Devil's sentry box
On the sea's edge.
Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · P. Hughes — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Todd Van Hoosear — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue — CC BY 2.0
The largest fortification the Spanish built in the New World, guarding Old San Juan from the landward side at its eastern end. Work began in 1634 after English and Dutch attacks on the city, and it grew for about a century and a half into a vast fortress of walls, batteries and moats spreading over some eleven hectares. Visitors walk its high gun platforms, enter dark tunnels and refurnished soldiers' rooms, and reach the Garita del Diablo, the «devil's sentry box», a small lonely watchtower on the sea's edge with tales of soldiers who vanished there. Its walls give wide views over the ocean, the white domed Capitol building that houses the legislature, and the old city's rooftops. It is less crowded than El Morro, making a calm start to a day in the city. Its ticket is the same as El Morro's, and both forts are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sun is strong all year, so carry water, a hat and sunscreen.
On the sea's edge.
Dark passages.
Capitol and ocean.
Eastern edge of Old San Juan
Old San Juan and La FortalezaThe historic quarter of Puerto Rico's capital and the island's oldest settlement8 minutes walk
Paseo de la Princesa and the City WallsA nineteenth-century promenade about eight hundred metres long, running along Sa9 minutes walk4.7
El Morro FortressPuerto Rico's most famous landmark, a massive stone fortress on a rocky headland18 minutes walk4.7San Cristóbal sits near the old city's entrance and is quieter in the morning; then walk through the streets to El Morro on the same ticket.