World Travel Guide: Travel destinations - |
|
Travel Guide (Home) |
One of the most used departure ports for cruise ships in the Caribbean is San Juan in Puerto Rico. We decided to arrive a day early to San Juan in order to see some sights before our cruise ship departure.
San Juan, known as 'La Ciudad Amurallada' (the walled city), was founded in 1521 and is the oldest city under the US flag. During the 16th century, the Spanish used it as a point of departure for expeditions to the New World. Fortifications in the Old San Juan section of the city repulsed numerous attacks from the English and the Dutch during those years. Today, Old San Juan is a charming seven square block commercial and residential area with cobblestone streets.
The cruise ship terminal is actually located near the south side of Old San Juan, so instead of booking a hotel in the beach resort area of San Juan, we decided to book one right in the old section for close proximity to the terminal as well as the local sights. The $17 US taxi ride from San Juan's airport to Old San Juan was about half an hour. During the ride, I was impressed by how developed the city was compared to many other cities I've visited in the Caribbean.
The beach high-rise hotels along the north side of San Juan were visible from the highway. Our stay for the night was at the Hotel Milano which is right on Calle Fortaleza, which is one of the major commercial streets in Old San Juan. The hotel was clean and comfortable but not luxurious which was okay with us as the price was very affordable. Its quality was probably comparable to a Travelodge or Days Inn. A very pleasant surprise was the free continental breakfast at the hotel's rooftop restaurant. It gave a nice view of the neighborhood from the top.
We spent the day and evening walking the many cobblestone streets and alleys in the area. There are over 400 restored colonial buildings from the 16th and 17th century here. There were also several plaza squares and parks. One of the nicest services offered in Old San Juan is a free shuttle bus which covers two different routes through the district. There was a bus stop about half a block away from our hotel which was very convenient.
Riding on the shuttle buses through both routes gave us a good overview of Old San Juan. We were able to stop off at several points of interest including the huge El Morro fort. After our visits to each attraction, we just had to wait for the next bus to come by to continue our tour. In the evening, we did get lost while walking since many of the streets look very similar. But with our map, we eventually found our way back to the street where the Hotel Milano was.
We decided to dine at one of the nearby restaurants for authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and were not disappointed. My lady especially adored the two different plantains we ordered.
When it was time to go to the cruise ship terminal, we just took a short five minute ride from our hotel. Our short stay in Old San Juan was definitely worthwhile and hassle free.
A stay in Old San Juan is highly recommended for those who will be taking a Caribbean cruise with San Juan as the departure point. The only disappointment I had with San Juan was that I was hoping to do some scuba diving in the area but from the reports I read, the waters off the city are quite murky with limited marine life to see. This is likely the result of San Juan being such a busy port. The decent scuba diving sites are about 2 hours east of San Juan. So perhaps in a return trip to Puerto Rico, I will plan to make a trip to the east part of the island.
| ©2005 Clint Leung. All rights reserved. |
Perched atop the Sierra Nevada is the world's second largest alpine lake, Lake Tahoe.
Vacation rentals in Lake Tahoe are situated in the midst of all major attractions such as world-class ski resorts, magnificent golf courses and excellent casinos. Lake Tahoe vacation rentals offers you a wide range of vacation homes ranging from affordable vacation rental homes to luxurious condos in both the regions of North Lake Tahoe and South Lake Tahoe. Straddled by California and Nevada on each end, a vacation home in Lake Tahoe is the best way to enjoy a perfect vacation. Whether you are a water sport
Read this article in full
A classic Mediterranean cruise visits major port cities located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the countries of Spain, France, Italy, Monaco, Greece and Turkey and the islands of Malta, Crete and Sicily. Some cruises also include stops in Egypt. The Mediterranean cruise season is April to November when the weather is generally sunny and mild. Many cruise lines sail the Mediterranean and while there is most likely a cruise that appeals to any style and budget, we’ll focus on luxury cruises here.
Radisson Seven Seas is a luxury carrier in the small cruise
line category. As such, a small number of passengers (only 198
to
Read this article in full
One can get a taste of old Europe right in North America when
visiting Québec City in Canada. Québec City is the capital of the
province of Québec. It can be easily reached by a short flight
from points in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.
It is a three hour drive from Montreal. The high season is the
summer when visitors from all over the world visit. Recently, the
number of tourists from the United States and Europe has
increased dramatically. This may be partly due to the fact that
even some cruise ships originating from eastern US ports are now
including Québec City as a port
Read this article in full
Nature teaches me, and that's what I write about. My first great lesson from nature was in the summer of '88 while on a weekend motorcycle trip with my new husband, Leonard. We visited Brownville and Auburn Nebraska, known for Indian Caves, local theatre and antique shops.
We stayed in a small locally owned motel adjacent to Rotary Park,
which was a gift from the local Rotary Club. It has a small
wandering lake surrounded by grass, trees, park benches and
ducks. We walked out to the park with journals in hand to have
quiet time to write and relax. I took a park bench near the
water's edge. Although
Read this article in full
When traveling it is essential to plan ahead, so when you arrive at your destination, you lessen the chances of being at a loss of what to do. Knowledge gained from other's travels can be invaluable, especially when planning to travel to somewhere you have never been before. The advice on this page is helpful to everyone planning a trip to Costa Rica.
The money used in Costa Rica is called colons. You can change dollars into colons at the airports in San Jose and local banks. The exchange rates can be from the low 200s to 400s colons
Read this article in full
 |
Download free Falls of Clyde Screensaver | |
 |
Travel Guide store | |
 |
Travel News | |
 |
Subscribe to News Feed [Disclaimer] |
We support this site using affiliate marketing as a way to earn revenue. All the ads, and many of the links mentioning other products, services, or websites are special links that earn us a commission when you use or pay for their product/service.
Please do not use our site if this alarms you.
