El Morro, officially known as Fuerte San Felipe del Morro, sits atop a high promontory overlooking the entrance to San Juan Bay. It is the result of the efforts of many different Spanish engineers over a period of more than 200 years and is one of the largest forts built by the Spaniards in the Caribbean. Although the foundations were laid in 1539, the six-level fort was not considered completed until 1787. During World War II, the U.S. government added an annex of its own design on top of the fort.

This massive structure suffered countless attacks from the likes of Sir Francis Drake in 1595 and the Dutch fleet in 1625. In 1898 American ships fired on it during the Spanish-American War, destroying its lighthouse, which was later restored. Visit hidden passages, aim your camera on the cannons that still guard the harbor, and gaze over the 60-foot tall walls at the ocean. Stroll on the lawns where soldiers once marched and watch the children flying their kites in the afternoon sea breezes.

The fort can be explored everyday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from June to November and 9:00 am to 6:00 pm December to May either on your own or on one of the ranger programs that take you through the fortification and out onto the picturesque garitas, or lookout towers. El Morro is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site in the U. S. National Park Service. Fort San Felipe del Morro is part of San Juan National Historic Site, a unit of the US National Park Service and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fort San Cristóbal stands guard at where once was the eastern gate to the walled city of Old San Juan. Construction on the fort was begun in 1634 and finished in 1790, although modifications were made well into the 18th Century.Its better-known sister fort, El Morro, was designed to protect the city from attacks by sea; San Cristóbal guarded from approaches by land. If you are interested in history, enjoy a walk on the ramparts, where half a millennium ago Spanish soldiers held their watch.

If you love to photograph spectacular views, this fort is a goldmine for you, with its panoramic view of the coast from Old San Juan to Condado and beyond.

Wear comfortable shoes! Covering 27 acres, this is the largest fort built by the Spanish in the New World. Guided tours will show you where the first shots of the Spanish-American War were fired and will reveal part of its intricate defense system, designed by two Irishmen in the employ of the Spanish crown. Don’t miss the "Garita del Diablo", a sentry box that, according to one legend, devoured soldiers sent there on guard. A labyrinth of tunnels crisscrosses deep under ground where the dungeons are located, and the outside walls fall 150 feet straight onto the rocks of the north shore.

San Cristóbal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site under the U.S. National Park Service. The fort is open to the public daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from June to November and 9:00 am to 6:00 pm December to May.

Gothic churches are rare in the New World, but Puerto Rico has two: Porta Coeli, built in 1606 in San Germán, and San José, built in the 1530’s in Old San Juan. The honor of being the first church on the islandand perhaps the oldest church in the western hemisphere goes to the San Juan Cathedral down the street from San José,although the original building was blown away in a hurricane and the current cathedral structure dates from the 1800’s.

San José Church began life as a Dominican monastery and chapel dedicated to Saint Thomas Aquinas, and was renamed by the Jesuits who took it over in 1865.

By whatever name, San José is a remarkable place. Architecture buffs will be impressed by its gothic details. History and art fans will note that Puerto Rico's first governor, Juan Ponce de Léon (of Fountain of Youth fame) donated the wooden 16th century crucifix. The 15th century altar was brought to San Juan from Cadiz, Spain.

Puerto Rico’s most distinguished artist, José Campeche, is buried here. Juan Ponce de Len was originally laid to rest here but his remains were moved to a more elegant setting in the San Juan Cathedral. His coat of arms marks a wall, however, and his statue, cast from the bronze of cannons captured from the British in 1797, stands in the middle of a little plaza in front of the church.

Be sure to visit the Dominican Convent next door. Built in 1523 on land donated by Ponce de León, it has been a convent, barracks, and U.S. military headquarters. It is now the home of the Puerto Rico Institute of Culture and hosts many concerts and exhibitions.