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Tezels on the Road

Category: San Juan

  • Southern Caribbean Cruise 2026 – Day 10

    Southern Caribbean Cruise 2026 – Day 10

    San Juan, Puerto Rico: History, Mofongo, and a Relaxed Farewell

    Our Southern Caribbean Cruise 2026 officially came to an end this morning as we woke up once again in San Juan, Puerto Rico. While the cruise itself was over, our Caribbean adventure wasn’t quite finished yet.

    After saying goodbye to the wonderful crew aboard the Grand Princess, we disembarked and headed to the airport to pick up a rental car. From there, we drove to the Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort, where we dropped off our luggage and prepared to spend our final night in paradise.

    Exploring Old San Juan

    With the logistics out of the way, we made our way into Old San Juan, one of the most atmospheric and historic cities in the Caribbean. After parking, we spent the morning wandering the narrow, colorful streets of the old city, popping into shops and soaking in the sights and sounds of this vibrant port.

    Uphill cobblestone street in Old San Juan lined with pastel colonial buildings, balconies, and parked cars under a blue sky

    Hunger eventually led us to Los Yeyo’s, a restaurant proudly known as “The House of Mofongo.” That alone made it an easy decision.

    We shared a crab mofongo along with a side of sweet plantains, and it did not disappoint. The mofongo arrived on a sizzling skillet, filling the air with an irresistible aroma. For those unfamiliar, mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish made from fried plantains mashed with garlic and other ingredients. Los Yeyo’s crab mofongo was absolutely outstanding and easily one of our favorite meals of the trip.

    Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro)

    After lunch, we continued exploring Old San Juan until we reached Castillo San Felipe del Morro, part of San Juan National Historic Site. Perched high on a promontory overlooking the entrance to San Juan Bay, El Morro is one of the most impressive fortifications in the Caribbean.

    Constructed over more than 250 years by Spanish engineers, El Morro reflects Spain’s determination to protect San Juan as a critical hub in the trans‑Atlantic trade routes. Walking along its massive walls and gazing out from its strategic vantage point, it’s easy to understand why such effort and resources were invested here. The fortress feels immense—an imposing, nearly impenetrable stronghold guarding the city.

    San Juan’s Defensive Network & Castillo San Cristóbal

    El Morro was only one element of San Juan’s elaborate defensive system. San Juan National Historic Site also preserves large sections of the original city walls, which completely encircled the city by 1783, as well as Fort San Juan de la Cruz (El Cañuelo) on the opposite side of the harbor.

    Our next stop was Castillo San Cristóbal, the largest fortification built by Spain in the New World. Unlike El Morro, San Cristóbal was designed primarily to defend the city from land-based attacks. Its sheer scale and layered defenses are just as impressive, showcasing remarkable military engineering and ingenuity.

    Together, these fortifications tell stories of ambition, empire, and conflict. For centuries, nations fought for control of this small but strategically vital island. Generations of soldiers lived and worked within these walls, and today visitors are inspired not only by the history, but also by the beauty and brilliance of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    A Relaxed Caribbean Evening

    After spending the afternoon immersed in over 500 years of history, we returned to the Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort. Our room wasn’t quite ready, but that was hardly a problem. We found seats by the beach, ordered some sangria, and simply relaxed—reflecting on an unforgettable week in the Caribbean.

    Tomorrow brings a calm, easy morning before our late‑afternoon flight home to San Antonio. There’s no sign of winter weather here in San Juan, so we’re hoping that the weather on the mainland doesn’t affect our trip home.

  • Southern Caribbean Cruise – Day 3

    Southern Caribbean Cruise – Day 3

    Embarkation Day in San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Day 3 of our Southern Caribbean cruise was embarkation day, and while the morning started a bit more frenzied than we would have liked, it ultimately turned into a lucky and memorable beginning to our time aboard the Grand Princess.

    A Chaotic Morning in San Juan

    The day began smoothly enough with coffee and packing up our belongings before heading to the port to board our cruise ship. Dropping off the rental car at the airport was surprisingly easy, and at that point we thought we were right on track.

    Then things went sideways.

    The San Sebastián Street Festival was in full swing in Old San Juan, including the area around the cruise piers. Our Uber driver managed to navigate the traffic fairly well, but despite clearly telling her we were sailing with Princess Cruises, she dropped us off at the Royal Caribbean terminal instead.

    Staff at the Royal Caribbean pier told us we would need to walk—but before we learned that wasn’t possible (the Princess pier was actually across the bay), our Uber driver had already taken off. After a bit of scrambling, we finally found a taxi willing to take us to the correct terminal—at a rather inflated price.

    Once again, we crawled through festival traffic, hoping we hadn’t lost too much time. Nearly an hour later, we finally arrived at the Grand Princess. Thankfully, we still had plenty of time to spare, and at that moment our luck officially began to turn around.

    Boarding the Grand Princess and a Pleasant Surprise

    Once on board, we headed straight to Horizon Court for our customary first cruise lunch. Afterward, we wandered around the ship while waiting for our cabin to be ready—and then came the next big win of the day.

    We had learned the week before that we’d been upgraded to a premium balcony cabin, and it exceeded our expectations. The stateroom was much larger than what we’re used to, and the balcony was especially spacious and inviting. We spent most of the afternoon relaxing there, soaking in views of Old San Juan as the harbor buzzed with activity below.

    Winning Big Before Dinner

    Just before dinner, we attended a presentation about the ports of call on our Southern Caribbean itinerary. To our surprise, the good luck continued—we won a free shore excursion in Barbados and a spa treatment. Not bad for our first day on board!

    Pizza, Sail Away, and Spectacular Views

    Dinner was at Alfredo’s Pizzeria, one of our favorite specialty restaurants on Princess Cruises. The pizza was so good, and we finished just in time to head up to the top decks for sail away.

    Watching Old San Juan and Castillo San Felipe del Morro fade into the distance as we sailed out of the harbor was absolutely spectacular—one of those classic cruise moments that never gets old.

    An ABBA-Filled Night at Sea

    We wrapped up the evening with a lively performance featuring ABBA’s greatest hits, which had the entire audience singing along. It was a fun, feel‑good way to end embarkation day.

    What’s Next: U.S. Virgin Islands

    Tomorrow, we arrive in the U.S. Virgin Islands and are especially excited for our first visit to Virgin Islands National Park. After a chaotic but lucky start, we can’t wait to see what the next day brings.

  • San Juan National Historic Site

    San Juan National Historic Site

    Most people just assume that early ships making the Atlantic crossing from the “old world” to the “new world” would just make a straight line. However, to take advantage of winds and currents sailors would head south to Africa before turning west toward the Americas. That made Puerto Rico, the first major island they came too, and San Juan a strategic port.

    To protect the port and city the Spaniards built a series of fortifications and walls to protect the Spanish interest within. Today, a large section of that wall, and two of the fortifications, Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristobal, are preserved at San Juan National Historic Site. The impressive and massive architecture made the park a highlight of our visit to Puerto Rico.

    For more information visit San Juan National Historic Site

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