Tag Archives: Puerto Rico

View from Castillo San Cristóbal

One week after setting sail from Tenerife, Canary Islands, the Norwegian Epic stopped off in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since this trip was made in November, 2016, these images are, of course,  before Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Upon disembarking, our first order of business was to stroll across the small island where the cruise port lies to the largest Spanish fortress ever built in the New World — Castillo San Cristóbal. Today this fortress takes up 27 of the 75 acres included in the San Juan National Historic Site. That 27 acres, by the way, is after the 1897 demolition of approximately one third of the structure to free up land needed for streets.

Park entrance to Castillo San Cristóbal

The views from atop the fortress are stunning, and incorporate some really dramatic images of the surf raging along the northern shore of Puerto Rico.

View from Castillo San Cristóbal

Along the perimeter of the fort are many guerites — wall-mounted fortified sentry turrets.

Guerite protruding from Castillo San Cristóbal

Castillo San Cristóbal guerite

This fortress was completed in 1783. And, being a fortress, there is much in the architecture to remind the visitor of its defensive function.

Gun port at Castillo San Cristóbal

Castillo San Cristóbal cannonballs

On Wednesday we’ll take a look at other areas of Old San Juan. Until then, here are a few more photos of Castillo San Cristóbal:

Castillo San Cristóbal

Castillo San Cristóbal

Castillo San Cristóbal