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Walk Into 500 Years of History. San Juan National Historic Site preserves stories of great ambition and aspirations. Countries fought for control of this tiny yet strategic island for centuries. Generations of soldiers have lived and worked within the forts.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro (also known as “El Morro”), perhaps the most iconic fortification built by the Spanish in the Americas, covers a 140 foot-high promontory at the entrance to the Bay of San Juan.
Covering 27 acres, San Cristóbal is the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World. See where the first shots of the Spanish-American War were fired and be sure to visit the overlook for the Devil's Sentry Box or the "Garita del Diablo", from which, according to legends, soldiers mysteriously disappeared.
San Juan National Historic Site is one of the over 400 parks of the National Park Service. It includes Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Castillo San Cristóbal, most of the city walls, the San Juan Gate and Fort San Juan de la Cruz just across the entrance to the bay.
The main plaza of San Cristóbal was the heart of the fort. It is where troops drilled, were inspected and assembled for formal events. Eleven casemates border the plaza. Casemates are large vaulted, bombproof rooms designed with gun ports for cannon.
In 1983, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) identified La Fortaleza (the Puerto Rican Governor’s residence) and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico as a protected World Heritage Site.
Come experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply). Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates: Monday, January 15 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
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Designated a World Heritage Site, the Spanish system of fortifications in San Juan, Puerto Rico is the oldest European construction in the United States and one of the oldest in the New World.
Key to the Caribbean. On November 19, 1493, Puerto Rico was discovered by Europeans, by Italian explorer and colonizer Christopher Columbus on his second voyage westwards. But it was not until August 1508, when Juan Ponce de León discovered the San Juan Bay, dubbing the area, puerto rico.