Tell me about walking to the forts

[kcbutterfly]

I've heard that it is possible to walk to the forts, but how long/bad is the walk? I know there is a free trolley service, but I've heard you usually have to wait a long time for it. So how long/bad is the walk to the forts? Are there things to stop and see along the way? We will be going in June, so it will be HOT. I would like to try La Bombonera for breakfast/brunch. Is it out of the way from the forts? Any info. about walking to the forts and around OSJ would be greatly appreciated. :)

[nytonowhere]

I've heard that it is possible to walk to the forts, but how long/bad is the walk? I know there is a free trolley service, but I've heard you usually have to wait a long time for it. So how long/bad is the walk to the forts? Are there things to stop and see along the way? We will be going in June, so it will be HOT. I would like to try La Bombonera for breakfast/brunch. Is it out of the way from the forts? Any info. about walking to the forts and around OSJ would be greatly appreciated. :)

 

 

To me neither were difficult walks, but i dont know what you condition is. I am 28 not in the greatest shape right now but i have no disabilities. The first time we were there it was in June and that is when we walked to Fort Morro, it really wasnt bad. Walking to Fort Morro you get to see more of the city and is a more interesting walk, you just walk along the outside of the wall along the shore until you get to the Gate and walk through, then walk through a few streets and you are there, im going to estimate it took us an hour to walk there with stopping and taking pics etc. You get to see fountians, a church, art work, architecture. Walking to Fort San Cristobal probably took like 20 minutes from the ship as it is straight up from the ship, the way we walked was not really interesting in anyway, on the way back we did walk through a square with a fountain and down some old cobble stone streets. We did catch the trolly and that is a great way to get around so if you happen to see one just jump on.

[lucy-ba-ducy]

We were there last week with the plan to walk to El Morro. From the cruise facility we turned left, bearing west. We followed Paseo de la Princesa to the walled walkway that partially encircles the W-NW section of OSJ. It is 1/2 - 3/4 miles to this point, much of it tree lined, thus shaded. The walled portion has little to no shade, but is a lovely walk. Within 1/4 - 1/2 miles you will come upon a gate with large, red doors. Go thru these doors and bear to the left if you would like to head straight to the Fort. We actually passed this gate and walked to the end of the path where we learned we could not enter the Fort, so we turned back around, about 1 - 1 1/2 mile round trip. We were not the only ones who were fooled, lol, but it was a nice walk, with informational displays about the construction of the wall and such. We saw many, many stray cats along the wall. Anyway, once thru the gate you will walk about 1/2 mile and then come to a great lawn in front of the Fort. This 1/2 mile is the only part of the walk that is uphill. It is mostly shaded and there is an area where you can stop and rest if need be. The lawn is a very pretty spot with dozens of kite flyers on the day we were there. Once inside the fort, there is a gift shop with bottled water, gatorade, etc. They sell these lovely water colors for like $15 - $30, but similar ones are sold in OSJ for $8 - $10. After exploring the fort, our plan was to head back thru the city. The free trolley pulls up to the front entrance, but was full each time we saw it. We left via the drive the trolley takes and headed into the city from there. We just kinda zig zagged our way back to the ship, along blue cobble stone streets with colorful homes w/ wrought iron balconies. There are numerous street vendors selling shaved ice or gelato for $2, as well as other stands featuring meats or baked potatos. I think this all took about 4 hours with plenty of time for picture taking, stopping in various shops, etc. I hope this helps you and that you enjoy you day as much as we did :)

[trish1c]

It's not that its far per se but it is UpHill.

You can look at all the city shops & the european style architecture on your walk.

Personally I'd take the trolley up & walk down. :)

[Devient Canuck]

A lot of opportunity for pictures up at the fort though. Well worth the uphill walk if mobility is not an issue.

[MagSeven1413]

Just take your time if you're walking to El Morro. There is so much to see in OSJ before you get to the fortress. You can walk through the city itself or you can walk down the Paseo de la Princesa and then along the old city walls.

There is an entrance to the city that will take you up to the Cathedral (which is an absolutely beautiful building in its own right). You can walk around the cathedral and take pictures. Also, about 1 1/2 blocks up the hill is my favorite little store - Don Collins Cigars. No matter the time of day, if you browse their cigars they will offer a little glass of their sipping rum.

If you choose to continue along the city walls, the path will take you to the fortress grounds. One thing - the fortress grounds is all open air so make sure you have water to stay hydrated.

There are plenty of street vendors that are selling shaved ice or water or gatorade.

I'm going to miss not seeing OSJ this year. :( We're going Western Caribbean.

[amapola]

I would like to try La Bombonera for breakfast/brunch. Is it out of the way from the forts?

 

If you want to stop at La Bombonera first, you need to walk through the city, not along the Paseo de la Princesa. From the ship, turn left and walk past the ferry terminal building. When you get to the last pier, cross the street and walk uphill (the bldg. where CVS is will be on your right). Keep on going north on Tanca Street for 3 blocks. Turn left on San Francisco St. It's easy to recognize because Tanca now ends there and you'll see a new plaza in front of you (still under construction, I think). La Bombonera will be on your right about halfway down the block. After breakfast, continue west towards Cristo Street (you'll go past City Hall and the town square). When you get to Cristo, turn right (uphill) and that will be the only steep portion of the walk. Go past the Cathedral, El Convento hotel, up a little more, past another square and San José church, which is undergoing repairs, and you'll see El Morro ahead and a little to your left. Go down the steps of the Plaza del Bicentenario and you'll be at the edge of El Morro grounds. It sounds complicated but if you look at a map of OSJ you'll see it's quite straightforward. The streets are for the most part laid out on a grid, so it's easy to find your way.

