The Botanical Garden in San Juan is also called the Botanical Garden of the University of Puerto Rico. It is an educational center for scientific research and a place for have a great rest and relaxation. Its territory, with an area of 121 hectares, serves for the study and preservation of more than 30 thousand local and exotic plants, trees, flowers.
The botanical garden is located in the center of the capital of Puerto Rico, the city of San Juan, in the northeast of the island. The idea of creating such a place was announced back in 1959, but it was not until March 10, 1971 that the garden was officially opened. In 1991, the first visitors were able to enjoy the beauty of its botanical collections, lakes, waterfalls, cozy roads and sidewalks, allowing them to better appreciate the native and tropical flora. The territory is divided into two parts - north and south, the latter contains most of the sights. In the south, you can see a garden of heliconias, orchids, palms, and a herbarium.
The entrance to the botanical garden is free from 6 am to 6 pm.
Book Museum
The San Juan Book Museum, dedicated to the history of the book, displays some of the most valuable prints in all of Puerto Rico.
The Book Museum is located in Old San Juan, in the northern part of Puerto Rico. Today it contains many rare editions of books, medieval manuscripts written on parchment, manuscripts dating from the XII-XVII centuries. The most valuable are two documents signed by Catholic monarchs in 1493, which are considered the oldest in all of America. From the end of October 2013, they plan to open a new exhibition dedicated to the 55th anniversary of the founding of the House of Books.
Its history begins in 1955, when a group of townspeople founded the Friends of Calla del Cristo community, one of the goals of which was to create a specialized library of the best printed publications over the centuries. The best specialist in this field, Elmer Adler, was recruited to organize the library. Under his leadership, books were bought with public and private funds, and after a while the community's dream became a reality.
The House of Books is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11.00 to 16.30. Free admission.
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Market Square
The market square is located in Puerto Rico, the city of San Juan. More precisely, in its old part. The square has existed for almost a century. Markets, shops, museums are located on its territory. Also, festivals are periodically held here.
The markets sell fresh farm produce, herbs, bread, delicacies and more. There are also cozy restaurants and cafes on the square, where it is especially interesting to sit in the evening. There are beautiful architectural buildings around them. Near the central building, there are large avocado sculptures, where you can fully experience the life and traditions of the city. Local kiosks sell handicrafts extraordinary beauty and you can even chat with the locals.
The Church of Christ the Savior or the Chapel of Christ, built at the end of the 18th century, on top of one of the city's defensive walls, is one of the most beautiful and fascinating sights of Old San Juan, and today it is more than 250 years old.
The Church of Christ the Savior is located at the southern end of Calle del Cristo, near the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, in the western part of San Juan. Legend has it that the temple was built on this site for a reason. In 1753, the young man took part in the races, but lost control of the horse, and it rushed into the abyss. The city secretary, Don Mateo Prats, asked Christ to have mercy on the boy's life, and his prayer was answered. The young man, to express his gratitude, began to build this chapel in the same year. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Old San Juan is a building with an amazing history and must be seen when traveling in San Juan.
Church of San Jose
The Church of San Jose, built in Old San Juan in 1532, is the second oldest church in all of America. This temple is one of the few surviving examples of 16th century Spanish Gothic architecture in the western hemisphere.
Church of San Jose is located in the historic city of San Juan, in the north of Puerto Rico. The land on which the temple was built was donated by Governor Don Juan Ponce de Leon, who was the first to be buried here. First, the Dominican Order built the monastery of St. Thomas Aquinas on it, then it was renamed, the Jesuits who settled here in 1865. The first governor of Puerto Rico, Juan Ponce de Leon, was buried in the crypt of the temple in 1559, but in 1836 his remains were transferred to the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista. Under the floor of the Church of San Jose, there is still a crypt where the grandson of Juan Ponce de Leon is buried, as well as the famous painter Jose Campeche. The Temple of San Jose is not in the best condition today, it has been closed for 13 years.
Cemetery of Mary Magdalene
The cemetery of Mary Magdalene in the city of San Juan, got its name in honor of St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi. It is the burial place of many famous natives of the city and its inhabitants. It began to be built in 1863 with the support of Ignacio Mascaro.
The cemetery is located in the old town of Old San Juan, in the north of Puerto Rico. It is located outside the walls of the citadel of San Felipe del Morro, the city's most famous landmark. The average height of the walls is 12 meters, and the width is from four and a half to six meters. Many prominent personalities are buried in the cemetery in San Juan - José Ferrer, the first Latin American actor to be awarded the Oscar, Pedro Salinas, Spanish poet, Rafael Hernández Marín, famous musician, José de Acosta, famous historian. The cemetery was built near the Atlantic Ocean as a symbol of the spiritual journey after death.
Grand Turk
The Old City is a place of shopping streets - there is everything: gold, diamonds, clothes, souvenir shops. There were a lot of tourists here. But there were places where it was quiet and deserted.
