San Juan, Puerto Rico

The Walled City

Ponce de Leon never did find the Fountain of Youth, but he did stumble upon the island of Puerto Rico with its lovely capital, San Juan, which we think had to be a worthy consolation prize. The Spanish obviously liked what they saw—San Juan is the second oldest European settlement in the Americas and the entire city is still enclosed by the original fortress walls dating back to the early 1500s.

Get a feel for the history of San Juan with a stroll through the Old Town where attractively restored buildings with filigree cast iron balconies line its narrow distinctive blue-hued cobbled streets. Pay a visit to Palacio de Santa Catalina, the official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Afterward, check out the beaches in Condado and Isla Verde. Lined with the hottest night clubs, restaurants serving gourmet cuisine, boutiques, and more these strips of snow-white sand are places to see and be seen. But wherever you go, just move to the rhythm of the ever-present salsa beat and you’ll be in the spirit in no time. The secret? It’s all in the hips.