By Soren Rivero
Puerto Rico is a Caribbean Island that boasts a vast amount of history and culture, which makes it bound to have some incredible landmarks worth visiting. To help guide you, here are 10 of the most popular landmarks to visit in Puerto Rico!
Old San Juan
An absolute must-visit if you take a trip to Puerto Rico is the beloved Old San Juan. This seemingly ancient city is definitely worth your time as you can’t see anything like it anywhere else in Puerto Rico. Part of what makes this place so special (besides its vast beauty) is that it serves as a reminder of how much Spanish influence the island of Puerto Rico actually holds. Walking through the city, you’ll be surrounded by dozens of cobblestone streets and buildings made of brick and stone that date back to the 16th century. Old San Juan also houses some of San Juan’s more popular monuments and buildings, such as La Fortaleza and San Juan Cathedral.
Paseo de la Princesa
Often regarded as a contender for the most beautiful walkways in the world, the Paseo de la Princesa is a promenade located on San Juan’s most southwestern tip. Paseo de La Princesa translates to “walkway of the princess” and was dedicated to La Princesa. Visitors can marvel at the beautiful walls that once protected the city, enjoy extravagant views of San Juan bay, and admire numerous sculptures lined across the walkway. There’s even plenty of art shops and food stalls available!
San Juan National Historic Site
Puerto Rico’s prized World Heritage Site, this giant collection of historically significant buildings rests on the northern part of San Juan. It was used as Spain’s primary passageway through the Caribbean, which made trade much easier. It’s within these walls that you’ll find over a dozen important monuments to Puerto Rico such as Castillo San Cristobal and Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
As part of the San Juan National Historic Site, Castillo San Felipe del Morro is on the southern end of San Juan and originally acted as a military fortress to protect the city. This fortress is the sister of another popular fortress that protects the city, San Cristobal, though del Morro was constructed over 70 years prior. By visiting del Morro, you can get amazing views of the city unlike anywhere else!
Raices Fountain
Definitely worth a visit during the night time, especially if you like scenic views, is the Raices Fountain located on the far-off edge of el Paseo de la Princesa. Featured in this fountain are three different people, which honors the island’s influence from Spanish, African, and the indigenous Taino heritages. The Raices Fountain was constructed in 1992 as a way to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the ‘founding of the Americas’ by European colonization.
La Fortaleza
La Fortaleza is the oldest military fort built in Puerto Rico by Spanish colonizers in the 15th century. Its architectural design is a clear indicator that it was used primarily for military and government purposes rather than lavish living, despite it being the home of the governor of Puerto Rico since the beginning of Spanish rule. La Fortaleza was such an important part of Spanish influence that it eventually became its own UNESCO world heritage site.
Museo Castillo Serrallés
Museo Castillo Serrallés is a Spanish revival style home built in the 1930s by the Serrallés family. It’s located in Ponce, Puerto Rico and overlooks the downtown area. Within the mansion is a Japanese garden, a butterfly nursery, the Vigía Cross, and plenty of other scenic rooms which often host events.
El Yunque Rainforest
El Yunque Rainforest is the only officially recognized rainforest in Puerto Rico’s rainforest system. Due to the size of the island itself, El Yunque is also one of the smallest rainforests in the world. It spans barely over 28,000 acres but is still filled with exotic scenery and comprises most of the island’s unique biolife, including the coquí species of frog. Reservations must be made in advance to visit, so be sure to check in ahead of time!
San Juan Cathedral
San Juan Cathedral is one of Puerto Rico’s most deeply-cherished religious sites, and for good reasons. It’s the second oldest church throughout the entirety of the Western Hemisphere, first constructed in the 1500s. The original name (also still used by Puerto Ricans in today’s time) is Catedral de San Juan Bautista, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It’s also the seat of the Archdiocese of Puerto Rico and the resting place of Ponce de Leon.
La Rogativa
When English forces invaded La Puerta in 1797, they were met with a determined crowd of thousands holding torches and praying to God. The invaders mistook this for a strategic act of deception and fled from the city – little did they know, the Puerto Rican forces actually used this as a last resort. La Rogativa is a sculpture of four people holding up torches and religious items near the borders of La Puerta. The monument has a great view of San Juan Bay, which makes for excellent photos and even better reflective thinking.
