The capital city of San Juan is divided into the old and the new. The old part was founded in 1521 and is now officially declared a National Historic Zone, and many 16th- and 17th-century buildings have been restored and refurbished in the original Spanish style. This part of the city boasts many shops, restaurants, art galleries and museums. The Pablo Casals Museum has manuscripts and photographs relating to the work of the famous cellist. Videotapes of performances from past Casals festivals (held every June) can be viewed on request. Casa de los Contrafuertes houses the African Heritage Museum. Casa del Callejón is a traditional Spanish-style home, which holds the Museum of Colonial Architecture and the Museum of the Puerto Rican Family. Casa del Libro holds a rare collection of early manuscripts and books, some dating back to the 15th century. The San Juan Museum of Art and History was built in 1855 as a market and restored in 1979 as a cultural center where the patio is often used for concerts. Plaza de San José, at the ‘top’ of old San Juan and marked by a statue of Juan Ponce de León, is a picturesque area of small museums and pleasant cafes. Other places of interest in Old San Juan include El Morro (a 16th-century Spanish fortress) and the 18th-century fort of San Cristobal, built in 1771. Both buildings are perched on clifftops at the tip of a peninsula. El Morro, in particular, has many exhibits documenting Puerto Rico’s role in the discovery of the New World and was instrumental in the defense of San Juan in the 16th century and its continuing survival.
Casa Blanca, dating from 1523, was built as a home for Ponce de León, and the Dominican Convent (also started in 1523) now houses the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. La Fortaleza, completed in 1540, is now the Governor’s residence – the oldest of its kind in the Western hemisphere. The old San Juan City Wall, dating from the 1630s, was built by the Spanish and it follows the peninsula contour, providing picturesque vantage points for viewing Old San Juan and the sea. San Juan Cathedral, originally built in the 1520s, was completely restored in 1977. San José Church is the second-oldest church in the Western hemisphere – Ponce de León’s body was interred here until the early 20th century. The Alcaldía, or City Hall, was built between 1604 and 1789. The Casino (not to be confused with gambling clubs) is a beautiful building dating from 1917. Recently refurbished, the rich interior boasts marble floors, exquisite plasterwork and 4.7m (12ft) chandeliers.