El Morro and San Cristobal

For $3, you can visit El Morro Fort and for $5 you can visit both sites. It's a wonderful walk and is not meant for the elderly or really out of shape. There are 6 levels in El Morro and 5 were open when we went. The 70-something steps are steep and are without handrails, but the views, the history and the Fort itself are stupendous!

The walk up to the Fort is great and despite the litter covering the once famed battle field, there are families flying kites and kids running left and right. The oldest part of the Fort is over 400 years old and has been used in the the times of colonial war and WWII!

There are spiral staircases, narrow halls, and look-out points. You can walk the whole Fort in about an hour.

You can walk from the bus terminal if you have 20 minutes to spare, good sneakers and a street map. As you walk from El Morro to San Cristobal, there is a shanty sort of neighborhood along the shore. As long as you don't go wandering down the road that takes you into that area, you should be fine, but it does seem to distract from the historical presence of the Forts in front and behind you and the brightly colored buildings and galleries of sorts of the other side of the street.

We went on an overcast day and the wind was fantastic. Be careful if you go at full-sun; it can be dangerous to your health. Level 2 is enclosed and very hot!

The El Morro Lighthouse in San Juan has been restored since my last visit in 2004 and it rests at the top of the fort overlooking the coastline. Simply beautiful views from this location.

El Morro was one of 2 fortresses that protected the city of Old San Juan since the 16th century from attack by sea. Today it is part of the National Park Service and has been added as a World Heritage Site.


Tours throughout the fort are less than $5. Visitors can approach the lighthouse but the tower is closed to the public.

Castillo de San Cristobal sits on a limestone cliff 150 feet above the sea. There are five separate units spread over more than 27 acres. All units are connect by moats and tunnels, however, each unit was self-sufficient in case a portion of the fortress should fall to the enemy. The first fortifications started here in 1625. The original construction was a small redoubt with adjoining earth works and ramparts. Substantial additions and renovation began in 1765 and were completed by 1783. This made San Cristobal the second largest Spanish fortress in North America. Escabron is the site name for the outer line of defenses. A British attack in 1797 was repulsed at the Escabron line. The first shot of the Spanish-American War were fired here from two Spanish batteries in 1898.

Gun enplacement facing south to defend against a land based attack.The batteries were named Princesa and Teresa. During World war I US forces upgraded the Princes Battery and installed one 4.7 inch Armstrong gun. The gun was scrapped in 1919. During World War II US forces commissioned Fort Brooke, installed teo fire control towers and a 155mm gun battery on the site of the historic Princes Battery. North of San Cristobal sits El Morro, a spanish colonial fort sits on a limestone promontory that guards the narrow entrance of San Juan Bay. Constructed started in 1540, originaly the fort was a single round tower. Evidence of this original round tower can be viewed inside the lower levels of the current castle structure. Construction continued on and off until 1787. This fort was defended on numerous occasions from attacks by both Dutch and English. Looking southeast across San Cristobal's outer defences, modern San Juan is idenified by the high-rise building in the distance.

The U.S. National Park Service controls these forts, which have been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. The views from the heights of the fortification of the Caribbean, San Juan Bay and Old San Juan are spectacular. On your tour of San Cristobal you will find a labyrinth of dungeons, barracks, vaults, lookouts, and ramps. Parking may be available on one of the nearby streets if you arrive early in the morning. The nearest parking lot is under the Quincentennial Plaza at the Ballajá barracks on Calle Norzagaray. One hour free tours are conducted by the Park Service. Check in at the visitors center to check on the next available tour. Your entrance ticket will permit you to visit El Morro on the same day.

The San Juan National Historic Site includes the Spanish fortresses of San Felipe del Morro (El Morro) and San Cristóbal as well as the San Juan city walls. The park complex was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

El Morro was built begining in 1539 to protect the entrance to San Juan harbor. Construction of the fortifications continued for 250 years. During its history, El Morro was attacked numerous times by British and Dutch forces (initally by Sir Francis Drake) and was bombarded by the US Navy in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. Following American acquisiton of Puerto Rico, El Morro became a US coastal defense fort. The fort was deactivated in 1961 and became a national historical park.

Castillo de San Cristóbal was constructed between 1765 and 1783 to complement El Morro and further defend San Juan from attack. The thick city walls were built to connect the forts and surround the city and protect the harbor entrance. Along the forts and walls are the iconic domed sentry boxes called garitas.

The sites are very well preserved and interpreted. A visit is highly recommended and will introduce you to nearly 500 years of Puerto Rico's history.

(More photos of EL Morro in my San Juan blog.)

El Morro and San Cristóbal are two Spanish forts in Old San Juan. Kids would probably find them enjoyable because they are filled with "secret" passageways and tunnels (especially San Cristóbal). My favorite was El Morro because I was able to look down and see a magnificent view of the ocean waves crashing against the fort. I think that you get a special deal if you buy tickets for both forts at once.