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Cathedral of San Juan Bautista
Cathedral of San Juan Bautista is a Roman Catholic temple in San Juan, the oldest building in the entire city and the second oldest temple in all of America, after cathedral Santa Maria la Menor in the Dominican Republic. It is the seat of the Archbishop of San Juan.
The cathedral is located in the western part of the city of San Juan, on Calle del Cristo, in the north of Puerto Rico. The first original wooden temple building, built in 1521, was destroyed by a hurricane, so a new cathedral was built in its place in 1540. In the following centuries, it was updated and reformed more than once, last time in 1917. The cathedral houses the tomb of the great Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon, who founded the first European settlement in Puerto Rico. It also contains the relics of St. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago, the first Puerto Rican, who was canonized by Pope John Paul II. Particularly noteworthy in the cathedral are relics such as the jewelry and clothing of John Paul II, which he wears during his visit to Puerto Rico in 1984.
The most popular attractions in San Juan with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose best places for visiting famous places of San Juan on our website.
More sights of San Juan
200 km from Chile, located modern city with wide avenues and green alleys, irrigated by canals. The name is San Juan, and it is also known as "an oasis in the middle of the mountains."
City `s history
During the Spanish colonization, many settlements were established in the territory that used to belong to the Indian tribes. Like most other cities, San Juan was founded on the banks of the river of the same name. Its history is closely connected with the name of the Spanish conquistador Juan Khufre.
Throughout its history, San Juan, a photo of which is presented in our gallery, has repeatedly been subjected to natural disasters. So, in 1593 it was flooded by the waters of the river, and in 1944 there was a powerful earthquake here. Then about 10 thousand people died. In 1977, history repeated itself, but casualties were avoided.
Geography and climate of San Juan
Most provinces of Argentina are characterized by a mild climate with high average annual temperatures. On the world map, San Juan is located in the subtropical zone, so the maximum temperature here reaches + 35 ° С, and the minimum - + 19 ° С. The city of San Juan is surrounded by picturesque mountains, lush vegetation, narrow paths and mountain streams. In the west of the province, desert and mountainous terrain prevails, therefore it is here that national parks and nature conservation zones are laid out.
San Juan landmarks
Tourists who do not know what to see in San Juan are recommended to visit its following attractions:
San Juan infrastructure
Despite the fact that the region was often subjected to earthquakes and other natural disasters, this did not prevent the development of its infrastructure. Nowadays, many residents of the city of San Juan are engaged in viticulture, which is an important branch of agriculture. In addition, the city has a well-developed transport infrastructure, a vibrant cultural life, modern business and shopping centers are being built.
In 2005, in the west of the country, near San Juan, work began on the extraction of various minerals, including gold.
San Juan Accommodation
Tourists who come to this small town can stay in a large, fashionable or inexpensive hostel. The cost of living in a three-star hotel is approximately $ 75, and in a five-star hotel - $ 120. The following hotels are most popular with visitors to the city of San Juan:
- Del Bono Park;
- Vinas del Sol;
- Villa Don Tomas;
- Hostería Valle Fértil Cabañas.
If you look at the map of San Juan, you can see that most of the hotels are located either in the city center or in the immediate vicinity. Guests are usually provided with free breakfast, parking and a pool.
San Juan Restaurants
As in other regions of the country, the local cuisine consists of Indian and European dishes. San Juan's restaurants serve beef and llama dishes, garnished with potatoes, maize, jatoba and carob. You can order these or similar dishes at one of the following restaurants:
- Restaurante Baro specializing in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine;
- Remolacha, which offers steaks and barbecued meats;
- De Mono Rojo, which serves Argentinean and South American cuisine;
- Portho Gelatto - perfect place for lovers of sweets and mouth-watering desserts.
Because most of the province is set aside for vineyards; local wine is most often used as an alcoholic beverage. The restaurants in San Juan, the photos of which you see below, serve a local variety of wine called aloha.
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Recreation and entertainment in San Juan
This city is remarkable not only for its wide streets, interesting architecture and cozy restaurants. Rest in San Juan can be diluted with a visit to the Pedernal vineyards, which tell the secrets of making the drink. You need to visit the west of the country, including San Juan, in order to see:
- boulders in Moonlit valley;
- beautiful landscapes in Ischigualasto National Park;
- one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the country - Cuesta del Viento;
- the picturesque border between Argentina and Chile - pass de Aguas Negras.
In the vicinity of the city of San Juan there are many opportunities for hang gliding, mountain sports, fishing, and equestrian sports.
Puerto Rico is considered almost 51 states of America, i.e. is under the control of the United States, but is not an integral part of it (the action on the territory of the US Constitution is limited, the supreme power belongs to the US Congress, but the territory has its own system of self-government).
