El morro puerto rico: San Juan National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)

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November 24, 2022
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Castillo San Felipe del Morro (San Juan)

#3 of 252 things to do in San Juan

Historic Sites

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Monday

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Tuesday

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Wednesday

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Thursday

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Friday

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Saturday

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Sunday

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

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About

An esplanade greets you as you walk towards the Fort San Felipe del Morro. Surrounded by grassy hills, the stone castle rises majestically from the headland. And while El Morro may be an impressive sight from land, it is a terrifying experience to encounter it head on by sea. And for many attackers, it was the very last thing they saw. This fortress has seen many battles over the centuries, from Sir Francis Drake’s attack in 1595 to the 1898 Bombardment of San Juan by the US Navy. In 1539 King Charles I ordered the construction of San Felipe del Morro and other fortifications on the islet of San Juan. Over the years, Spanish, Italian, Irish and American engineers perfected San Juan’s defense system, of which el Morro was an essential part. After crossing the stone bridge over the dry moat, you’ll walk right into a spacious courtyard that harbor leads you into the castle’s more “domestic” areas, such as the kitchen and the chapel. Nevertheless, this is just one of the six levels that form el Morro. On the upper level, you’ll find the lighthouse that was restored by the American Coast Guard in 1908. One of the greatest things about this vantage point is that you can see most of San Juan and the bay across from it. Park rangers will guide you throughout the massive fortification, which still houses original cannons, ammunition, and many other objects used by the Spanish militia in Puerto Rico. El Morro was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983, and is currently under the administration of the National Park Service.

Suggested duration

2-3 hours

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

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4.5

4,368 reviews

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jaybeeFL

Palm Harbor, FL3,063 contributions

Impressive Fortress

Nov 2022

This fortress is quite impressive when viewed from the sea as you arrive by cruise ship but it is even more impressive from land. It is massive, strategically located, well preserved and has a rich history spanning the centuries. It is a “must see” when touring the Puerto Rican capital.

Written November 20, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Bryan S

12 contributions

Beautiful piece of our American history

Nov 2022 • Friends

Went here and the smaller castle when visiting Old San Juan. Absolutely breathtaking to behold and the fort has been lovingly preserved. The NPS provides lots of information via signs and other exhibitions. Prepare to do a lot of walking and make sure to hydrate

Written November 18, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

christiano_10

Tczew, Poland467 contributions

picturesque

Oct 2022 • Couples

It’s a really nice place for a walk, you don’t need to go inside. On the way you may meet a lot of friendly cats

Written October 25, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Felix B

3 contributions

Great place for pictures!

Nov 2021

Have an extended view of the ocean that goes & goes & goes..Pretty much a Fort used in the Columbus days.

Written October 20, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Mr_Nuthin_Nice

Santa Rosa, CA255 contributions

History at its best!

Jul 2022 • Couples

On our honeymoon trip.. the wifey and I stopped off to view history of the island.

Everything is beautifully preserved.. like a time capsule..

A cool bonus when the iguanas are roaming the grounds..

Written September 24, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Kirk H

Austin, TX69 contributions

Beautiful views of San Juan and the ocean.

Nov 2021

Wonderful views of San Juan and a great history lesson about Puerto Rico. Great for families and for all.

Written September 15, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Michelle B

Land O Lakes, FL27 contributions

Beautiful views of San Juan

Sep 2022

The price is reasonable ($10 fo2 both forts and for 2 days). The views of San Juan were amazing! I will go back for sure.

Written September 7, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Mario U

Honolulu, HI72 contributions

Blahhhhh

Sep 2022

About the only thing worth seeing in San Juan PR.Go very late at night to avoid traffic.
At the same time walk through the little town streets while your there.
Youll be sorry if you go in the daytime.

Written September 6, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Your Next Adventure Travel

Indianapolis, IN63 contributions

Must see while in PR but it’s not life altering

Aug 2022 • Solo

A must see if you’re in San Juan for the first time. Beautiful views and interesting to see the castle architecture. It’s fairly cut and dry and you should be able to see everything in less than an hour.

Written August 24, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

flamencodancer

washington, dc143 contributions

Thrilling, not to be missed

Aug 2022

Even with the hot hot hot summer sun, you MUST visit this old fort from the time of the conquistadors. Just drink water, and try to stay in the shade.

Written August 5, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Castillo San Felipe del Morro is open:

Sun – Sat 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.