 

On the way back, ask the rangers to point you in the direction of the city gate and you'll walk on the roadway above the city walls, past the back entrance to the Governor's mansion, and turn right to leave the walled city. If you turn right, you'll be doing the (dead end) walk along the city walls to the base of El Morro. It's a very interesting walk, but by this time it'll probably be midday and the sun & heat can be brutal. If you're not up to it, turn left and walk towards Paseo de la Princesa and back to the ship.

 

As others have mentioned, there are lots of water, shaved ice (piragua) and ice cream vendors, so make sure you stay hydrated and wear sunscreen and a hat! :cool:

[welldone60]

We stayed in OSJ for 4 days pre-cruise and then a day post cruise. We found during the week the trolleys were easy to use and the wait was not to bad. But Fri, Sat & Sun it was really slow to get a trolly. Very crowded streets and the trollys were full.

So if you are there during the week, you could take a trolley to the forts and then walk back down through Old San Juan to the pier. There are two trolley routes, both go to the forts.

[dancing lady]

Just wondering if 2 females will feel safe in San Juan. Or would we be better off going on a ship's tour? Our ship is the only one in port that day from 1 - 11 P.M. We've never been there.

Thanks for your input.

 

Dancing Lady

[tinybabynurse]

Don't forget that the forts are part of the US National Parks System so don't forget your national parks pass, if you have one...

[nytonowhere]

Just wondering if 2 females will feel safe in San Juan. Or would we be better off going on a ship's tour? Our ship is the only one in port that day from 1 - 11 P.M. We've never been there.

Thanks for your input.

 

Dancing Lady

 

You will feel safe its like walking around any city...

[moran4carnival]

Does anyone have any pictures from going on the walk to the fort?

[Irishman45]

Are there alot of stairs on the walk along the wall from the pier to the fort? From the Red gate to the fort?

[nytonowhere]

Are there alot of stairs on the walk along the wall from the pier to the fort? From the Red gate to the fort?

 

Stairs? I dont think so..but you do walk uphill part of the time

[pshortie265]

The walk was beautiful. We spent so much time exploring the forts themselves we didn't have much time to explore as much as we wanted to. Certainly need to go back!

 

We used AAA's Old San Juan walking tour, with a few modifications (e.g. we got a little turned around). http://ww1.aaa.com/travel2/destination/travelGuideContent.xhtml?textLevel=1&lang=EN&recache=&legacyRefKey=&association=AAA&appcontext=aaaDotCom&textTypeCode=PORTAL&memid=&office=998&club=49&locCode=PRI000960&dt=1304264168244&typeCode=CITY&conversationId=728&conversationIsLongRunning=true

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures don't do it justice, of course.

 

Note we saw terrible traffic in Old San Juan midday, on a Thursday. We were walking past most of the cars stuck in traffic.

[orquidia]

Are there alot of stairs on the walk along the wall from the pier to the fort? From the Red gate to the fort?

 

it is uphill and very uphill in some areas.

[amapola]

The walk was beautiful. We spent so much time exploring the forts themselves we didn't have much time to explore as much as we wanted to. Certainly need to go back!

 

Nice pics, thanks for sharing! :)

[Mewissy]

We have gone to both forts - on different trips to SJ.

 

For El Morro, we took a taxi up and walked back. We didn't realize that it was as close as it was, but once you get to the fort there's still a bit of walking to do, so the taxi ended up being a good idea. Walking back was easy (some downhill) and we were able to see the ship once we reached a certain point which made getting back simple. And, yes, we saw a lot of stray cats.

 

For San Cristobal, it is REALLY uphill. When you pull into SJ and get off the ship, you can see the top of the fortress, so again navigating there was easy. The walk, for DH and I (both 30) was no biggie, but it did tire my grandmother out and we needed to stop and let her take a break. Even though it is uphill, I wouldn't necessarily recommend a taxi or trolley to get there because we saw a TON of traffic. We were there at about 10am/11am to a little after noon on a Thursday. I'd imagine that if we had driven it may have taken longer than just walking. Oh, but much of San Cristobal is inclined and some of the uphills are steep.

 

San Cristobal is a lot bigger and has a lot more to explore, but I found the view from El Morro and the walk up to be more beautiful. Both were worth visiting, but if you could do only one I would suggest El Morro.

[cpa cruiser]

Here's a tip to beat the long wait for the trolley. Almost everybody tries to get on at the first stop (near the cruise ships). Walk towards dock #2 and go to trolley stop #14. This is before the main stop and you should be able to get a seat much quicker, then just stay on the trolley past the main stop.

[moran4carnival]

Here's a tip to beat the long wait for the trolley. Almost everybody tries to get on at the first stop (near the cruise ships). Walk towards dock #2 and go to trolley stop #14. This is before the main stop and you should be able to get a seat much quicker, then just stay on the trolley past the main stop.

Thanks for sharing this useful tip...:D

[hpreece]

As the ship comes in you can see one of the forts....just seeing it that way wasn't good enough for my husband so we made the walk to it and I wouldn't do it again, lets just put it that way.

[moran4carnival]

How far would you say the walk is from the pier to El Morro? It has been awhile since I have been to San Juan and I don't remember...

[HockeyMom44]

Done this 3 times! Take the trolly,a cab or the horse carriage UP to El Morro,Then walk DOWN ,on the way back to the ship!

[HALrunner]

Horse Carriage? Tell me more!

[scapel]

Done this 3 times! Take the trolly,a cab or the horse carriage UP to El Morro,Then walk DOWN ,on the way back to the ship!

 

Take a Segway tour