Landing in San Juan
The initial part of our new adventure was a cruise through the Caribbean islands. We started our cruise in Miami. The first port was San Juan, Puerto Rico. We visited San Juan on a previous cruise of the Eastern Caribbean islands. On that visit, we took the free trolley to the fort and the cemetery. We found the most amazing statuary at the cemetery in San Juan. On this visit, we would explore a little more walking in San Juan.
We watched the approach to San Juan from the deck on our Oceania Cruises ship. The fort that guarded one entrance, stone walls that surrounded the city, the colourful buildings and the port all came into view.
Our cruise ship docked right in the downtown area. Once the organized tours departed, we walked off the ship.
We immediately stepped onto the blue cobblestones that are characteristic of the old town in San Juan. You can follow the blue path when walking in San Juan. But be careful with this uneven surface.
Walking Along the Old Wall To The Water
We started walking in San Juan along the wall that still surrounds the old town in places. The walkway was tree-covered and had lots of seating in the shade. We meandered at a slow pace and stopped in the Jardin de La Princesa at the base of the wall. This was the first of many interesting statue displays we stopped to admire.
As we hit the water, we found the decorative Raices fountain. We walked around to catch it from different angles. We even managed to catch a view of this square from the water.
Following the Paseo de la Princeso Walkway
We followed the crowds walking in San Juan around the base of the wall. The walkway headed towards the Castillo San Felipe del Morro. Since we had visited the fortress on our previous visit, we only went part way along the wall. There were various turrets still standing on the wall. We climbed up on top of the wall and stood as sentries.
There was another interesting statue at the top (La Rogativa).
Heading Into the Old Town
We entered the old town through the San Juan Gate.
Immediately through the gate we found a small park (Plaza Felisa Rincon de Gautier). There were benches in the shade and playful statues. It was fun to watch the children playing on the statues.
As we wandered through the old town, we stopped to admire yet more statues or interesting street art. There were many people in the square enjoying the nice day.
The Catedral de San Juan
There were several museums in the area of old San Juan where we walked. We chose instead to go into the Catedral de San Juan. It was a beautiful old church.
As we wandered, we found a wide variety of religious status and images.
There were several stunning stained glass windows. The light was just perfect to see the vibrant colours.
If you are walking in San Juan, plan a stop at the Catedral de San Juan.
Don’t Miss Coffee In San Juan
We walked along the small streets of San Juan. Everywhere we looked there was colour.
On our last visit to San Juan, we had found the Cuatro Sombras coffee shop. We even bought coffee to take home. On this trip we stopped again for coffee.
We were excited to find that the coffee roaster was working. You could smell the coffee beans roasting. David made sure to catch this in action.
It was a great break from the heat. We had cold espresso drinks. And of course, David had his with chocolate! A good stop when walking in San Juan.
Walking in San Juan Was A Great Way to Explore
Each time we visit San Juan, we wander a little bit more. Everywhere we looked we found art, statues and fountains to admire. There was no end to the beauty we found. Walking in San Juan is a great way to poke your head into spots and to move at your own pace. On one visit we will need to head outside of San Juan, but we were happy to enjoy the old town on this trip.
The weather had been great for our visit but late in the day the rain came in. We got a great rainbow goodbye from San Juan as we sailed out!
We were off to St Barts for our next Caribbean stop. This would be a return visit to St. Barts for us. We were looking forward to a beach day!
Have you spent time walking in San Juan? What was your special discovery?
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Wow , what a fabulous place and look at all those amazing statues. The city wall and turrets along the sea look very interesting too, well it all does, thanks for sharing. x
Anne, It was a great stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is easy to just wander around the old town and find gems wherever you look. I am sure there is still much to discover! Linda