We recommend booking Castillo San Felipe del Morro tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 27 Castillo San Felipe del Morro tours on Tripadvisor

According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Castillo San Felipe del Morro:

Sunset Walking Tour in the Historic Old San Juan (From $35.00)
Let a Local Show You Puerto Rico with Visit to El Yunque (From $95. 00)
Old San Juan Segway PT tour 10:30am and 1pm or Segway Kickscooter Tour 4pm (From $97.00)
Old San Juan Deluxe Walking Tour (From $71.08)
Old San Juan Harbor Sailing Tour (From $79.00)

See all Castillo San Felipe del Morro experiences on Tripadvisor

Hotels near Castillo San Felipe del Morro:

(0.47 mi) Villa Herencia
(0.52 mi) Decanter Hotel
(0.69 mi) Casa Sol Bed and Breakfast
(0.74 mi) El Colonial
(0.75 mi) 352 Guest House

View all hotels near Castillo San Felipe del Morro on Tripadvisor

Restaurants near Castillo San Felipe del Morro:

(0.34 mi) Cafe Don Ruiz
(0.52 mi) Tropical Taste
(0.47 mi) La Taberna Lupulo
(0.54 mi) Deaverdura
(0.63 mi) Chocobar Cortés (Viejo San Juan)

View all restaurants near Castillo San Felipe del Morro on Tripadvisor

Attractions near Castillo San Felipe del Morro:

(0. 00 mi) Lighthouse of Castillo del Morro
(0.09 mi) Bastion de San Antonio
(0.19 mi) Save-A-Gato Cat Sanctuary
(0.26 mi) Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
(0.15 mi) Monumento Don Juan de Amezouita y Quixano

View all attractions near Castillo San Felipe del Morro on Tripadvisor

Guide To El Morro in Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico

If walls could talk?! That’s all that came to mind while I walked through this fortress, Castillo San Felipe del Morro, named after King Phillip II from Spain. This castle is also known as, “El Morro.” This gorgeous structure was built-in the 1600’s as a fort to protect sea-borne enemies from entering the San Juan Bay. This is one of Puerto Rico’s number one attraction points since 1983 when it was declared a World Heritage Site. You can learn more about the history of Puerto Rico here.

I was born and raised on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico and remember coming here. It never gets old. Viejo San Juan is a gorgeous antique city. Everything from the buildings to the streets all have history and are all in tact just how they were built back in the 1600’s. I can never go home and leave without walking the streets of Viejo San Juan.

Table of Contents

ARRIVING AT EL MORRO

I usually park on the main road that leads straight to El Morro. There’s several museums at no cost that you can go to. Several with nothing more than just history and art. The whole city is an artistic, historical city. We walked down the sidewalk till we got to the huge empty field with just a pathway going down the middle of it taking us straight to the fortress. A lot of people come with their families here just to sit down and watch the sunset, fly kites, and drink piraguas or eat some delicious local ice cream. We decided to buy some piraguas or as it is known in the US, shaved ice. As you can see on the top right picture, my daughter is posing at the beginning of the pathway to El Morro with her strawberry piragua.

GETTING INSIDE THE FORTRESS, EL MORRO

As we walked down the very long pathway, you can see on your left side the bay and the rest of the main island and on the right side you can see La Perla and the Atlantic Ocean. [Cool fact, Puerto Rico is split by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean.] To walk the whole outside of the fortress is free but to go look inside the fortress it’s $5 per adult but kids and military (with military ID) are free. El Morro is part of the National Park Service

Once we were inside we headed to the left up the ramp to go to the top. Let me tell you that the view from up there is amazing. These pictures don’t do it justice. As we walked around the top-level from one side of the fort to the other we saw the lighthouse along with all the tracks for the cannons.

Just walking through each hallway, floor, room, I kept asking myself, “What if walls could talk? What story would they tell me? What awesome war stories were created here?” We then walked down a ramp that is next to the lighthouse and went to the main level in which we entered. From there we found two stairways leading to the other levels down below.

Since I was a little girl I have been mesmerized by this place. Not just because of the history but also the view of the ocean and the bay. The sunsets here are also incredible to witness. Viejo San Juan, overall, has a lot to offer.

LEVELS WITHIN FLOOR LEVELS, INSIDE EL MORRO

Once we were on the main level again we decided to go down to the lower level which is split into two levels. It’s like a level within a level. Here it was more of an open area for the soldiers of that time to walk around at and to stand guard. They had cannons, cannonballs, and other things but the best of all was the view looking out towards the ocean. There were other rooms as well in which the soldiers slept in, prisoners were kept, storage, and another room with another ramp going down to a room at a lower level. That room had a set of stairs going down to a way out to the front of El Morro (the front looking out to sea).

By the time we got to the lowest level we didn’t have enough time to go to the outside of El Morro so we had to head back out before they closed. We did kind of start our trip a little later than expected but it was still worth it and tons of fun. It’s an amazing experience.

VISITING VIEJO SAN JUAN

If you are ever in Puerto Rico I definitely recommend you visit here and all of Viejo San Juan. Just take a day or two to explore this beautiful city. Trust me that after your first day you may never want to leave. There are so many places here to visit besides El Morro. There is La Fortaleza, Parque de Palomas, Museo del Niño, Castillo de San Cristobal, and Paseo de la Princesa. There’s also tons of shops, art clubs, restaurants, bars, and much more. The night life is just as amazing. Below are some pictures of us at El Morro.

