Our program allows you plenty of time to discover your new country, culture and customs. Below are some of our recommended highlights. Some tours and packages can be organized when booking your program, please see the program price page for more information.

city tour
The capital city of San Juan is divided into the old and the new. The old part was founded in 1521 and is now officially declared a National Historic Zone, and many 16th- and 17th-century buildings have been restored and refurbished in the original Spanish style.

This part of the city boasts many shops, restaurants, art galleries and museums. The Pablo Casals Museum has manuscripts and photographs relating to the work of the famous cellist. Casa de los Contrafuertes houses the Latin American Graphic Arts Museum and the Pharmacy Museum, with its recreated apothecary shop. Casa del Callejon is a traditional Spanish style home, which holds the Museum of Colonial Architecture and the Museum of the Puerto Rican Family. Casa del Libro holds a rare collection of early manuscripts and books, some dating back to the 15th century.

the san juan museum of art and history
This was built in 1855 as a market and restored in 1979 as a cultural centre where the patio is often used for concerts. Plaza de San José, at the 'top' of old San Juan and marked by a statue of Juan Ponce de León, is a picturesque area of small museums and pleasant cafés.

san juan include el morro (a 16th-century Spanish fortress) and the 18th-century fort of San Cristobal
Both buildings are perched on clifftops at the tip of a peninsula. El Morro, in particular, has many exhibits documenting Puerto Rico's role in the discovery of the New World and was instrumental in the defense of San Juan in the 16th century and its continuing survival.

casa blanca and la fortaleza
Dating from 1523, was built as a home for Ponce de León, and the Dominican Convent (also started in 1523) now houses the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena. La Fortaleza, completed in 1540, is now the Governor's residence - the oldest of its kind in the Western hemisphere.

old city wall
The old San Juan City Wall, dating from the 1630s, was built by the Spanish and it follows the peninsula contour, providing picturesque vantage points for viewing Old San Juan and the sea.

san juan cathedral and church
Was originally built in the 1520s, was completely restored in1977. San José Church is the second oldest church in the Western hemisphere - Ponce de León's body was interred here until the early 20th century.

city hall
The Alcaldia, or City Hall, was built between 1604-1789. The Casino (not to be confused with gambling clubs) is a beautiful building dating from 1917. Recently refurbished, the rich interior boasts marble floors, exquisite plaster work and 4.7m (12 ft) chandeliers.

excursions

new san juan
New San Juan is connected to the old town by a narrow neck of land, and modern architecture has flourished in recent years. There are Botanical Gardens and a Museum of Anthropology for the leisurely visitor. Bay cruises are also available, which offer excellent views of the city.

el yunque
East of the capital, is a 27,000-acre rain forest (with over 240 species of trees) and bird sanctuary. It is the only tropical rain forest in the US National Forest System and is located in the Luquillo Mountains.