In short, American visas (or as we have ESTA permits) had to be shown before visiting this state. Because of this, a huge queue lined up before disembarking along the entire length of our Independence boardwalk.
Coming ashore, we were greeted very good weather... We decided with friends to visit a real rainforest, which is located an hour's drive from the capital in the El-Yunque National Park. As the guide promised, a real tropical jungle with waterfalls was waiting for us.
Immediately at the port and formed our mini-group. This is usually the case - while we find out the prices and the proposed routes, several people from the ship themselves come up to us and ask where we are and whether it is possible with us. We are always happy to share our trip with the cruisers.
We rented a minibus for 8 people, the price was slightly knocked down - at first it was offered at $ 50, agreed at $ 45 per person. After the forest they promised to drive us around the city, take us to the beach and show us Old San Juan.
On the way to the reserve we drove through the capital. San Juan is a city of contrasts, there are high-rise buildings, there are also not very shiny, to put it mildly, neighborhoods.
After a while we found ourselves in the rain forest of the El Yunque National Park. Mount El Yunque, where the reserve itself is located, rises 575m above sea level. Of course, here you can get acquainted with the whole variety of extraordinary Caribbean plants. Even millennial trees and exotic plants come across. Busik climbed steep road, surrounded on all sides by centuries-old tropical plants. The guide told us in detail what the tree is called.
There were several stops during the tour. The first park introduced us to one of the many waterfalls in this park. Not Iguassu, of course, but it's still pretty interesting to see the local sights.
Everywhere in the park you can find small waterfalls, so it is very pleasant to be in the forest, cool and fresh from them. But there are frequent rains, so it is recommended to take something to cover with you. We were lucky, not a drop fell!
Nature appears here in its original form - all around the lush vegetation. Nice backdrop for any movie about ancient world, about dinosaurs. By the way, no poisonous reptiles are found in these tropical forests.
Then we climbed the Yokahu Observation Tower, which offers a breathtaking view of the entire surrounding forest and even in the distance you can see the coast.
Such an easy, pleasant walk through the rainforest turned out, it was quite curious to visit among the centuries-old trees and plants, and visit the local waterfalls.
After the jungle, we headed back towards the city, drove to one of the beaches to look at the powerful waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
We admired the ocean a bit and continued sightseeing tour across San Juan. We didn’t leave the bus, as we had already walked through the tropical forest and just wanted to follow the pictures from the window. We looked at the Capitol (Capitolio de Puerto Rico) - the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, which houses the Senate and House of Representatives.
Fort San Felipe del Morro (Castillo San Felipe del Morro), named after the Spanish king Philip II (Felipe II; 1527-1598), is a powerful fortified fortress located on the northwestern tip of the island.
The Telurico Totem, a giant column of black granite and ceramics by the Puerto Rican artist Jaime Suárez, was erected in 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of the New World.
After the end of the excursion, according to tradition, we went on the liner for lunch and then went for another 1.5 hours to walk along the streets of San Juan before sailing. Nice town with ancient architecture. Traders do not sleep - they offer souvenirs right on the road, not far from the liners. We just wandered along the streets, plunged into the atmosphere, so to speak. We accidentally wandered into an interesting salon of fashionable designer clothes. We met the hostess, a very nice girl.
For those who do not like to travel on foot, you can choose another method of transportation, for example, by horse-drawn carriage or mini-train.
And we're back on board, thanks for the ride! Nice island, interesting.
Useful information for tourists about San Juan in Argentina - geographical position, tourist infrastructure, map, architectural features and attractions.
San Juan is the capital of the province of the same name, which is located in the west of Argentina. The city was originally founded on the banks of the San Juan River by the conquistador Juan Khufre in 1562, and named after John the Baptist. The city was moved 2.5 km to the south in 1593, after it was flooded. The San Juan earthquake of 1944 was the main Argentine tragedy of the 20th century. More than 10 thousand people died, some cathedrals and many other buildings were destroyed. The new Cathedral of St. John opened in 1979 and immediately became one of the main attractions of San Juan. And later the famous observatory named after Felix Aguilar was created. Argentine President D.F. Sarmiento was born in this city. An airport, a theater and a local radio station are named after him; there is also a monument dedicated to him and a house-museum in the city. It is a modern city with wide streets, with many different types of trees irrigated by canals, which is why it is also called an oasis city.
Tourism in San Juan is centered around wine production and tasting. The city is also popular for its unusual rock formations in places like Ischigualasto National Park, including Valle de la Luna. Tourists are also attracted to this city by the annals of the Triassic period located here, which are considered one of the most significant in the world. Another attraction is the Difunta Sanctuary of Correa, located 64 km from San Juan. There are several interesting museums in the city. The Archaeological Museum is located in La Laya, about 25 km from the city center. It represents the culture of many peoples who lived in San Juan before the arrival of the Spanish in 1560. You will be able to see a priceless collection of Native American artifacts, cave paintings and other objects from the history of the Tulum Valley over the past 8,500 years. The Franklin Rawson Museum of Fine Arts is located in the city center. There you can see collections of paintings and sculptures, prints and drawings made by the greatest masters. The Agustin Gnecco Historical Museum displays items from the 18th and 19th centuries, Creole silverware and historical collections of numismatics and philately. The Museum of Natural Sciences is located in the former railway station and is known for its collection of dinosaur fossils, found mainly in the Ischigualasto Valley. There is even a House of Tango, where you can see the history and development of Argentine tango in the 20th century.
