San Juan National Historic Site

Feb. 22, 2024

I normally do not bother with historic sites, but this one is a World Heritage site, so I gave it a visit. It consists of two large fortresses that were built over hundreds of years and finished in the late 1700s. Just getting to the forts was an interesting drive through old San Juan on narrow cobblestone streets that were built hundreds of years before cars. Castillo San Cristobal was the first fort and then a mile walk along the old city wall to Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro). These fortresses are monsters with many levels, ramps, steep stairs, lots of rooms and single man sentry box lookouts. It is amazing how many cannon emplacements these forts had and then later used by the US military with 90mm guns in WWII. I continued down the waterfront to the San Juan Gate where dignitaries would enter the city. I walked around old San Juan and ate at a small café in what used to be a public telephone booth. Chicken empanada and bottle of juice for $4.50. Cannot beat that price.