Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

I was in San Juan, Puerto Rico a couple of summers ago and I really enjoyed the beautiful buildings in Old San Juan. I wasn’t staying there, I was about 15 minutes east right on the beach. Old San Juan is accessible by public bus but the bus system isn’t reliable so I wouldn’t count on that. I was there with my family and we rented cars which was a great way to see the city.

I spent couple of hours wandering through the streets of Old San Juan. It’s a charming city, dating back to the early 1500′s. It was very clean and the people are incredibly nice. I was standing in the middle of a street trying to take a picture and a man gently took my arm and led me to the curb. There was a truck backing up that I didn’t see and he kindly got me out of the way. And as I was standing on the curb taking the pic, a couple in a truck pulled up beside me and asked if I was having fun. I told them I was enjoying their city and we chit chatted for a bit and they waved and moved on. People are open and lovely, and it makes the heat totally bearable.

Old San Juan isn’t where I would recommend you stay while in Puerto Rico, it’s a great place to visit but I think staying by the beach is much better.  If you do make your way to Puerto Rico, be sure to make your way into Old San Juan, it’s beautiful.

There is a trolley that is free to ride that takes you from the visitors center to the main sights you want to see, as the city is a bit hilly so if you don’t want to navigate the few steeps hills they have, you can hop in the trolley.

Have you been to San Juan? What’s the oldest city you have visited?