• About
  • Travel Resources

One Day in a City

24 Hour Travel Itineraries to Make the Most of a Day in a Destination

  • United States
    • California
    • Pacific Northwest
    • New England
    • Midwest
    • South
    • West
    • New York
    • Hawaii
    • Florida
  • Europe
    • Austria
    • Croatia
    • Czechia
    • Finland
    • France
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Hungary
    • Iceland
    • Ireland
    • Italy
    • Netherlands
    • Poland
    • Portugal
    • Romania
    • Russia
    • Scandinavia
    • Slovenia
    • South Korea
    • Spain
    • Turkey
    • United Kingdom
  • More Destinations
    • Canada
      • Quebec
      • Vancouver Island
    • Caribbean
      • Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Rico
      • Jamaica
      • St. Maarten / St. Martin
      • St. Thomas
    • Central & South America
      • Argentina
      • Colombia
      • Mexico
    • Australia & New Zealand
      • Victoria AUS
      • Queensland AUS
      • North Island NZ
      • South Island NZ
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • India
      • Japan
      • Jordan
      • Nepal
      • Singapore
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • South Pacific
    • Africa
      • Kenya
  • Travel Tips
    • Travel with Babies & Toddlers
    • Couple Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Cruise
    • Packing Tips
    • Work and Travel Balance
  • Shop
    • Gift Guides
One Day in a City > Destinations > Caribbean > Puerto Rico > Castillo San Cristóbal Fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Castillo San Cristóbal Fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico

November 2, 2020 By Gina
Posts on this site may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.

Pin1
Share10
Tweet
11 Shares

Castillo San Cristóbal: Tips for Visiting and Experiencing Its Combative History

Castillo San Cristobal Fort Wall in San Juan, Puerto Rico
One of the powerful walls of Castillo San Cristóbal.

Castillo San Cristóbal Fort was the first place I visited in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

It wasn’t supposed to be.

I was going to leave the forts for last, figuring I’ve seen enough forts in my travels that with one day in San Juan, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I missed them.

Well, thanks to my poor direction skills even with a map in front of me I went the wrong way to finding San Juan Cathedral and ended up in front of Castillo San Cristóbal Fort. Since I was right there I figured I might as well go in – and as soon as I did I realized that missing the forts of San Juan is skipping out on a huge chunk of history and the essence that San Juan was built upon.

On the way to the upper level entrance to the Castillo San Cristobal fort.
On the way to the upper level entrance to the Castillo San Cristóbal fort.

Castillo San Cristóbal First Impressions

The first thing that struck me about Castillo San Cristóbal Fort (after the extremely affordable $3 entry fee) was how stunning its real estate is. The fort is right on the tip of the land, the ocean waves of the Caribbean beating up against the walls and grass making up the outside of the fort.

Castillo San Cristobal: The waves of the Caribbean crashing up next to the fort.
The waves of the Caribbean crashing up next to Castillo San Cristóbal.

Every room I went to in the fort I could hear the sound of waves. Some rooms it was distant and in others – including the rooms where the soldiers would sleep at night – it was thunderous. As a person who finds waves soothing, I thought maybe they did that on purpose. The waves blocked out all the other noises and let the soldiers get some rest.

The Incredible History of Castillo San Cristóbal

What especially gave me a “wow” moment at San Castillo Fort was when I learned that the fort had last been used in WWII. I’m used to visiting historic places that haven’t been actually used in centuries and here was a place that had been used 70 years ago – that our fathers or grandfathers or great-grandfathers could have slept in. That felt astounding to me. This wasn’t just an artifact or a piece of history – this had an actual military use in the lifetime of people still alive today.

Castillo San Cristobal fort stretching out alongside the buildings of San Juan.
Castillo San Cristóbal fort stretching out alongside the buildings of San Juan.

The history of Castillo San Cristóbal Fort goes back farther than that though. At one point, it, along with the original San Juan fort – San Felipe del Morro, was the city of San Juan. Puerto Rico was the first Caribbean island to have a decent harbor to sail into, plus it was in between Europe and America and was considered the gateway to “The New World”. Therefore, Spain did not want to give up this piece of paradise and kept it well guarded. Spain was hesitant to expand beyond the walls of the fort, wanting to keep everyone safe and in a fortified bubble. Eventually, in 1865, the allure of the Caribbean land won and the first settlement outside the fort walls was established. From there San Juan grew into the colorful city it is today.

