Aug 20, 2009

A stay in Old San Juan in Puerto Rico

A stay in Old San Juan in Puerto Rico One of the most used departure ports for cruise ships in the Caribbean is the San Juan in Puerto Rico. We decided to arrive a day earlier in San Juan, to see some places before our cruise departure. San Juan, known as the "walled city" (the city) was founded in 1521 and is the oldest city in the United States flag low. During the 16th century, the Spaniards used as a starting point for expeditions to the New World. Fortifications of Old San Juan from the city rejected numerous attacks by English and Dutch during those years. Today, Old San Juan is a seven square block commercial and residential area with cobblestone streets. The cruise terminal is located near the southe part of Old San Juan, so instead of booking a hotel on the beach of San Juan, we decided to restrict the right of the old section near the terminal, and places local interest. The U.S. $ 17 by taxi from the airport of San Juan and Old San Juan was about half an hour. During the race, I was impressed by the manner in which the city developed in comparison to many other cities I've visited in the Caribbean. Beach high-rise hotels along the north side of San Juan were visible from the street. Our stay was the night in Hotel Milan is situated right on Calle Fortaleza, which is one of the main streets in Old San Juan. The hotel was clean and comfortable but not luxurious which was fine with us as the price is very affordable. Their quality is probably comparable to a Travelodge or Days Inn. A pleasant surprise was the complimentary continental breakfast in the restaurant of 'hotel roof. It has a nice view of the area around the top. We spent the night and day to walk the many alleys and cobblestone streets in the area. There are over 400 restored colonial buildings from the 16th century and 17th Here. There were also several plaza squares and parks. One of the best services offered in Old San Juan is a free shuttle service that includes two different routes through the district. There was a bus stop about 1 / 2 block from our hotel which was very convenient. Ride the shuttle via two bus lines has given us a good overview of Old San Juan. We were able to stop at various points of interest including the great fortress of El Morro. After the visit to each attraction, only had to wait for the next bus to come and continue our jouey. During the night, we did walk away, while many are lost in the street because they look very similar. But with our map, we found our way back to the street where the Hotel Milano. We decided to dine in a restaurant close to the authentic cuisine of Puerto Rico and was not disappointed. I especially loved the lady who ordered two bananas. When it was time to go to the cruise terminal, which had only a short five minutes from our hotel. Our short stay in Old San Juan was definitely useful and without problems. A stay in Old San Juan, is highly recommended for those who are going to take a Caribbean cruise with San Juan as the starting point. The only disappointment I had with San Juan was that I hoped to diving in the area, but I read the reports, the waters of the city is dark enough to see with limited marine life. This is probably the result of San Juan as a port. Decent dive sites is 2 hours east of San Juan. Then, perhaps, a retu trip to Puerto Rico is a jouey to the east of 'island.

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