Why go
Start with Old San Juan for the harbor forts, walls, plazas and older streets. Santurce offers a different urban layer, including art museums and Art Deco architecture, while Hato Rey shows the city's more modern form. The contrast explains San Juan better than the colonial core alone.
What to look for
- Old San Juan's walls and forts face both the Atlantic and San Juan Bay.
- Santurce includes the Puerto Rico Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
- Hato Rey's modern buildings differ sharply from the masonry streets of the old city.
Useful to know
- Group Old San Juan's nearby forts and plazas together, then plan other districts as separate outings.
- Check the address before heading to a metropolitan-area sight; neighboring Carolina and Cataño are separate municipalities.