What to do when your cruise ship arrives at our docks: A look at Old San Juan

At Seafarers’ House Puerto Rico, we enjoy your visit, but we also encourage that you visit Old San Juan to get a taste of our rich Puerto Rican culture. In this article, we suggest some things to do while your cruise docks at the pier before or after leaving our center.

Despite the pandemic, businesses and attractions in Old San Juan have made efforts to follow COVID-19 measures and protocols to help maintain active tourism and enjoyment for both locals and tourists.

Old San Juan or "The Colonial City" was founded in 1512 by Juan Ponce De Leon. During that time, its purpose was for military emplacement, which is why The Morro and Fort San Cristobal were built. Currently, it is a tourist area where people come to visit museums, bars, restaurants, and to exercise or just walk and enjoy the view.

We know that for seafarers, the time they have in which they can appreciate the Old San Juan area is limited between enjoying their free time or using it to run errands. While they are always welcome to hang out at our center, we encourage them to also explore the attractions of Old San Juan and get a taste of the Puerto Rican culture we love so much.

Before we start with our recommendations about attractions and places to visit, it is important to know that in Puerto Rico, most places ask for a vaccination card or a negative COVID-19 test of 72 hours or less. This is done to preserve the health of employees, local visitors, and the health of visiting tourists.

To begin, the Escambrón beach is frequented by locals and tourists and is located at the entrance of Old San Juan. This beach is very family friendly, since it is calm, and the water is serene. It also has lifeguard services and snorkeling for those who want to appreciate the coral reefs.

Another activity you can do is to walk around Old San Juan and appreciate its architecture. Especially the Paseo de la Princesa that ends at the San Juan Gate. On this promenade, there are days when you can find vendors selling artisan crafts and local food for everyone to enjoy.

While walking the streets of Old San Juan, you can visit San Sebastián Street where there is a diversity of bars and restaurants. If your interest is visiting museums, we recommend visiting the Cuartel Ballajá to visit the Museo de las Américas de Puerto Rico at a low cost and learn about the history of the Americas through different exhibits.

Likewise, if you want to learn more about Puerto Rican history, visit the Castillo San Cristobal, the largest castle built in the New World and you can see it for a low cost. If you want to visit the castle, but don't have time to tour it in its entirety, I recommend Castillo San Felipe del Morro. Although if you don't want to go inside, the place has a huge lawn where people usually have picnics, go kite flying or just enjoy the breeze.

If you are hungry, within walking distance of Seafarers' House San Juan there are several restaurants such as La Madre, which is a Mexican restaurant, Sofia's, which is Italian, EÑE, which has a varied menu, and many other delicious options are available.

When you come to Seafarers' House San Juan, feel free to ask any of our concierges about more places to recommend or if you need any arrangements to visit any of them.

10 TOP Things to Do in San Juan Antiguo (2021 Attraction & Activity Guide): Expedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.expedia.com/Things-To-Do-In-San-Juan-Antiguo.d6004934.Travel-Guide Activities

San Juan, Puerto Rico – La Ciudad Amurallada. (2020, September 23). Retrieved from https://boricuaonline.com/san-juan-pr/