Car Hire in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
A Stay at Old San Juan in Puerto Rico
By Clint Leung
One of the most used departure ports for cruise ships in the Caribbean is San Juan in Puerto Rico. We made a decision to arrive a day early to San Juan in order to see some sights before our cruise ship's departure. San Juan, known as 'La Ciudad Amurallada' (the walled city), was founded in 1521 and it is the oldest city under the US flag. Throughout the 16th century, the Spanish used it as a point of departure for expeditions to the New World. Fortifications inside the Old San Juan section of the city repulsed several assaults from the English and the Dutch during those years. Today, Old San Juan is a enchanting seven square block commercial and residential area with cobblestone streets.
The cruise ship terminal is actually located nearby the south side of Old San Juan so as an alternative to booking a hotel in the beach resort area of San Juan, we made a decision to book one right in the old section for close proximity to the terminal as well as the local sights. The $17 US taxi ride from San Juan's airport to Old San Juan was about half an hour. During the ride, I was amazed by how advanced the city was compared to many other cities I have visited in the Caribbean. The beach high-rise hotels along the northern side of San Juan were visible from the highway. Our stay for the night was at the Hotel Milano which is right on Calle Fortaleza, which is one of the major commercial streets in Old San Juan. The hotel was clean and comfortable but not luxurious which was fine with us since the price was very affordable. Its quality was probably comparable to a Travelodge or Days Inn. A very pleasant surprise was the free of charge continental breakfast at the hotel's rooftop restaurant. This gave a nice view of the neighborhood from the top.
We spent the day and evening walking the many cobblestone streets and alleys in your neighborhood. There are over 400 repaired colonial buildings from the 16th and 17th century here. There were also a number of plaza squares and parks. One of the nicest services offered in Old San Juan is a free shuttle bus which provides coverage for two different routes through the district. There was a bus stop about 1/2 block away from our hotel which was very convenient. Riding on the shuttle buses through both routes provided us a good overview of Old San Juan. We were able to stop off at several tourist attractions including the huge El Morro fort. After our visits to each attraction, we just had to wait for the next bus to come by to carry on our trip. In the evening, we ended up getting lost while walking because so many of the streets seem very similar. But with our map, we ultimately found our way back to the street where the Hotel Milano was. We decided to dine at one of the nearby restaurants for authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and were not disappointed. My lady especially adored the two different plantains we ordered.
When it was time to go to the cruise ship terminal, we took a short five minute ride from our hotel. Our brief stay in Old San Juan was absolutely worthwhile and hassle free. A stay in Old San Juan is highly recommended for individuals who will be having a Caribbean cruise with San Juan as the departure point. The sole disappointment I had with San Juan was that I was hoping to do some scuba diving in the area but coming from the reports I read, the waters off the city are quite murky with limited marine existence to see. This is likely the result of San Juan being such a busy port. The good scuba diving sites are about 2 hours east of San Juan. So perhaps in a return vacation to Puerto Rico, I will plan to make a trip to the east part of the island.
About the Author:
Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery
http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing
in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including
carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous
information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and
Native Indian art as well as free eCards.
Ljao/jan/1v21
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