Castillo San Cristóbal-San Juan, Puerto Rico

Another adventure from our honeymoon was visiting Castillo San Cristóbal which is part of the San Juan National Historic Site. This was part of a guided tour we scheduled to visit here and Casa Bacardi. Before going to Puerto Rico, I had no real knowledge of the country's history or what there was to do on the island. I could tell you the very basics about the Commonwealth (yep, they are a Commonwealth and a US territory), and prior to going I was busy with wedding planning and starting a new job. 

Our guide was a local and very knowledgeable about Castillo San Cristóbal and about the Commonwealth itself. We learned interesting tidbits that would take to much time to write here. Now onto the point of this post... the location. San Cristóbal stands guard st the eastern gate and built in 1634. This was to protect the land entrance to Old San Juan. This is largest fortifications that was built by the Spanish in the New World covering 27 acres. When you visit make sure you have some good walking shoes. 

I love going to places and trying to picture what it was like back during its prime. (I know, I know... history nerd!) Our guide took us through the fort and we went into the Dungeon. Inside here there is no window, so that means there is no light or air coming in. A group of us were in here for maybe 5+ mins and we were sweating I can only imagine what the actual prisoners felt like. On the wall there is some ancient graffiti of ships and mierda (sh!t) written on the walls. Not everyone agrees that prisoners were kept in this room, but chose what you wish to believe. Someone had to of been kept there in my opinion. 

Leaving the fort, it is massive.  

The fort has a presence in this city still to this day- now only has a landmark but a unique look into the history. The first shots of the Spanish-American War were fired here. Now the city does have a better known fortification, El Morro, which protected the city from sea attacks. A post will follow on there as well. 

The fortification is open daily from 9am to 6pm.

Cathedral of San Juan Bautista-San Juan, Puerto Rico

Let me start off by saying that San Juan, Puerto Rico is a beautiful place. I would go back there any day! We went for our honeymoon 2 years ago, and I think this may be one of the best trips by far that we've taken. We did take a guided tour while on the island, but one day we decided that we would walk around in Old San Juan and we came across the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista. (I usually link to the direct site, but their site appears to be down. Here is a link to an official Puerto Rico site instead.)

The cathedral is one of the oldest buildings in San Juan, located in Old San Juan, and is the second oldest cathedral in the Americas.The church was built in 1521 originally with wood. It was destroyed by a hurricane and rebuilt with stones. It has survived many hurricanes and was last updates in 1917. The inside is simple yet beautiful. To my knowledge, there is no ac, but they do have fans pointed at the pews to provide some circulation.

The one standout feature to me other than the Gothic style architecture was the stained glass windows. They are a site to see in it self. Pictured to the right is my favorite in the building. The light coming in on the stained glass shows the picture so clearly. Now, I did mention the architecture-- make sure if you go to look up! I don't wanna overload this post with pictures, so you will just have to go see for yourself! 

Inside you can also the tomb of Juan de Ponce and the mummy of St. Pio. You can attend mass here Saturdays at 7 pm, Sunday at 9 and 11 am, and weekdays 7:25 am and 12:15 pm.

 For more information, call 787-722-0861. The church is open daily from 8 am - 4 pm (Sunday until 2 pm). (Please call and check times for accuracy. These times were taken from here.)