The first humans landed in what is now Puerto Rico around 4500 BC. NS. Archaic Indian tribes who migrated here from the territory of present-day Venezuela were replaced by the Ingery tribes in about 200 AD. BC, and those in turn were supplanted by the Taino Indians (about 800 AD). Columbus discovered what was then called Borinkin in 1493 and named it San Juan Bautista after Saint Juan, the founder of the Baptist branch of Christianity.
By the time the Europeans landed on the island, there were about 70 tribes living in the Taino language family. The Indians were well prepared to fight against their eternal opponents - the Carib Indian peoples who inhabited neighboring islands, but were completely powerless against the muskets and cavalry of the Spaniards. In 1508, a large group of Spanish settlers arrived from Haiti, led by Juan Ponce de Leon, and a hundred years later, only myths and fragments of the language preserved in the local toponymy remain from the numerous once Tainos. In 1521, the first European settlement on the island, Caparra, was transferred from its original place 6 km to the east, to a small peninsula by a beautiful and then unnamed bay, and received its new name - Puerto Rico ("Rich Port").
The Spanish quickly built and fortified their new base, named San Juan, which became the largest Conquista outpost in the New World. Over the next century, it was repeatedly strengthened and rebuilt to protect the island from British and Dutch raids, and it itself was actively populated by slaves from Africa to provide supplies to the metropolis of sugar, cotton and tobacco. In the 18th century, taking advantage of the weakness of Spain, the people of Puerto Rico began to develop a movement for independence for the island, and in 1868, an unsuccessful uprising in the city of Lares marked the beginning of numerous rallies of the islanders for their freedom. In 1897, the island received the status of autonomy, but the war between Spain and the United States that broke out almost immediately after this led to the occupation of Puerto Rico by American troops. The US protectorate over the island lasted 50 years, being replaced by its "more civilized version" only in 1944, when the islanders received the right to elect their own governor, and in 1951 a referendum was held, following which the island received the status of the US Commonwealth of Nations.
San Juan
The capital of Puerto Rico lies on the shores of one of the best natural harbors in the Caribbean. Today, the city is a vibrant and modern capital, the political and economic center of the island, whose beaches are framed by a wall of high-rise buildings, and the commercial center, traditional for all capitals of the world, is adjacent to the historic colonial core of the Old City. Founded in 1521, it is the second oldest city in America (after Cuzco, Peru). For such an old city, San Juan may seem rather young - no quarters of dilapidated buildings and narrow alleys, all its historical buildings are well preserved to this day and are undergoing regular restoration, and the ancient pavements are framed with quite modern benches and cafes that give them a new sound.
Viejo San Juan
"Old San Juan", or Viejo San Juan, lies at the very tip of the peninsula of the same name, protruding into the waters of the Atlantic with a long strip of irregular shape. It was here that the first buildings of the future city were transferred from Caparra, it is here, between the deep waters of the San Juan Bay and open sea, the first caravels with a load of New World treasures moored and it was here, on a strip of land convenient for defense, that the country's capital grew up. The whole Old city, literally saturated with buildings and structures of the XVI-XVII centuries, today it is the National Historical Zone and the main point of attraction for numerous tourists. The old town is most like a museum under open air, where darkened buildings from the Spanish colonial era are collected, many of which, most notably the area around Plaza del Cinto Centenario, are considered the best-preserved example of this style in the western hemisphere. The steep and narrow streets are paved with smooth beams known as "adekinesis", and the pastel facades of buildings and balconies with wrought iron trellises entwined with flowering plants seem to have descended from the pages of the classics of Spanish literature. Stone fortress walls stretch along the entire northern side of Viejo San Juan, forming, together with its forts, a powerful defensive system designed to protect the city from attacks by British, Dutch and French corsairs. Today, only the walls of La Muralia and the ramparts of El Morro and San Cristobal have remained intact, however, this area is enough to assess the former greatness of this fortress.
In the very northwest of the city, on the promontory of Punta del Moro, stands the most impressive example of the Spanish fortification school - Fort Fuerte San Felipe del Moro, guarding the entrance to the San Juan Bay. This fortress, considered one of the largest and most perfect in the Caribbean, was built by Spanish engineers for more than 200 years - it was laid in 1539, and the last of its six tiers was completed only in 1787. This massive structure has withstood countless attacks. including such well-known as the attacks of the fleet of the pirate Francis Drake in 1595, the attack of the Dutch fleet in 1625, or the fire of the guns of the entire American Atlantic squadron in 1898. barracks, galleries, dungeons and firing positions, many of which are simply carved into the rocky ground of the promontory. On the territory of El Morro, a huge number of exhibitions are regularly held, showing the role of Puerto Rico in the conquest of the New World.
