San Juan Travel Guide

San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico and its largest city, with 342,000 (2020) inhabitants in the municipality and 2,203,000 in the metropolitan area. Founded in 1521 by the Spanish conquistadors, San Juan is the oldest city under the jurisdiction of the United States. San Juan is located in the north-east coast of Puerto Rico and features distinctly centuries-old architecture, such as Spanish military forts built from the 1540s to 1800s, an active harbor, and a very active economic area in the Hato Rey and Santurce districts. San Juan has magnificent beaches, hotels, plazas, historic sites, and museums.

Today the port of San Juan annually accommodates nearly 1.4 million passengers in cruise ship travel alone, making it the third busiest cruise port in the world, according to the Cruise Industry Statistical Review published in 2000. The busiest docks are on the south side of the area near a large city bus station. Another pier adjacent to the old Pan American airport handles mostly Royal Caribbean cruise ships for beginning or ending their cruises; it must be reached by car or taxi. Otherwise,

Use common sense when going around. The tourist areas, like the Old City, Condado, and Isla Verde tend to be very safe. There is a wonderfully visible, 24-hour police presence in the Old City.

San Juan has a wide range of accommodation, but few budget options of any kind. European-style youth hostels do not exist in the city. Colonial-style city hotels are clustered inOld San Juan, while the big beachfront resorts are mostly out inEl CondadoandIsla Verde. These hotels are listed in the district articles.