Ep. 26 - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Come along with us on our 26th adventure to "La Ciudad Amurallada" or the "Walled City". With over 500 years of history, the second oldest city in the Western hemisphere is another incredible destination waiting to be adding to your bucket list.
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Transcription:
*Intro music*
Hey there! Happy Friday, and welcome to episode 26 of The Friday Take Five! I’m Mark, the host of this show, and each week, I help travel bugs and history lovers like you discover a new place with a new story. I do my best to give you a renewed appreciation for history and a new travel destination to add to your bucket list. With that, let’s discover.
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Today’s destination was requested by a fan, but after doing a bit of research, I’ve already gotten it added to my travel bucket list. We’re going to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to discover more about its vibrant culture, beauty and rich history.
San Juan is old! It’s the second oldest city in the Western hemisphere and it’s the oldest within the U.S. territories. Founded in 1519 by the Spanish, San Juan was actually a replacement of an earlier settlement founded 11 years earlier near the gold mines that made Puerto Rico, or Rich Port, valuable to the Spanish. Interestingly, the names San Juan and Puerto Rico were actually used somewhat interchangeably during the early settlement period, leading to many maps ending up with the city being referenced as Puerto Rico de Puerto Rico.
Unfortunately, the “richness” of the port was relatively short-lived as gold reserves were depleted. However, the Spanish continued to leverage the port city on the way to Hispaniola in the West. Furthermore, it still held an importance as a city for defending gold and exporting it back to Europe.
With massive amounts of gold and silver making their way through the city, San Juan quickly became a target for other foreign powers. The English and the Dutch launched multiple offensives throughout the late 1500s and into the 1600s with varying degrees of success. The English were eventually able to occupy the city, though plagued by sickness within the ranks, they were forced to abandon it only after 6 months. The Dutch sacked the city, but weren’t able to take complete control either. Puerto Ricans launched a counter offensive that sent the Dutch running back to their ships.
For the next couple hundred years, under Spanish control the city would stay, until conflict sparked with the increasingly powerful neighboring United States.
The sinking of the U.S.S. Maine helped catapult the United States and Spain to war. After the sinking of the coast of Cuba, a fleet of U.S. ships showed up at Puerto Rico’s doorstep outside of San Juan. After a few short months of conflict, the U.S. had wrestled control of San Juan, and the Spanish would ultimately formally cede the Puerto Rican territory with the signing of the Treaty of Paris of 1898.
Since 1898, Puerto Rico has remained unincorporated U.S. territory, and as such, its residents are beholden to the U.S. constitution, though they are not guaranteed the same set of rights as a U.S. citizen living in the 50 states, namely the right to vote in Federal elections.
Though Puerto Rico remains unincorporated, it and its citizens have been an important thread in the greater US history from the last 125 years. Puerto Ricans served in the first and second world wars. Puerto Ricans that have migrated state-side have brought along with them their influence in the worlds of language, music, and sports. Some notable names of Puerto Rican descent include Football’s Victor Cruz, Basketball’s Carmelo Anthony, and of course, Jennifer Lopez.
That brings us back to San Juan today. In the late 20th and early 21st century, San Juan went through periods of growth and stagnation, relying largely on tourism and a few other industries like tobacco and sugar production. In 2017 however, San Juan faced major challenges after hurricane Maria hit the island of Puerto Rico directly, destroying much of its infrastructure. It began recovering, until COVID struck, but now it’s finally back. Puerto Rico is crushing tourism expectations, and for good reason. There’s a ton to do and see!
A tour of Old San Juan will show the over 500 years of history within the city, from its incredible city walls, to amazing mansions, plazas, and forts. Next up, we’re hoping to hit the Santruce neighborhood, 20 minutes from Old San Juan and known for its great food and amazing art. We also have the El Yunque rainforest on our bucket list, which is a short 1 hour drive outside of town, for some great hiking, and zip lining too!
I could go on for probably another 20 minutes or so, because there are some truly awesome things in San Juan and on the greater Puerto Rican island that you won’t want to miss. Be sure to get San Juan on your list so you can get out there and explore it all for yourself! You definitely won’t regret it.
*Transition music*
Hey Fivers, thanks for listening to another week of The Friday Take Five. Like what you’re hearing? If so, please give us a 5 star review and don’t forget to turn on notifications and automatic downloads on your favorite podcasting platform. While you’re at it, don’t forget to follow us on socials @FridayTakeFive. Got feedback or recommendations on places or stories for us to cover next? Give us a dm or email us at thefridaytakefive@gmail.com. Stay curious, stay adventuring, and have a great weekend!
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