The northeastern end of the Old Town is covered by the second fortress of this system - Fuerte San Cristobal. Stretching from Avenida Muñoz Rivera to Calle Norsagaray, this magnificent fort was built between 1634-1790. and originally covered an area of 27 acres (the largest fortification site built by the Spaniards in the New World). Today, tourists can freely explore its labyrinthine-like structures and an almost six-kilometer network of secret tunnels, ditches, and dungeons of combat positions, laid in the depths of 45-meter walls, from which a beautiful panorama of San Juan and its bays opens. Fuerte San Felipe del Moro and Fuerte San Cristobal are National historical monument and are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List ..
Plaza de San José is located in the heart of the old town. Around this colorful square, decorated with a statue of the founder of the city, Juan Ponce de Leon, there are many small museums and pleasant cafes. In the northern part of the square rises the Iglesia-San Jose church (1530) - one of the few gothic churches in America (the second is also in Puerto Rico - this is Porta Coeli in San Herman, 1606). This is both the first church on the island and one of the oldest in the western hemisphere - Iglesia San Jose was built as a Dominican monastery and a chapel dedicated to Saint Thomas Aquinas (the original building was badly damaged by a hurricane and rebuilt by the Jesuits in 1865).
Other attractions of the Old City include Casa Blanca (1523, was built as the residence of Ponce de León), the Dominican convent (1523, now houses the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture), the residence of the governor of the island - La Fortaleza (1540 - the oldest residence in the western hemisphere), Alcalda, or City Hall (1604-1789), Casino (not a gambling club at all, but a fashionable palace, built in 1917 and recently perfectly restored), Cathedral of San Juan (1520-1535). , restored in 1977), the neoclassical building of La Princesa (built as a prison in 1837, it is now the headquarters of the Puerto Rico Tourist Company and an excellent exhibition gallery of works by local artists), fragments of the city wall of La Muralia (1539-1782) .) up to 6 meters thick, the Cemeterio de San Juan cemetery outside the northern circumference of the walls of La Murala, the old fortified gates of La Puerta de San Juan (1635), the Casa del Libro mansion and the nearby chapels a Capilla del Libro, Capilla del Cristo (1753) and the nearby Parque de las Palomas (a true pigeon sanctuary), the magnificent Hotel El Convento in an old convent, and the striking sculptural group La Rogativa ( 1797) to commemorate miraculous salvation cities from the British invasion and the beautiful house of Casa Rosada (1812) in front of it.
It is not surprising that within the old part of the city there are many museums, including such famous ones as the Museo de Las Americas in the building of the old army barracks of the Cartel de Balahona archaeological finds islands, as well as many artwork by the masters of Puerto Rico and the United States), " children's museum"Museo del Niño, Museo del Arte e Istoria (extensive exposition of Puerto Rican art and musical traditions), Casa Blanca Museum (collection of objects and things of the early Conquest era), Art Museum Francisco Oller in the old city hall (many historical works), Puerto Rico Art Museum (www.mapr.org), Museum of Modern Art (www.museocontemporaneopr.org), Pablo Casals Museum (manuscripts, photographs and instruments of the famous Spanish cellist who lived in Puerto Rico from 1956 to 1973), Museum of the Luis Muñoz Rivera Foundation on Rio Piedras (collection of works by famous Puerto Rican artists), Museo de Doca Fela (House-Museum of the first woman-mayor of the capital - Felicia Rincin de Gaultier), the Museum of African Heritage in the building of the Casa de Los Contrafuertes mansion (near the museum, the ruins of ancient buildings of the beginning of the colonization era are discovered), the Museum of Colonial Architecture and the Family Museum in the Casa de Callejón building, a collection of rare manuscripts and books in the Casa building de Libro (the collection contains more than 6,000 works, including 200 books dating from the 15th century), as well as the Art Museum of San Juan in the building of the old market (1855, restored in 1979), which is more often used as a wide cultural center.
