The San Juan City Walls

San Juan was walled from the sixteenth century and the circuit that survives, built up over two hundred years, runs about three kilometres in sandstone blocks up to twelve metres thick at the base. Most of the landward wall came down in 1897 when the city outgrew it, but the sea walls stand. The San Juan Gate, painted red, is the last of the original entrances and opens where dignitaries and cargo came ashore. From it the Paseo del Morro follows the base of the wall along the bay for about a kilometre and a half to the tip of the headland, a flat brick promenade with iguanas, pelicans and cats, and almost no one on it compared with the streets above.

What to look for

• The San Juan Gate - the red-painted last survivor of the original entrances.
• The Paseo del Morro - the promenade along the base of the sea wall.
• The garitas - the domed sentry boxes that became the island's emblem.
• La Fortaleza from below - the governor's house seen from the water side.

When to go

December to April is the pleasant season, and late afternoon is the best time on the Paseo del Morro when the wall throws shade and the light comes off the bay. The promenade is a dead end, so allow for walking back.

Good to know

The Paseo has no shade for much of its length and is punishing at midday. It ends at a locked gate below El Morro, so it is an out-and-back rather than a loop, which surprises people. Sections of the wall and promenade close for repair after storms.

Nearby

Old San Juan is directly above; La Fortaleza and El Morro are at either end.

Key facts