and Trujillo Alto, is about 2 million inhabitants; thus, about half the population of Puerto Rico now lives and works in this area Information on this Island's capital city with an emphasis on lodging and dining places. This destination devotes itself to vacation pleasures, offering virtually any type of getaway experience, from rain-forest hiking to casino gaming, from surfing to fourhanded eucalyptus-steam massages. |
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Apple Vacations Online Quotes & Availability Pleasant Holidays Online Quotes & Availability Booking Engine Due to technological advances after World War II in the development of the airliner coupled with the island's climate and natural setting, has transformed San Juan into the springboard for tourism around the island, and has made the rest of the Caribbean known throughout the world during the last fifty years.[28] Today the capital boasts numerous hotels, museums, historical buildings, restaurants, beaches and shopping centers. In San Juan there are a lot of attractions, for example: Old San Juan, Ocean Park, Isla Verde and Condado. Places and monuments emphasized in tourism campaigns consist of: Old San Juan, promoting the historic nature of its colonial buildings and narrow streets covered by adoquine, a blue stone cast from furnace slag; they were brought over as ballast on Spanish ships.[27] This includes the city's ancient defensive wall and forts, most notably El Morro and the Castle of San Cristóbal.[27] On January 23, 1984 both of these edifications were catalogued as being part of humanity's cultural patrimony.[27] The numerous restaurants and art galleries in the zone are frequently visited by visitors.[27] The local universities are promoted as historic places, most notably the campus of University of Puerto Rico located in Rio Piedras, which is the oldest university in the island being founded in 1903. The campus of the Interamerican University is also regarded as an historical location being founded in 1912. Old San Juan “Great Part Of San Juan” Great place to walk around, have a few drinks and shop. The old beautiful buildings are great and most of them have huge historic doors on the outside that are well known and many people collect small replicas of these doors which can be found in some of the gift shops there. |
San Juan Hotels Acacia Seaside Inn El Convento Hotel Marriott San Juan Resort & Stellaris Casino El Canario by the Lagoon At Wind Chimes Inn Caribe Hilton Hotel La Concha Resort: A Renaissance Hotel Holiday Inn Express San Juan Condado Plaza Hotel and Casino Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel & Casino Radisson Ambassador Plaza Hotel & Casino San Juan Best Western Pierre Comfort Inn Howard Johnson Inn Plaza de Armas Best Western San Juan Airport Hotel El Canario by the Sea Normandie Hotel Oceana Hostal Playero Casa del Caribe Hotel Miramar Hotel Excelsior Quality Inn El Portal El Canario Inn San Juan Beach Hotel Diamond Palace Hotel & Casino
More San Juan Hotels Coral Princess Inn S.J. Suites Hotel Milano Clarion Collection Le Consulat Courtyard San Juan Miramar Cervantes Hosteria Del Mar Tu Casa Guest House Hotel Las Brisas Del Condado Andalucia Guest House Posada Colonial Coqui del Mar Casa Candela Numero Uno Guest House The Gallery Inn Da House Hotel Tres Palmas Inn Mont Caribe Guesthouse Olimpo Court Hotel L'Habitation Beach Guesthouse Aleli By the Sea Ocean Park Beach Inn El Prado Inn Embassy Guest House Atlantic Beach Hotel
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Exploring Old San JuanWhen you've got a city that's over 400 years old, it's a shame not to revisit the rich history and grandeur of its colorful past. San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, offers a generous taste of the Old World, from its cobbled streets to its impressive architecture.
The overwhelming Spanish influence seen in San Juan can be traced back to 1521, when it was established as a settlement of the Spanish empire. Over centuries, the city has seen ships of mercantilism and military dominance docking and departing on its shores, survived attacks from British troops in the late 1500s, lived through the bombings of US war machines during the Spanish-American War, and went on to become the industrialized metropolis that it is today.
The city of San Juan has three major districts: Old San Juan, Beach and Resort area, and the outlying communities. The majority of antique monuments and landmarks however are concentrated on the Old San Juan neighborhood. Even the streets of Old San Juan speak of the Spanish colonial era. They are paved with cobbles of a blue stone cast from furnace slag called adoquine. These stones were brought to San Juan by Spanish ships. Over the years, moisture and exposure to elements gave adoquine its distinct color.
Old San Juan is home to numerous plazas, parks, museums, monuments, and historical buildings which would take a full day or two of walking tour to explore. Plaza de Armas (arms square) on San Jose street is the central plaza of Old San Juan. It features four statues, all of which are over one hundred years old, that represent the four seasons. It has also served as the main meeting place of locals and continues to be an interesting spot for visitors.
Plaza de San Jose is another popular meeting venue in Old San Juan. Its central monument is the statue of Juan Ponce de Leon, the first governor of Puerto Rico. The statue was made from British cannons which were captured during the British attacks in the 18th century. Another plaza with a prominent landmark is Plaza del Quinto Centenario (quincentennial square). Opened in 1992 as part of the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' monumental exploration of the New World, the plaza highlights a 40-foot sculpture that represents the earthen and clay roots of American history. The sculpture, made of black granite and ceramics, is a creation of master Puerto Rican artist Jaime Suarez.
A visit to Old San Juan wouldn't be complete without seeing the city's formidable forts. Built in the 16th and 17 centuries, these fortresses took decades to complete but they were vital in the strengthening the city's defenses. El Morro stands out among all the forts in San Juan. It is the largest fortification in all of the Caribbean and has survived numerous attacks. The fort fell only once, during a land assault by British forces in 1598. El Morro, a construction marvel in itself, is laden with tunnels, dungeons, barracks, and ramps but the most prominent parts of this fortress are the circular sentry boxes called garitas. El Morro has been declared a National Historic Site by the National Park Service.
Complementing El Morro is Castillo de San Cristóbal, another masterfully constructed fortress towering at 150 feet and occupying an area of 27 acres. Recognized as one of the largest and strongest defenses in the region, San Cristobal Fort is made up of five independent structures which are connected by moat and tunnel. The fort is also a National Historic Site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A tour in Old San Juan is one activity that visitors in Puerto Rico shouldn't miss. Seeing these landmarks provides not just a visual feast but a glimpse as well into the history and culture of this Caribbean archipelago.About AuthorKristien Wilkinson is an online writer and contributor to http://www.sanjuan.com Source: ArticleTrader.com |
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