Travel Guide San Juan

Founded by Spanish settlers in 1521, San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, is undoubtedly the country's most important city. Its international airport, the most important on the island, makes it the main gateway to and from the nation puerto Rican. Its historic district of Viejo San Juan conceals architectural treasures from the colonial era that should not be missed under any circumstances. The number, excellent state of preservation or restoration of old houses and highly coloured monuments makes it one of the most beautiful urban testimonies of the colonial period in the Caribbean. A real open-air museum.San Juan is also the ideal starting point to plan and finalize the organization of a stay in Puerto Rico. A capital city, it hosts the headquarters of the main travel agencies, banks, airlines and tour operators. It is a real mix between a Hispanic colonial influence and modern American times visible in the Condado or Isla Verde districts, which make San Juan a unique Caribbean city. Today, the capital has a population of approximately 395,000. With the exception of the Old San Juan district, the city presents itself to visitors with a very Americanized face. It's almost like a big city in Florida. It is not only in Hato Rey's business district that buildings are looking to scratch the sky. In the highly touristic districts of Condado or Isla Verde, with each new construction, the hotel towers seem to want to dominate the city one after the other. Consumption has won people over. Shopping centres and fast food restaurants have indeed become established and in large numbers. Fortunately, the capital's beautiful and relatively clean beaches offer a breath of fresh air.