New town
The modern part of San Juan stretches along the "mainland" region of the island adjacent to the Old City. The closest to the historic city is the Condado area, washed from the north by the Atlantic Ocean and from the south by the large Condado Lagoon. Originally designed as a resort area, Condado began its development in the middle of the 20th century. Today, its wide sidewalks lined with palm trees, shops, trendy restaurants and fashionable hotels and casinos make it the busiest part of San Juan. Just a block from bustling Avenida Ashford, there is a two-mile stretch of Condado Beach - the best beach capital, although not the best on the island. Many sports and entertainment establishments, many nightclubs and dance schools, as well as the most expensive shops in the city are concentrated here. In the easternmost part of the area, on the border with Santurce, stretches the rich residential area of Ocean Park, formed by quarters of villas and coastal clubs. Thanks to the city law, which prohibits the construction of buildings more than three floors high, a cozy microdistrict has been formed here, which does not have any special attractions, but is very quiet and calm (several excellent hotels and good restaurants there is still here). Further east begins the more democratic Isla Verde area, where many inexpensive pensions are concentrated and there is a good private beach and further south, in the lagoons of Los Corozon and San Juan, there are many centers aquatic species sports (the lagoons themselves are dissected long bridge Teodoro Moscoso).
To the south of Condado is the Santurce district, which was once a fashionable business and prestigious residential part of the city. Political and social problems of the second half of the 20th century deprived this part of the city of its former charm, but this part of San Jose is still considered "bien puertorriquezo" ("most Puerto Rican") and it is here that you can find the best ethnic restaurants in the capital and excellent museums. Recently, numerous art galleries (especially young artists love this area) and antique shops have moved here, and the dilapidated grandeur of the once expensive hotels and bars attracts many tourists from all over the country (a foreigner is recommended to appear here only in company, and after sunset, according to local guides, there is nothing to do at all).
The financial center of the capital - Ato Rey stretches south of Santurce, along Avenida Ponce de Leon. This is a strip of many kilometers of high-rise buildings, offices, hotels and restaurants, full of expensive shops and modern art galleries... And in the Rio Piedras area is the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico, which, together with the educational institution itself, is considered a great place for walking. The nearby Mercado de Rio Piedras is one of the best markets the capital (open from Monday to Saturday, from early morning until sunset) and the Jardin-Botanico Botanical Garden (area 75 acres) - there are about 125 species of palm trees, more than 30 thousand orchids, about 340 species of other plants and even has its own lagoon, overgrown with blooming lotuses.
The Gulf of San Juan is the largest and most active ocean port in the Caribbean Sea, through which more than half of all foreign trade operations of the countries of the region pass and more than a million cruise visitors a year. Port shops sell goods from all over the world, and nearby markets and shops can provide jewelry and handicrafts for an army of tourists. Here you can also find many wine shops specializing in the sale of rum (by the way, only here you can buy the products of the famous Distillery-Serralis distillery, founded already in 1865). Nearby is the La Castilla Mansion, which houses the Information Office of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. In the western corner of the bay you can find the tiny island of Isla de Cabras ("Island of the Goats") and a small Spanish fort built in 1610.
There are also many museums in the new part of the city, of which the most interesting are the Indian Museum of Puerto Rico in the building of the old House of Charity (a large collection of Taino cultural objects, including various types of dishes, stone and wooden decorations, canoes and weapons), Museum of San Juan, Art the Caguas Museum, the Casa Roij Museum in the eponymous mansion (1919), considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, the Creole Musical Center named after Jose Ignacio Quintin, the Jose Hernands Posters Museum, the Herminio Torres Grillo Tobacco Museum and others. Also worth visiting are the Luis Muñoz Rivera and Sixto Escobar parks, located between Coronado and the Old Town.
Neighborhoods of San Juan
Just 8 km from San Juan is the largest rum distillery on the planet - Bacardi (www.casabacardi.org). Here you can see almost the entire process of making this drink, as well as visit the Museum of the Bacardi family, as well as taste or buy any sample of local products. It is recommended to visit the factory during the annual Bacardi Arts and Crafts Fair, a two-day exhibition of works by local artists and artisans.
Just 25 km east of the capital, the country's best nature reserve, El Yunque, is located, from the green hills of which it is easy to reach the shores of Playas Liguillo (public beach) or Playas Azul, and at the final stop of public transport, on the eastern outskirts of Isla Verda, begins Pikones forest reserve. Further east stretches the wild strip of La Pared, a favorite spot for local surfers.
Ponce
The second largest city in Puerto Rico, known as major port from the end of the 17th century, lies on the southern coast of the country, between the chains of the Central Cordillera and the Caribbean coast. The city, often called La Perla del Sul ("pearl of the south"), was founded by Spanish settlers in 1692. Today the central part of the city is declared a "national treasure" - it consists entirely of squares, churches, beautifully decorated colonial houses and magnificent fountains of the colonial period. Here also rises and, possibly, one of the oldest fire stations in the world.
The main attractions of Ponce include: the majestic Cathedral de La Guadalupe (1660, rebuilt in 1835, 1911 and 1930), which rises above the urban landscape in the Plaza Las Delicias, nearby De Bombas (a small park in the colonial style), Casa-Armstrong-Poventud (1900, now the Institute of Culture) and Casa Alcalda, and just a couple of blocks to the east rises the neoclassical building of the Historical Museum of Ponce.
