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As recently as the 1970s, Old San Juan (Viejo San Juan) was a reminder of better times, a dingy assemblage of Spanish colonial relics that seemed to have crumbled in tandem with the empire that constructed them. In a mere thirty years, however, enough restoration has taken place that this seven-block square is today considered the best-kept trove of Spanish colonial architecture in the western hemisphere and has been named a World Heritage Site. Steep, narrow streets are cobbled with smooth, iridescent bricks known as adequines , and feature buildings - the oldest of which were constructed in the sixteenth century - with bright pastel facades and wrought-iron balconies abloom with plants and flowers. The old town occupies the headland of a two-and-half-mile-long island (connected by bridge to the mainland) that shelters the Bay of San Juan, for centuries Spain's most important port in the New World. When Ponce de Leon moved the first settlement of Caparra here in 1511, he named the city Puerto Rico, or "rich port", because its position made for such a fine stop for shipping. (The island itself, at this time, was still named San Juan.) Soon the bay became the central hub for exports of New World riches, and the small island that sheltered it became the most coveted piece of real estate in the western hemisphere. At one time, the entire city was enclosed by stone walls to ward off the British, Dutch and French troops competing for this supreme location in the Caribbean. Now, only a portion of the wall, known as La Muralla , and the ramparts of El Morro and San Cristobal remain, no less imposing 500 years later. Today the port is busy with cruise ships - rather than the boats of old transporting sugar, coffee, slaves and rum - and the old town hosts a polyglot of foreigners on holiday who help to make tourism Puerto Rico's biggest industry. If you have only a day here, you're best off losing yourself among the streets to soak in some of the history, or joining an organized walking tour of the most important buildings - the PRTC has information. If the heat and steep, crowded streets get to be a bit much, you might want to consider riding the free trolley that leaves from the bus terminal on Calle La Marina (Mon-Fri 6am-8pm, Sat & Sun 8am-8pm, departures every 15min). You can get on or off anywhere along the route.
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