You are here:
Home »
Travel Reports »
Puerto Rico
» San Juan
You came this way:
San Juan city guide
» Silver Sands Windsurfing
» Museum of Hamburg History
» Lübeck
» Cigar factories
San Juan city guideSan Juan city guide
The capital city of Puerto Rico, San Juan, is one of the busiest ports in the Caribbean and a third of all Puerto Ricans live here. Nearly every visitor to the island arrives at San Juan, many on cruise liners. The port is the largest home-based cruise port in the world, hosting 28 vessels with more being added to the list each year.
San Juan is divided into three distinct districts: Old San Juan, the historic walled city, the beach and resort area and the outlying suburbs. Tourists are concerned mainly with Old San Juan, the site of most restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and the beaches. The old city is linked to the new by a series of modern highways, leading to the Condado beach front, which is reminiscent of Florida's Miami Beach with its high-rise hotels and apartment blocks.
It is not only tourism that keeps the financial mills grinding in San Juan. The city is an important center for petroleum and sugar refining, brewing and distilling and the manufacturing of cement, pharmaceuticals, metal products and tobacco products. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle there are numerous attractions to amuse, entertain and interest the many tourists, and the city is a perfect base for exploring the rest of what this small Caribbean island has to offer.
Images from San Juan
Bahía de San Juan
Uploaded by: WANDA GONZALEZ on Panoramio.com
Puente Atirantado, Naranjito, Puerto Rico
Uploaded by: WANDA GONZALEZ on Panoramio.com
Uploaded by: WANDA GONZALEZ on Panoramio.com
City Walls of Old Town San Juan
Uploaded by: Tim Jansa on Panoramio.com
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Uploaded by: DeEtte Fisher on Panoramio.com
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Uploaded by: DeEtte Fisher on Panoramio.com
Photos provided by Panoramio are under the copyright of their owners.
to page topAttractions you should see in San Juan
Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory Sightseeing
America's ears and eyes are focused on the stars from the island of Puerto Rico. In the northwest mountains of the island about 90 minutes drive west of San Juan, among the Karst Country hills, is one of the most important astronomical...
Camuy Cave Park Sightseeing
Well worth a day trip from San Juan is the incredible 268-acre Camuy Cave Park, two hours southwest of the city. The park is the site of miles of subterranean caverns that were carved out of the limestone by the Camuy River more than a...
Casa Blanca Sightseeing
The family of Puerto Rico's first governor, Ponce de Leon, whose descendants inhabited it for 250 years, built the historic homestead of Casa Blanca in 1523. It was subsequently taken over by the Spanish and then United States military....
Casa del Libro Sightseeing
The 18th-century mansion known as Casa del Libro houses a vast collection of rare sketches, illustrations, ancient manuscripts and books, some dating from before the 16th century. The museum's most prized possessions are two royal...
La Fortaleza Sightseeing
The Fortaleza was built in 1540 as a fortress to guard the entrance to the San Juan harbor, but later became the official Governor's residence. During succeeding centuries the original structure has been remodelled and expanded, with a...
Museo de Arte Sightseeing
Puerto Rico's showcase art gallery opened just a few years ago at a cost of millions of dollars. The gallery is housed in a former city hospital in Santurce and offers a permanent and visiting exhibition. The aim is to highlight the...
Old San Juan Sightseeing
This area, encompassing about seven blocks, dates back about 500 years to the Spanish occupation when it served as a military stronghold that even repulsed Sir Francis Drake. The original cobbles on the streets are blue-tinged, and were...
Saint John the Baptist Cathedral Sightseeing
San Juan's Cathedral was originally built in 1521 by Puerto Rico's first Spanish bishop as a thatched wooden church, but was destroyed in a hurricane in 1526. The current medieval structure, built from the stone brought in from inland...
Spanish Forts Sightseeing
The mighty six-level fortress of San Felipe del Morro, built in 1540, towers 140 feet (43m) above the sea on San Juan Bay, its 18-foot thick (5m) walls having proved a worthy defense against invasion. The largest fortification in the...
University campus Sightseeing
The University of Puerto Rico campus in the Rio Piedras offers two attractions for visitors. The University Museum contains archeological and historical exhibits and holds monthly art exhibitions. The Botanical Gardens in the grounds of...
Next travel options around
Rate this
has been rated by 2 votes.
Next steps
See these other resources that match your interest.
- Explore Puerto Rico
- Explore San Juan Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rico country guide
- Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory sightseeing
- Camuy Cave Park sightseeing
- Casa Blanca sightseeing
- Casa del Libro sightseeing
- La Fortaleza sightseeing
- Museo de Arte sightseeing
- Old San Juan sightseeing
- Saint John the Baptist Cathedral sightseeing
- Spanish Forts sightseeing
- University campus sightseeing
San Juan weather
Weather forecast for San Juan in Puerto Rico this Saturday.
| Day: 89 °F (32 °C)  Sunrise 6:28 AM |
Night: 77 °F (25 °C)  Sunset 6:35 PM |
|---|---|
| More San Juan weather information. | |
| Chance of rain (day) | 20 % |
| Chance of rain (night) | 20 % |
| Wind speed (day) | 13 mp/h |
| Wind speed (night) | 8 mp/h |
| Humidity (day) | 65 % |
| Humidity (night) | 80 % |
San Juan weather
Weather forecast for San Juan in Puerto Rico this Sunday.
| Day: 88 °F (31 °C) Sunrise 6:27 AM |
Night: 76 °F (24 °C)  Sunset 6:35 PM |
|---|---|
| More San Juan weather information. | |
| Chance of rain (day) | 20 % |
| Chance of rain (night) | 30 % |
| Wind speed (day) | 14 mp/h |
| Wind speed (night) | 6 mp/h |
| Humidity (day) | 68 % |
| Humidity (night) | 75 % |
San Juan weather
Weather forecast for San Juan in Puerto Rico this Monday.
| Day: 86 °F (30 °C)  Sunrise 6:26 AM |
Night: 76 °F (24 °C) Sunset 6:35 PM |
|---|---|
| More San Juan weather information. | |
| Chance of rain (day) | 30 % |
| Chance of rain (night) | 30 % |
| Wind speed (day) | 15 mp/h |
| Wind speed (night) | 6 mp/h |
| Humidity (day) | 68 % |
| Humidity (night) | 75 % |