Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Far from being just another drop-off point on a busy cruise ship itinerary, this is a city
that still lives: listen to the creaking rocking chairs on Calle de Sol, the clatter of dominos
in La Bombonera cafe or the spontaneous African drumming ritual echoing around Plaza
de Armas. Pure magic.
El Morro
FORT
(Fuerte San Felipe del Morro; San Felipe Fort;
Click here
; 787-729-7423;
www.nps.gov/saju
;
adult/child $3/free; 9am-6pm, free talks on the hour
10am-5pm)
A six-level fort with a gray, castellated lighthouse, El Morro juts aggressively
over Old San Juan's bold headlands, glowering across the Atlantic at would-be conquerors.
The 140ft walls (some up to 15ft thick) date back to 1539, and El Morro is said to be the
oldest Spanish fort in the New World. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in
1983.
The National Park Service (NPS) maintains this fort and the small military museum on
the premises. Displays and videos in Spanish and English document the construction of the
fort, which took almost 200 years, as well as El Morro's role in rebuffing the various at-
tacks on the island by the British and the Dutch, and later the US military.
The lighthouse on the 6th floor has been in operation since 1846 (although the tower it-
self dates from 1906), making it the island's oldest light station still in use today. After suf-
fering severe damage during a US navy bombardment during the 1898 SpanishAmerican
War, the original lighthouse was rebuilt with unique Spanish-Moorish features, a style that
blends in surprisingly well with the rest of the fort. Join a free
lighthouse talk ( Eng-
lish 2:30pm Sat, Spanish 2:30pm)
to learn more about the lighthouse and get the chance
to enter it (weather permitting). Arrive at least 30 minutes beforehand to get a spot.
If you do not join one of the free guided tours, at least try to make the climb up the
ramparts to the sentries' walks along the Sta Barbara Bastion and Austria Half-Bastion for
the views of the sea, the bay, Old San Juan, modern San Juan, El Yunque and the island's
mountainous spine.
On weekends, the fields leading up to the fort are alive with picnickers, lovers and kite
flyers. The scene becomes a kind of impromptu festival with food vendors' carts on the
perimeter.
Entry to both El Morro and Fuerte San Cristóbal costs $5.