Also noteworthy are the excellent Ponce Museum of Art, considered one of the best in the Caribbean (over a thousand paintings, 800 sculptures and 500 prints reflecting the history of five centuries of Western art), Puerto Rico Music Museum, Puerto Rico Sports Museum on Rutherford Street arranged in the form medieval castle the Spanish mansion Seralles (1930, now the museum of the Seralles family is located here) and, of course, the Tibs Ceremonial Park in Guayam (1 km north of the city center), which is a carefully restored Indian village with its own archaeological site, a botanical garden, a small museum and an exhibition hall, where unique objects of ancient Indian cultures discovered in this land are demonstrated.
Central Cordillera
The central mountainous region of the country is most accessible for exploration from La Ruta Panoramic, an almost two hundred kilometer junction of forty roads that cross the mountains in all directions. Roads run through the country's most majestic landscapes, past fog-shrouded peaks, deep valleys and verdant forests. The most popular trails start in the beach town of Yabucoa on the east coast and end in Mayaguez, taking at least two full days to see. The main points of attraction here are the city of Guavate, famous for its roast pork "lechon", the Carite forest reserve (less than an hour's journey south of San Juan) and the green watershed of three rivers protected by it: Rio de Lonsa, Rio Grande de -Patillas and Rio de La Plata, - the canyon of San Cristobal (depth about 150 m) south of Barranquitas and this mountain town itself is the birthplace of Luis Muñoz Rivera (the house-museum and mausoleum of this revered politician of Puerto Rico are carefully guarded here ), the Toro Negro forest reserve (7000 acres) and the Cerro de Punta peak (1339 m), the "capital of Puerto Rican coffee" - the town of Maricao with its famous Coffee Festival (mid-February), the picturesque fishing town of Guanica and the nearby Bosque Estatal de Guanica is one of the best dry subtropical forest reserves on the planet (9,900 acres - 1.2% of all remaining forests of this type on the planet, 700 varieties of plants and about 100 species of birds grow here).
San Herman
Between Ponce and Mayaguez, in the gentle hills of the southwestern part of the country, lies the picturesque town of San Herman, the oldest settlement in Puerto Rico after San Juan (founded in 1573). Its relative isolation helped to maintain unique architecture Colonial era: numerous old houses, shady boulevards and small squares, now inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The main attraction of the city is the Church of La Capilla-Porta Coelli, or simply Porta Coelli ("Gate of Heaven"), built by Dominican monks in 1606 (one of the oldest churches New World) and was used for a long time as a city prison. Now the church has been restored, and its side-altars contain an excellent collection of religious art from the 16th-19th centuries, including the famous altarpiece by José Campeche, the first and, as many believe, the most famous artist in the country. Also attractive are the numerous old quarters of the center, the imposing church of San Herman de Aujerre, the Museum of Sacred Art in Porta Coelli, the University of Puerto Rico Interamerican and the Alfredo Ramirez de Arellano y Roselló Museum.
Northeast of San Herman is another famous landmark of the island - the Buena Vista hacienda. The beautiful two-storey house of the hacienda (1833), which was once the main producer of coffee, grains and fruits in the region, was restored in 1984 and is now turned into a real open-air museum, where you can see the life of a coffee plantation of the 19th century, impressive and still active agricultural machines from that period and the furnishings of the homes of both the owner of the hacienda and his employees.
Peninsula of Cape Rojo
Cabo Rojo's colorful limestone promontory, also known as Punta Jakei, forms the southwestern tip of the island. The Faro de Cabo Rojo lighthouse (1881) towering on it is in fact a large demonstration platform, from the walls of which a majestic view opens. Blue Caribbean waters, jagged cliffs sandy bays surf-eaten coastline and birds circling above them - this is the interior of this secluded place. Here you can walk at least the whole day, discovering more and more new objects - salt lakes and piles of salt ready for shipment, groves of hard-leaved shrubs, mangrove swamps and trees creeping in the wind, and above all this - a blue-blue sky.
East of Cabo Rojo stretches the long arc of Phosphorescent Bay ("Phosphorescent Bay") - an amazing bay, world famous for its glowing waters. The bioluminescence of microscopic organisms inhabiting the waters of this bay is so strong that almost any movement, be it a fish swimming in the depths or a boat passing on the surface, causes a real fireworks display from a myriad of tiny living lights. Bioluminescence itself is nothing unique - the waters of almost all the southern seas of the Earth are capable of showing an equally majestic sight, but Phosphorescent Bay is the only place on the planet where the glow of the sea can be seen every evening, especially on moonless winter nights. This phenomenon can also be seen in the Vieques and Fajardo bays off the northeastern coast of the island.
