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Welcome to Old San Juan
A European-founded city in the Americas — My first city
It was 2003, and a freshly high school graduate moved an hour away from her hometown to San Juan city. No summer break.
It was me.
It was the first time I experience homesickness. I missed my family, my friends, and my routine. I went from a busy daily schedule to living in a foreign city with a roommate I barely knew. I was also trying to figure out life and what I wanted out of it at such a young age. I moved away from San Juan some years later when I finished university. But, I believe the time I lived in San Juan played a role in shaping me into the person I am today.
San Juan is the capital city of Puerto Rico, which belongs to the US, but it’s not part of the US. A commonwealth. Spanish travelers discovered the island, which is apparent in the architecture in Old San Juan. A place where the old meets the new.
When I lived in San Juan, I visited many of its historic sites and beaches as well as its nightlife. Historic sites like the forts of Old San Juan called ‘Castillo San Felipe del Morro’ and ‘Castillo San Cristobal’ sparked my interest in all things history.
Nowadays I live in Germany and I love to visit as many castles as I can to soak history. Learning about the new place I call home helped with the culture shock. I can imagine in my mind’s eye the people that walked the hallways living their daily lives. And it all started with my first castle in the Caribbean.
Masonry walls and fortifications surrounding Old San Juan used to defend the city from both land and sea. It is about three miles of fortifications and along these walls, there are beautiful views of San Juan Bay and the Atlantic ocean. On clear sunny days (or at least before COVID), you could see the approaching sea cruises lead by a tiny boat to ensure the cruise ships arrived safely to the bay.
A walk, or a drive, offers an experience quite different from one we might be used to. The original cobblestones from Spain still covered the streets, and due to time, most are uneven. Walking or driving down the cobblestones from the north side of Old San Juan down to the bay gives you sounds and bumps like no other. One can feel every single rise and fall of the uneven cobblestones.
Old San Juan also houses the governor’s residence called ‘La Fortaleza’ (the Fortress). It is both a UNESCO site as well as a functioning government building. Not bad for a 20th-century-old building.
Living in San Juan during my teenage years and into my early 20s installed in me a craving to explore and travel. Being exposed to history almost daily can do that to a person.
If you are interested in visiting Old San Juan, travel guidelines have recently been updated for fully vaccinated travelers on domestic flights to travel safely.
