Old San Juan ~ 7 Must-Try Activities
What a beautiful place Old San Juan is: old cobblestone streets, the old protective wall between the city and the ocean, a fort and a castle, the port and its monstruous cruise ships, churches…
It really is a great place for tourists but you’ll see many locals too. There is ample choice in food, and activities! So if you’re wondering what to do in Old San Juan, you’re in the right place!
View of San Juan from the Castillo San Cristóbal.
Without further ado, here are my 7 must-try activities in Old San Juan:
(Read until the end for restaurant recommendations!)
Do a Free Walking Tour
Free Walking Tours are a great way to discover a new city, as you’re guided by a local and they tend to explain a lot about the history of the place, have recommendations for food, and include places that you might not have found on your own.
Our tour of Old San Juan took about two hours and we learned a lot! We met in Plaza Colón and finished at El Morro. The pace was pretty slow, we saw a lot and our guide Carmén was great!
The tour itself is free but it is recommended you sign up online so they know how many people are coming (and can gave two guides if necessary, and you give a tip at the end based on your experience.
Visit El Morro
This fort is really interesting, has beautiful views of the ocean, and many levels to explore.
If you can, do a guided visit with a ranger, who’ll explain the history of the place, how soldiers lived there, recount some historical facts and battles, and talk about the weapons stored there.
Be aware that there is a long walk in the sun to reach the site (a beautiful grassy expanse where you’ll see people fly kites), and many areas inside the fort are exposed as well. Wear sunscreen and have some water available if you go on a hot day!
The ticket to this site also gives you access to Castillo San Cristóbal.
Visit Castillo San Cristóbal
Located about ten minutes away from El Morro (walking along the ocean), Castillo San Cristóbal in a fortress on three levels with a cool fire control station that gives you a neat view of the La Perla neighborhood and El Morro on one side, and the city on the other side.
It is similar to El Morro, with canons and a reproduction of the soldiers’ quarters and the basic structure with sentries for example, but the overall organization of the place is different, and so are the views.
Museo de las Américas
This museum, located on the second floor of the Ballajá Barracks is about art, history and anthropology. There are eight rooms all around the building (some were closed for renovation when we visited), some with permanent exhibit, some with temporary ones, all beautiful and interesting!
There are also pieces on the walls and in the corners of the exterior hallway, to observe as you go from one room to the next.
You can find art and artefacts from different countries of Latin America, reflecting on what united them as well as what makes them unique.
The museum only costs 6$ per person, the shop has cute bags and great books for sale, so make sure to stop there before leaving!
Paseo Del Morro
The Paseo Del Morro is a gorgeous one mile stretch of trail along the western coast of town, starting at the Puerta de San Juan (at the end of the lovely Calle Celta de San Juan), wrapping around the Castillo San Felipe de Morro and leading all the way to the cemetery. It’s an out-and-back that took us about an hour at a VERY leisurely pace.
It is paved almost all the way (only the last section closest to the cemetery is actual trail) and there are a few steps once you get to the northern side of the coast, but apart from those steps it is mostly flat.
It’s a great place to watch the sun set, or to run if you’re staying in Old San Juan.
Be aware that this path is can be closed if the waves are too rough. Try to go early in your stay in San Juan, so that if it is closed, you might try again later!
To see a video of this beautiful walk, click here.
Meander the Streets
Just walk around! Even if you do the Free Walking Tour mentioned above and see quite a bit of old San Juan with a guide, it’s fun to just wander.
The streets are very colorful, you might come across some music on a Plaza, explore souvenir shops, discover cute fountains and statues… some of the buildings have interesting facades and architecture.
There’s so much to see in such a small area!
Swim with sea turtles!
It’s hard to believe that you’d find sea turtles right in the city of San Juan, but it’s true!
Playa Escambrón is located somewhat between Old San Juan and Santurce, in the Puerta de Tierra neighborhood. That’s where you’ll find the turtles. If you have your own snorkeling gear, just jump in and explore until you see one… or two!
You can walk the beach from Old San Juan, or if you want to rent a scooter or a bike, there is a bike path from Plaza Colón to the entrance to Playa Escambrón.
If you don’t have snorkeling gear, you can book an Airbnb experience where they’ll lend you the gear and also point out other wildlife. We saw urchins, spiny starfish, sea spiders… and more!
Obviously, be respectful of the turtles, don’t get too close and DO NO touch them, no matter how attractive they are!
Have you been to Old San Juan? Have you done any of these activities… or are there others you’d recommend? Let me know below in the comments!
And if you’re looking for restaurant recommendations while visiting this part of town, click here!