A peek of the city outside the fort walls.
A peek of the city outside the fort walls.

Castillo San Cristóbal: Built for Protection

Every aspect of the fort was built for protection – of the Spanish soldiers and the island. There were many components that went into the fort to succeed at this.

One was the series of six tunnels, referred to as galleries, meandering through the fort.

Into the scary Castillo San Cristobal tunnel I go!
Into the scary Castillo San Cristóbal tunnel I go! (It ended up not being that scary as it now has lights and many tourists).

These tunnels crossed levels and made it easy for soldiers to quickly escape from gunfire and move to new positions unseen by the enemy.

The entrance to one of the tunnels. The doors are a recent added feature.
The entrance to one of the tunnels. The doors are a recent added feature.
A long tunnel soldiers used to use to quickly relocate their position.
A long tunnel soldiers used to use to quickly relocate their position.
Off one of the Castillo San Cristobal tunnels was a galleon, where they kept prisoners. A former prisoner is said to have drawn ships on the wall of the galleon, such as this one.
Off one of the tunnels was a galleon, where they kept prisoners. A former prisoner is said to have drawn ships on the wall of the galleon, such as this one.

The fort also had many lookout points for soldiers to watch for the enemy and to hide between while firing rounds of ammunition.

Castillo San Cristobal Lookout Point
Castillo San Cristobal Lookout Point

San Castillo Cristobal Firing Embankment

In addition to the remnants of war and fortification, Castillo San Cristobal has some more serene moments when walking through it:

A small chapel in the middle of the Castillo San Cristobal fort.
A small chapel in the middle of the fort.
One of the Castillo San Cristobal walls restored to its original lustre. This whitewashed look is how the fort would have looked when originally built.
One of the Castillo San Cristóbal walls restored to its original lustre. This whitewashed look is how the fort would have looked when originally built.

Even if you’re not into history and warfare, a walk around Castillo San Cristóbal is worth it just for the stunning views.

A view of the San Juan coast from Castillo San Cristobal looking onward to El Morro fort.
A view of the San Juan coast from Castillo San Cristóbal looking onward to El Morro fort.

These views and the history is why I recommend Castillo San Cristóbal as a must-see site when visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Visiting San Juan during a cruise? You’ll also want to read my post: What to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise

About Gina

I'm a former travel agency marketing director turned freelance travel writer. My editorial and copywriting work has been published on and in USA TODAY, Travel + Leisure, the Travel Channel Cities app, TripSavvy, and many more online and print publications. I especially love sharing my knowledge of traveling with limited vacation time, making the most of cruise ports of call, and vacationing with kids. I also enjoy sharing my favorite travel gear and products to make traveling easier!

Comments

  1. Gina says

    March 11, 2013 at

    Interesting story! Thanks for sharing.

  2. La Bochinchosa says

    February 28, 2013 at

    San Cristobal has a famous love story associated with it. Apparently a spanish soldier fell in love with a local. The two fell in love, and he left his post (and uniform) in one of the garitas. Locals, not believing a soldier would EVER desert his post, attributed the soldier’s disappearance to works of the devil (thus, the name garita del diablo).

  3. Jennifer says

    December 14, 2012 at

    Beautiful photos of the fort! We too had just one day in San Juan and we headed right to the fort. Such incredible views!

About One Day in a City

One Day in a City: Start Here
Hi! I'm Gina, a former cruise and tour marketing director turned independent travel writer who helps those short on time make the most of their travels, even if you just have 24 hours to spend somewhere. Read More...

Travel Writing

Gina Tarnacki Writing

Top Travel Tips

Travel Resources and Websites to Make Your Vacation Easier

Travel Inspiration

One Day in a City: Start Here
I have over a decade of experience working in the travel industry and use what I've learned to help you take control of your travels and design YOUR best trip with however much vacation time you have. Start Here...

Recent Posts

  • Should You Use a Travel Agent for Your Disney World Vacation? 
  • Ultimate List of the Best Cities to Visit in Europe
  • 20 Best Beaches in California to Add to Your Bucket List
  • Best Weekend Getaways in Michigan: A Local’s Ultimate Guide
  • The Best Winter Family Vacations for Fun and Snow

Search for a Destination…

Contact
Advertise
Content Writing Services
Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Disclosure

Copyright © 2023 · One Day in a City is a property of Ports and Pen Media LLC.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided 'as is' and is subject to change or removal at any time.