The city of old San Juan for centuries stood as a military stronghold that defended the city from attacks of pirates and other European countries. Today an amazing historical town stands on a small inlet that overlooks the adorned colorful buildings with the splendor and architectural beauty. A blend of old colorful structures and elegance of old San Juan is what sets apart this magical city from any other Caribbean island. The decorative Spanish tiles and curvy staircases eloquently complementing one another. Old town is the city that serves as the perfect and most suited destination for and authentic blend of rich Puerto-Rican food. This five century old city is simply a mirror that reflex's cities such as Barcelona and Cartagena. It forms the bond that unites us all in a rich culture that feeds on all aspects of traditions and more important a language that embodies a dialect with a blend of African and Taino phrases.
And last, La plaza Colon, a beautifully adored square surrounded by a cluster of buildings preserved in a history that stems beyond than just the rising statue of Cristobal Columbus. The invigorating history of a man, a navigator who sailed five centuries ago becoming the first European to discover the new continent. The three famous caravels shown above, La Nina, La pinta, La Santa Maria. It was on November 19th, 1493, on the second voyager when Christobal Columbus landed in Borinquen and discovered the island and named it San Juan Bautista.
La plaza Santiago once had stood a statue of Conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon, but in 1893 the statue was replaced by Christobal colon. Today Juan Ponce de Leon sculpture, who once had governed the island of Puerto Rico is observed at the very peak of the hilltop across Plaza San Jose. During Colonial time, the gate of Santiago allowed access for merchants and civilians becoming the only rising entrance to access the city by land. In Spanish It was nicknamed " Puerta de Tierra" and after ensuing years of military conflicts to defend the San Juan city, in 1897 the time had arrived to demolish the Santiago gate and other important defenses that played out a vital role to a long-lasting history stemming from its early foundation in 1521.
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