San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan is a major port and tourist resort of the West Indies and is the oldest city under the U.S flag. The metropolitan area known as San Juan has 3 distinct areas: Old San Juan, the New San Juan, and other outlying communities, the most important: Río Piedras, Hato Rey, Puerta de Tierra, and Santurce. The old part of San Juan was founded in 1521 and is now officially declared a National Historic Zone. Many 16th- and 17th-century buildings have been restored and refurbished in the original Spanish style. This part of the city boasts many shops, restaurants, art galleries and museums.

New San Juan is connected to the old town by a narrow neck of land, and modern architecture has flourished in recent years. In the sophisticated areas of Condado and Isla Verde, are glittering hotels; flashy, Las Vegas-style shows, casinos and discos. The Botanical Gardens are worth visiting. A bay cruise is also available, which offers excellent views of the city. El Yunque, east of the capital, is a 28,000-acre rainforest (with over 240 species of trees) and bird sanctuary. It is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System and is located in the Luquillo Mountains.

Things to See & Do

* Visit Old San Juan
* Quincentennial Square
* Munoz Riveria Park
* Visit the many Forts - e.g. San Cristobal Fort
* Casa Alcaldia - San Juan's City Hall

Cruise Season - Jan - Dec
Currency - US dollars (USD)
Language - Spanish and English
Land Area - 8959 sq km's
Population - 445,000
Electricity - 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style or with a round pin below
Time - GMT minus four hours
International Country Telephone Code - 1 + 787

Port Location - Most ships will dock at one of the berths directly in Old San Juan. Occasionally ships will dock at Frontier Pier, about a 10 minute taxi ride from Old San Juan, or at the Pan-American Pier, which is about 15 minutes away from Old San Juan. Metered taxis are readily available at all ports.

Transport Links - Luis Muñoz Marín International airport is 14km (9 miles) northeast of San Juan and offers flights to and from a number of US cities and London.

Getting around San Juan is quite easy on foot, however a service called a línea will pick up and drop off passengers where they wish. Líneas operate between San Juan and most towns, at a fixed rate. Special black and white Tourist Taxis exist. These are part of the Tourist Taxi Program, and charge set rates for travel between the airport and major tourist sites. Car hire is available at the airport and city agencies. San Juan has local bus services (Guaguas) and there are bus terminals in Bayamón, Catano, Country Club and Rio Piedras, as well as the capital. There are also coach services offering sightseeing tours.