Mona Island
North-east of Cabo Rojo, 70 km from the coast, lies the "Puerto Rican Bali" - the flat and rocky island of Mona (an area of about 48 sq. Km), sometimes called the "Galapagos of the Caribbean". Its sixty-meter cliffs are inhabited by giant lizards, sea turtles lay their eggs on the beaches, and only feral pigs and goats inhabit the hinterland - witnesses of unsuccessful attempts to establish here Agriculture... A lone lighthouse rises above the cactus forest at Cape Faro, and below it begins a vast network of caves that can compete with the grottoes of Rio Camai. The completely wild island is under the protection of the National Trust natural resources, so to visit it you need special permit... But the effort to get a pass to Mona is worth it - here in the natural environment you can see dozens and hundreds of species of plants and animals that inhabited caribbean before the arrival of humans, and the straits between Mona and Haiti are the traditional migration route for humpback whales. The coral reefs off the coast of the island are home to over 270 species of fish, and the sea turtle colony is considered one of the largest in the region. The sea waters here are exceptionally clear (average visibility under water is 45-60 m), so the conditions for diving here are simply exceptional. The best places for sea recreation here are the underwater wall of Pearl Cut, Devils Cave, coral reefs at Playas Mujeres and Playas Sardiner, Lisa Reef, giant boulders of Little Rock and Sky I-Horse, as well as rocky bottom at Wall Cave on the north coast.
Arecibo Observatory
In the magnificent mountains of the northwestern part of Puerto Rico, there is the largest radio telescope in the world, which has long been one of the island's attractions. Funded by the University of Cornwall and the US government, it has been used to find extraterrestrial life forms for many years. Also located here is the first-class Museum of Science and Space, lying right under the imposing telescope saucer, whose diameter reaches 305 meters.
South of Arecibo are caves belonging to the Rio Kamai system (268 acres of underground galleries and tunnels - the third largest karst region in the world), including the famous Catedral Cave. A little further south, you can find the Taino Indians Ceremonial Park, whose structures are about 800 years old. And if you turn along the road to Utuado, you can get to the territory of another site of ancient Indian cultures - the Caguana Ceremonial Park, where dozens of huge ritual vessels "bateyes", numerous petroglyphs and various ceremonial objects were discovered. The Little Caguana Museum exhibits Native American artifacts, various archaeological exhibitions, and even a small botanical garden showing the plants used by Taino. Nearby flows the "mystical river" Taino - Tanama, through the most beautiful places of the primeval karst country, past the Cueva del Arco and Ventana caves, and therefore very popular with kayakers and rafters.
Rincon
The city of Rincon lies to the north west coast islands, between Mayaguez and Aguadilla. These shores are famous for their surf and shores that are well mastered by surfers - waves of at least 5 points regularly come here from October to April. Better conditions surf can be found between Hobos, Rincon and Isabel - serious surfers come here in winter to take advantage of winter storms. Other attractions in the city include the El Faro lighthouse with a small By the Maritime Museum, dolphin and whale watching platforms and the dome of the first in Latin America nuclear installation, operated in 1964-1974.
Culebra island
The island of Culebra lies 35 km east of Puerto Rico and, together with the island of Vieques, is part of the so-called Spanish Virgin Islands... Since the American navy stopped using the archipelago for shooting practice in the mid-1970s, this group of islands has experienced a real tourist boom. The island of Culebra itself is rather small - 11 by 6 kilometers, but it dominates the whole archipelago of 24 tiny islands that surround it like a necklace. There are only 2 thousand inhabitants on Culebra, there are no nightclubs or resorts here, and its main city - Devei - is a rather dull settlement. But on the other hand, the real kingdom of water sports stretches around, although the tourism infrastructure is still developing here. The main points of attraction here are the snow-white Flamenco Beach on the north coast, the nearby Playas Resaca, Playas Brava and Playas Zoni, founded in 1909. National park Culebra (protects seabird colonies and sea turtle breeding grounds), many kilometers of completely uninhabited shores, as well as the reefs surrounding the entire island, widely known to divers and fans of sea fishing. Local reefs are in an almost untouched state, which is becoming increasingly rare in the Caribbean, but there are dive centers, unlike hotels and casinos, here.
Vieques island
Vieques lies 12 km from east coast Puerto Rico and slightly south of Culebra. This island is 42 km long and 7 km wide and differs from Culebra in only one thing - the presence on it of the five-star hotel Martinet Bay, built in 2000 near the airport. Otherwise, it is the same "rural island", whose inhabitants still prefer to ride on horseback, and the source of traffic jams are pets that have run out on it. Its main attractions are the beautiful beaches near the capital of the island - Esperanza (the Atlantic shores are rocky here, while the southern, Caribbean ones, canopy and sandy), quiet town Isabel Segunda with its only bank on the island, a five-kilometer arc of the creamy beach in Sombie (Sun Bay), shallow Media Luna surrounded by almond thickets, the turquoise waters of Navio Bay, and Mosquito Bay, famous for its "glowing waters" no less than the famous Phosphorescent Bay.
