Auld San Juan

**Auld San Juan** () is the auldest dounset athin Puerto Rico an is the historic colonial section o San Juan, Puerto Rico.

## Location
Auld San Juan is locatit on a sma an narrae island which lees in the north coast, aboot  frae the east end o Puerto Rico, an is unitit tae the mainland o Puerto Rico bi the three brigs. It is bundit bi the Atlantic Ocean to the north an tae the sooth bi San Juan Bay or "Bahia de San Juan" which lees atween the ceety an the mainland. On a bluff aboot  heich at the wast end o the island an commandin the entrance tae the harbour rise the battlements o Fort San Felipe del Morro, in which thare is a lichthoose.

The "Caño de San Antonio" lees in Sooth Coast an extends tae the sootheast whaur the island o Auld San Juan connects tae the mainland throu Santurce bi three brigs an aw, "Puente Dos Hermanos" (Ave. Ashford), "Puente G. Esteves" (Ave. Ponce de León) an "Puente San Antonio" (Ave. Fernández Juncos).

The ceety is characterisit bi its narrae, blue cobblestane streets an flat-roofit brick an stane biggins datin back tae the 16t an 17t century when Puerto Rico wis a Spainyie possession. Near Fort San Felipe del Morro is the Casa Blanca, a palace on laund which belangit tae the faimily o Ponce de Leon.

## Historic designations
The San Juan National Historic Site wis establisht in 1949 tae preserve historic biggins an ither fortifications in Auld San Juan. The historic steid wis addit tae the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. La Fortaleza alang wi the San Juan National Historic Site wur then declared a Warld Heritage Steid bi UNESCO (Unitit Naitions Educational, Scientific, an Cultural Organisation) in 1983.

## The day
Wi its abundance o shops, historic places, museums, open air cafés, restaurants, gracious hames, tree-shadit plazas, an its auld brawnie an airchitectonical peculiarity, Auld San Juan is a main spot for local an internal tourism. A free tourist trolley serves the ceety.

The neebourheid o La Perla ootside o the historic ceety waw on the rocky north coast belangs tae sub-barrios Mercado an San Cristóbal.

The destrict is characterisit bi numerous public plazas an kirks includin San José Kirk an the Cathedral o San Juan Bautista an aw, which contains the tomb o the Spainyie splorer Juan Ponce de León. It hooses the maist auncient Catholic schuil for Elementar education in Puerto Rico an aw, the Colegio de Párvulos, built in 1865.

Auld San Juan is ane o the twa *barrios*, in addeetion tae Santurce, that made up the municipality o San Juan efter 1864 an prior tae 1951, in which the umwhile unthirlt municipality o Río Piedras wis annexed.

## Blockhooses an sub-barrios
The auldest pairts o the destrict o Auld San Juan remain pairtly enclosed bi massive waws. Several defensive structurs an notable forts, such as the emblematic Fort San Felipe del Morro, Fort San Cristóbal, an El Palacio de Santa Catalina, kent as La Fortaleza an aw, actit as the primar defences o the dounset which wis subjectit tae numerous attacks. La Fortaleza continues tae serve as the executive mansion for the Govrenor o Puerto Rico an aw. Mony o the historic fortifications are pairt o San Juan National Historic Site.

* Ballajá
* Catedral
* Marina
* Mercado
* Puerta de Tierra
* San Cristóbal
* San Francisco

## Public transportation
Auld San Juan is the location ane o twa transportation hubs servin Metropolitan San Juan. A free trolley provides limited service to Auld San Juan seven days a week.

## See an aw
* Warld Heritage Steid
* San Juan, Puerto Rico

## References