Colorful Walking Tour of Old San Juan
Old San Juan is a historical district in the northwestern peninsula of San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico. The neighborhood of Old San Juan is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Full of vibrant colors, Latin culture, and amazing cuisine, Old San Juan is a must-visit when on the island of Puerto Rico. While you’re there, don’t miss out on a walking tour of Old San Juan.
During our visit to the Caribbean last month, Randy and I spent two days exploring the best of Old San Juan. I have compiled a list of all of the spots in San Juan that I feel are most worth your time.
Whether you are visiting for a full-week or only stopping in San Juan for a few hours during your Caribbean cruise, following this Walking Tour of Old San Juan will take you around all of the must-sees in Old San Juan. I’ve even included a few spots that we stumbled on by mistake that are definitely worth a stop.
Are you looking for more things to do in Puerto Rico during your visit to San Juan? You may also like these articles:
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The neighborhood of Old San Juan can be easily explored on foot with the help of this San Juan Walking Tour Map below.
Length of Walking Tour of Old San Juan
You should plan for 2-3 hours for this walking tour of Old San Juan if you’re like me and make plenty of photo stops.
All of the recommended stops on this tour are pretty close together. If you’re simply walking from point-to-point, this tour can be done in way less than two hours. Old San Juan is very condensed.
Walking distance of tour: 1.5 – 2 miles (2.5 – 3.25 kilometers)
Items to bring with you
There are only a few items that you need to bring with you on your walking tour of Old San Juan – but don’t forget these essentials:
- Water – Puerto Rico is very hot and humid, so make sure you drink plenty of water.
- Good Walking Shoes – A lot of the roads in Old San Juan are old cobblestone streets. Bring a good pair of walking shoes to protect your feet.
- Umbrella/Raincoat – Rain showers happen very suddenly in San Juan. Bring an umbrella or raincoat to make sure you’re protected from the rain.
- Camera – You’re going to be stopping at so many great photograph locations – make sure to bring your camera or iPhone camera.
- Old San Juan Walking Tour Map – Save a copy of the above map in Google Maps and take with you as you explore Old San Juan.
How to Save San Juan Walking Tour Map on Google Maps:
- Make sure you have the Google Maps App on your phone
- Click to view larger map of San Juan Walking Tour on above map
- Sign into your Google account
- Click “star” to view map in Google Maps
- The San Juan Walking Tour Map should now be accessible under the “Saved” tab in Google Maps
Fortress Castillo San Felipe del Morro
The historical Castillo San Felipe del Morro, also known as El Morro, is the first stop on your San Juan walking tour. The fortress sits on the very top of a hill. Start here to ensure that the rest of your tour will be mostly downhill.
Lying in the northwestern most portion of the peninsula, El Morro was built to defend the bay of San Juan. El Morro is one of two historical forts that are part of the San Juan National Historical Site, which is run by the National Park System.
We loved seeing the views of San Juan and the coast from the top of the fort. Plan to spend 30-45 minutes exploring the structures and climbing the walls of the fort.
There is an entrance fee to get into the park, save your ticket because it will also get you into the second fort on this tour. We were able to use our National Parks Interagency Annual Pass to get in for free.
Capilla del Cementerio Santa MarÃa
While you are at Castillo San Felipe del Morro, check out the cemetery at the bottom of the hill.
One of the most scenic cemeteries in the world, Capilla del Cementerio Santa MarÃa sits right on the water with amazing views of San Juan. The locals know it as the “Old San Juan Cemetery”.
At the time it was built in the late 1800s, the local Spanish government viewed death with fear and mystery that they decided to build the cemetery facing out to the Atlantic Ocean to symbolize the spirit’s journey of “crossing-over” after death.
Old San Juan cemetery is the final resting place of many notable Puerto Ricans.
If you get lucky, you may even get a picture with the locals – the iguanas.
Cuartel de Ballajá
Sudden and quick rain showers are very common in the Caribbean – Puerto Rico not excluded. Looking back, it would have been an awesome idea to pack an umbrella. But, we did not.
As we were being dropped off by our Uber driver near Castillo San Felipe del Morro, the heavens opened up. Fortunately, our Uber driver quickly pointed us in the direction of Cuartel de Ballajá to seek shelter from the rain. Also, I must say that every local we encountered on our trip was both extremely friendly & helpful.
This plaza is home to a few restaurants and even Don Ruiz, a local coffee shop where they roast their own coffee beans. I’m not a coffee drinker myself, but my husband will tell you that their coffee was very good!
Not to mention that this plaza is a great place to grab an Instagram picture or two. Cuartel de Ballajá is worth a stop during your visit to the fort.
The Alley Behind Hotel El Convento
One of the most Instagrammed spots in Old San Juan, the alleyway behind Hotel El Convento is a key stop on all Old San Juan tours. Here you can snap a quick picture and appreciate the beautiful architecture and colors of Old San Juan.
The Streets Around Plaza de la Catedral
I’m not going to lie, just about all of the streets in Old San Juan are bright and beautiful but the streets near Plaza de la Catedral (also adjacent to Hotel El Convento) are especially picturesque.
Plan to spend a while meandering through these residential streets admiring all of the color and architecture.
Keep your eye out for stray cats. We saw dozens of cats sunbathing in this area.
Calle de la Fortaleza
Next, slowly make your way down to Calle de la Fortaleza.
Typically known as the “Umbrella Street”, Calle de la Fortaleza ends at the governor’s mansion. It did not have umbrellas when we visited but had this huge and just as “photo-worthy” Puerto Rican flag.
I’m not sure if the Puerto Rican flag is a temporary feature used in celebration of Puerto Rico’s San Sebastián Street Festival which started a couple of days after we left or it is a more permanent addition to Calle de la Fortaleza.
Either way, whether you see umbrellas or the large flag, Calle de la Fortaleza is a must-see on your San Juan walking tour.
Historical Puerto Rican Flag Door
You can find this historical flag door at 51 Calle San José. The flag was previously painted the traditional Puerto Rican colors of red, white, and blue. However, in July of 2016, the door was painted black and white as a sign of resistance against a U.S. imposed oversight board. The door is now seen as a “flag in mourning”.
Puerto Rican Flag Door / Calle Imperial
Next up is another Puerto Rican flag door. Located only a couple of blocks from the flag door on Calle San José, this newer flag door mural does include the traditional red, white, and blue colors.
I have to say, this door was not easy to find. I had seen pictures of this mural on Pinterest and Instagram but had trouble finding the location. After a lot of internet research and strolling the streets of Old San Juan, we finally located this iconic flag door.
This flag door is found on Calle Imperial. On Google Maps, this location is titled Callejon de la Puerta Bandera.
Castillo de San Cristóbal
After leaving Calle Imperial, walk down Calle Norzagaray towards Castillo de San Cristóbal. This is our second fortress of the tour. Don’t forget to use your ticket from El Morro or your National Parks Pass for entry.
Because it is very similar to El Morro, we did not spend a lot of time at this fort.
But if you are looking for things to do here, make sure you check out the dungeon and tunnels under the fort. Also, the fort has a short informational film to watch, available in the visitor center.
And this concludes our colorful walking tour of Old San Juan! Let me know in the comments below if you found this information helpful.
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