One of the most used ports of departure for cruises in the Caribbean is San Juan in Puerto Rico. We decided to arrive a day early in San Juan to see some of the sights before our cruise ship departs. San Juan, known as ‘La Ciudad Amurallada’ (the walled city), was founded in 1521 and is the oldest city under the United States flag. During the 16th century, the Spanish used it as a starting point for expeditions to the New World. The fortifications in the Old San Juan section of the city repulsed numerous attacks by the English and Dutch during those years. Today, Old San Juan is a charming commercial and residential area of ​​seven square blocks with cobblestone streets.

The cruise terminal is actually located near the south side of Old San Juan, so instead of booking a hotel in the touristy San Juan beach area, we decided to book one right in the old section because of the proximity to the terminal too. like the local landmarks. The $17 taxi ride from the San Juan airport to Old San Juan took about half an hour. During the trip, I was impressed by how developed the city was compared to many other cities I have visited in the Caribbean. High-rise beach hotels along the north side of San Juan were visible from the highway. Our overnight stay was at the Hotel Milano, which is right on Calle Fortaleza, which is one of the main shopping streets in Old San Juan. The hotel was clean and comfortable, but not luxurious, which was fine for us as the price was very affordable. Its quality was probably
Comparable to a Travelodge or Days Inn. A very pleasant surprise was the free continental breakfast at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant. It gave a nice view of the neighborhood from above.

We spent the day and night walking the many cobblestone streets and alleys in the area. Here are more than 400 restored colonial buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries. There were also several squares and parks. One of the best services offered in Old San Juan is a free bus service that covers two different routes through the district. There was a bus stop half a block from our hotel, which was very convenient. Riding the shuttle buses through both routes gave us a good overview of Old San Juan. We were able to stop at various points of interest, including the massive El Morro fort. After our visits to each attraction, we just had to
Wait for the next bus to pass to continue our tour. At night, we got lost while walking as many of the streets look a lot alike. But with our map, we finally found our way back to the street where the Hotel Milano was. We decided to have dinner at one of the nearby restaurants to enjoy some authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and we were not disappointed. My lady especially loved the two different plantains we ordered.

When it was time to go to the cruise terminal, we took a short five minute ride from our hotel. Our short stay in Old San Juan was definitely worth it and hassle free. A stay in Old San Juan is highly recommended for those who are going to take a Caribbean cruise with San Juan as their starting point. The only disappointment I had with San Juan was that I was hoping to do some diving in the area, but from the reports I read, the waters around town are quite murky with
limited marine life to see. This is probably a result of San Juan being such a busy port. Decent dive sites are about 2 hours east of San Juan. So perhaps on a return trip to Puerto Rico, plan on taking a trip to the eastern part of the island.