Many cities on the planet have beautiful symbolic names, for example, the capital of Puerto Rico, the beautiful city of San Juan, is named after one of the most famous Christian saints - John the Baptist.
One of the oldest
It is clear that the name of the city comes from the Spanish language, and the founders of the city are the Spanish colonialists. The first name practically did not differ from the modern name of the state - "City of Puerto Rico" and meant "rich port" in Spanish. Soon the residents of the capital will celebrate a very significant date - the five hundredth anniversary of the foundation.
The capital is not only the oldest city in Puerto Rico, it is older in age than many American cities, to the founding of which colonists from Europe had a hand. Older in this part of the world is only the city of Santo Domingo, which is located on the territory of the Dominican Republic.
Historically significant sites
Since the capital of Puerto Rico has such a venerable age, historical buildings and structures have been preserved in the city. The most notable among them are those that were built to defend the settlement of colonists from external enemies in the first place - Fort San Felipe del Moro and Fort San Cristobal.
The history of the capital began with the Spanish colony, but it cannot be said that the settlers lived easily and simply in the conquered territories. First, the peaceful indigenous population very soon began to understand for what purposes the uninvited guests appeared here. Secondly, the port of San Juan, which transported a lot of expensive and valuable cargo, became the target of pirates of all stripes and colonists from other countries. The city has survived attacks by the British, Dutch and Americans.
Hospitable San Juan
The modern capital of Puerto Rico does not want to participate in hostilities, on the contrary, it seeks to create a friendly, hospitable image, all areas of the tourism business are actively developing.
Today you can take a walk with a tour of the historical center, where cobbled streets, picturesque architectural structures and houses built by the colonialists have been preserved. The preserved forts and La Fortaleza, one of the oldest mansions in the Puerto Rican capital, deserve special attention.
