Top Things to do in San Juan
The 10 Best Monuments & Statues in San Juan, Puerto Rico
The festive city of San Juan is the perfect place to experience true Puerto Rican culture. Get to know its roots by exploring the vibrant neighborhood of El Viejo San Juan (Old San Juan), which consists mostly of Spanish colonial buildings. Flesh out your self-guided history lesson with a visit to El Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a 16th century citadel that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then reward yourself with a cooling dip at Luquillo or Carolina Beach, then a tasty tour of the Bacardi rum plant.
Restaurants in San Juan
1. La Rogativa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 161 reviews
A monument portraying a San Juan legend.
Reviewed By JeanneCristello11 - Philadelphia, United States
This statue is located in one of the most beautiful parts of San Juan. To the right of the statue are 180-degree views of the San Juan Bay. La Rogativa translates to "The Procession". This bronze statue was created by Lindsay Daen to represent the legend of a Catholic Bishop leading women through the street during the British invasion, singing religious songs and carrying torches pleading for God's help, as shown in the statue. The British army mistook this procession as the backup from the Spanish army and retreated from the city. This is known as the first time local islanders fought for their island and commemorates the success of driving out the British. Nearby, the Caleta de las Monjas street offers some of the most beautiful views in San Juan.
2. Holocaust Memorial Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 31 reviews
Located on Constitution Avenue and sitting right across the Capitol of Puerto Rico, the Holocaust Memorial inaugurated in 2012 honors those who died during this horrible during World War II.The memorial was designed by New York artists Michael Berkowicz and Bonnie Srolovitz and made from weathering steel with a carved out figure 'In the Shadow of Their Absence', images representing a family whose shadows are cast in black granite.It is a solemn place to go to and remember those who perished during this horrendous chapter in World history. It also features the 'Path of the Righteous' that honors the many people who risked their lives to help others during the Second World War.
Reviewed By CubFan1948
We have visited the memorial three times now and never ceased to be moved. The visual of the cutout of the family and how the shadows are cast on the black marble is breathtaking. Make sure you takes time to read each plaque, including the area and plaque about the Lod Airport attack. This is not the only Memorial that is in this area. There are statues of all of the Presidents who have visited Puerto Rico from Hoover to Obama. There is also a plaque commemorating all of the Military men and women from Puerto Rico who lost their lives in wars from WW 1 and on. In this area you will also see a relief carving of the history of Puerto Rico depicting the Indians the Spaniards, the Europeans and even the American eagle. You will see Christopher Columbus and Ponce de Leone. This is located across from the back entrance to the Capitol Building. This is well worth the taxi ride or the walk to go see.
3. Juan Ponce de Leon Statue
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 56 reviews
This memorial to Puerto Rico's conqueror is located in the Plaza de San Josem, which overlooks El Morro fortress.
Reviewed By rduinc - Saint Louis, United States
Great monument located in a peaceful plaza located at the corners of Del Cristo and San Sebastion. From this location, there are a lot of other things within easy walking distance to see, including Catedral de San Juan Batista where de Leon is entombed.
4. Paseo de los Presidentes
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 26 reviews
The Walkway of the Presidents sits in Constitution Avenue right across the Capitol of Puerto Rico. The walkway celebrates all the presidents who've visited Puerto Rico since the end of the Spanish-American war in 1898.The Puerto Rican government commissioned a set of US presidents statues that feature presidents Gerald R. Ford, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry S. Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Theodore Roosevelt and Barack Obama.Every statue is accompanied by a plaque that tells the historical context and purpose of the visit.If you ever find your place in Constitution Avenue, remember to visit the Walkway of Presidents.
Reviewed By rduinc - Saint Louis, United States
Roughly from the Plaza Colon to the Capital building, there's a stretch of many different memorials. They are all very interesting, but we particularly enjoyed the Walk of Presidents. The US Presidents that have visited Puerto Rico are shown here in different poses.
5. Monumento en Honor al Policia Puertorriqueno
6. Ballaja Sculpture
7. Plaza Colon
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 109 reviews
Plaza Colon is one of the most important plazas in all of San Juan. First of all, if you enter the San Juan islet by land--that is by Puerta de Tierra--this plaza will be right at the entrance of the walled city. Before 1897, this eastern part of San Juan was protected by the Puerta de Santiago, one of the stone walls that encircled Old San Juan; nevertheless, this wall was deemed unnecessary and an obstacle to San Juan's economic progress, and it was quickly demolished in May of that year. In its stead, we now have the Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico, that used to host some of the most ostentatious fetes in all of Puerto Rico. South of Plaza Colon we also have a gem of the Puerto Rican entertainment culture: the Teatro Tapia (inaugurated in 1832), a stage that has overseen the artistic development of numerous actors, musicians, playwrights, dancers, and many more. North of Plaza Colon, we have the imposing Castillo San Cristobal, a fortification perfected in the 17th and 18th century for a better protection of the walled city. Along the calle Fortaleza we'll also find a number of quaint restaurants and cafes overlooking the plaza; make sure to drink your iced coffee outside so that you can enjoy our wonderful weather! Plaza Colon itself is a testament of the new and the old in San Juan. After 1897, the plaza was a symbol of progress after the demolition of Puerta de San Juan, nevertheless it boasts a monument to Christopher Columbus for the celebration of the fourth centennary of the Spanish rule in Puerto Rico.
Reviewed By ElgaK_12
This square is between the cruise port and the Castillo de San Cristobel (close to both). It is a pleasant square with a small park. We had a beautiful sunny day and suddenly there was a downpour just at this square. Bizarre!
8. El Monument to de la Recordacion(
9. Monumento Don Juan de Amezouita y Quixano
10. Abraham Lincoln Statue
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 3 reviews
The statue of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, is on the grounds of the elementary school that bears his name, on the sunny street in Old San Juan.The figure of Abraham Lincoln is celebrated in his native land, the United States, in Puerto Rico, and in other parts of the world, by the manager of the Emancipation Proclamation.Lincoln signed the document declaring all slaves of the Confederate states free on January 1, 1863. The proclamation provoked discontent in four of the Confederate states and the confrontation between the north and the south that led to the Civil War was born, whose outcome led to what is later known as the United States."On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was murdered at the Ford Theater in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, an actor, who was of the opinion that he was helping the South." The opposite was the result, since, with the death of Lincoln, the possibility of peace with magnanimity died, "according to the official website of the White House.