LOCATION OF EL MORRO

501 Norzagaray Street
San Juan, PR 00901

https://www.nps.gov/saju/index.htm

ENTRY FEES:

$5 per adult

Military and children are free.

Entry fees are subject to change. To view the most up to date fees view here.

CONCLUSION

If you ever find yourself in Viejo San Juan don’t forget to visit this iconic park. El Morro is definitely beautiful and worth seeing. Don’t forget to grab a kite to fly in front of the castle at sunset. After your tour in the castle, walk the streets of Viejo San Juan which is full of even more history and beauty.

Have you ever been to Viejo San Juan? What was your favorite place to go to when you were there?

You can check out more of our Puerto Rico travel guides here if you would like. Also, if you enjoyed this article feel free to sign up for our newsletter here (Free 21 page Camping Planner when you sign-up and full access to our TWM Tribe Resource Library which has monthly freebies and activities for you and your family) or follow our adventures on Instagram so you can stay up to date on upcoming travel adventures, tips, gear reviews, recipes and more. Don’t forget to share or pin to save it. Thank you for reading.

History of Morro de San Juan in Puerto Rico

If you look at the top of old San Juan, you will find the fort of San Felipe del Morro, which was also known as El Morro. . This structure dates back to the XNUMXth century and was built to protect the city from raids from the sea. , attacks that were very frequent at that time, with the aim of conquering lands and plundering the population.

This fort has become one of the most representative elements of the ancient city and has survived to this day. It was one of the most popular monuments even during the Spanish colonies. and now the same fortress can be found on a rocky island and is easy to see because it sticks out. Built in 1539. and it was a simple tower that was redesigned a few decades later in 1587 by Juan de Tejada and Juan Bautista Antonelli to turn it into an incredible Spanish military fortification created at that time and respected by all. .

Index

1 A little history of Morro de San Juan in Puerto Rico
2 The fortress today
3 How is the fortification

A little history of Morro de San Juan in Puerto Rico

90 Morro de San Juan in Puerto Rico begins in 1539 with the founding of Spain, but it will take almost half a century for it to become fully functional and able to function as a fort.

It got its name from the king of Spain, Philip II, who put it on it, and was designed with slight differences from other fortifications. which were later discovered in other countries such as the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and even in Acapulco, where there were also similar fortresses in order to be able to defend themselves from enemies who came to their lands by sea.

More than 400 years since history began, this fortified fort has experienced many adventures within its walls. , but this forced a change to its original structure. El Morro is now a World Heritage Site and covers at least 70 hectares of San Juan’s northwest summit.

The foreign attacks that El Morro suffered, which are also part of history, are better known as the legend of the fortress, although there are records confirming its history and everything that the fortress went through. The city has depended on its development by both the British and the Dutch for many years of its history. and that’s why it’s so heavy. Now there is a large museum inside, the function of which is to describe in detail the battles that took place on the banks of San Juan, so that all tourists who want to know them can recognize them.

The last time the fortress experienced serious adventure and action was during the 1898 naval bombardment. in the war between Spain and America. After some events with the United States, Puerto Rico has repaired its walls and the history of El Morro can begin to enjoy moments of peace and tranquility.

Nowadays El Morro is a place very visited by tourists, so if you want to go there, don’t hesitate, because you can learn new things about its history and battles, as well as get great photos thanks to the wonderful views that you you can find.

The fortress today

If you want to visit the fortress, you should know that it costs three dollars and five dollars if you buy a ticket, which also includes the San Cristobal Fort. If you have children under 15 accompanying you, they can visit the fort turned into a museum free of charge.

It’s really worth paying the money to get in as there are a lot of interesting features, you can also walk inside and outside the fortress so you need to make sure you have enough drink to hydrate yourself during the tour. There is a gift shop that also sells water bottles, but as you know patrons can get thirsty, they cost a bit more.

Once inside the fortress, you will be shown a short video about the history of the fortress. so you place yourself and you will see the importance of building and how important it was in all the battles. The video is shown in English and lasts an hour and a half, but later it will be shown in Spanish. If you have any doubts, you can also inquire about the staff of the current museum. If you don’t want to watch the video, you can take the map and explore everything on it to show you this magnificent fortification.

How is the fortification

First you can find the main square of El Morro. was the area where the troops gathered for parades and daily checks. The well in the center of the square is also a good place, it can take a year to fill it with rainwater. The surrounding rooms face to the sides and were used as dwellings, storage tanks, gunpowder sump, chambers or firing positions… no doubt there was a lot of life in these places of fortifications. There was also a chapel.

On the upper level, west of the main square, there is a ramp leading to the upper floor.