By air
Luis Muñoz Marín (SJU), ~15 km from Old San Juan
North America · Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Colonial forts and a Caribbean capital
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to April for dry, breezy weather; hurricane season peaks in late summer
Don't miss
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Castillo San Cristóbal
Old San Juan
La Fortaleza
Condado Beach
La Placita de Santurce
El Yunque National Forest
Paseo de la Princesa
Things to do
Walking Old San Juan
The forts of El Morro and San Cristóbal
Salsa in La Placita de Santurce
A day at El Yunque rainforest
The beaches of Condado
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: P. Hughes · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Comfortable shoes for the cobbles, light clothes, a swimsuit, sun protection
A quieter corner
The Paseo del Morro, a seafront path below the fort walls where iguanas sun themselves
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit San Juan?
December to April for dry, breezy weather; hurricane season peaks in late summer. What to pack: Comfortable shoes for the cobbles, light clothes, a swimsuit, sun protection.
How do I get to San Juan?
Fly into Luis Muñoz Marín (SJU), ~15 km from Old San Juan.
What is there to do in San Juan?
Walking Old San Juan, the forts of El Morro and San Cristóbal, salsa in La Placita de Santurce, a day at El Yunque rainforest, the beaches of Condado. A quieter find: The Paseo del Morro, a seafront path below the fort walls where iguanas sun themselves.
What should I eat in San Juan?
Mofongo, lechón, arroz con gandules, tostones, piña colada, pastelillos.
About San Juan
- Coastal
- Island
Where it is
San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico, on the northeastern coast of the island, with its old walled city on an islet at the mouth of a large bay.
History
Founded by the Spanish in the early sixteenth century, San Juan was fortified against pirates and rival navies with walls and the great forts of El Morro and San Cristóbal, which held off attacks for centuries. The island passed to the United States at the end of the nineteenth century, and the old city's pastel houses and blue cobbles are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
People
Puerto Ricans, or boricuas, are Spanish-speaking US citizens with a strong island identity; music, food and family gatherings run late, and the city's neighbourhoods each have their own rhythm.
Known for
- El Morro fort
- Old San Juan's blue cobbles
- Salsa in Santurce
- The beaches of Condado
Did you know?
The forts of Old San Juan were built over more than two hundred years and are among the largest Spanish fortifications in the Americas.
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