What To Know for Your Visit to El Morro in San Juan
Planning a visit to El Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico soon? Read on for our thoughts during our family visit to El Morro, the old Spanish fort in Puerto Rico.
What is El Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico?
El Morro is the old fortress that was used to protect the island from Spanish attackers who approached by boat in the sea.
According to the property history displayed around the fort, the fort’s construction begin in the 1500s and ended in the 1700s.
What Does El Morro Mean in Spanish?
El Morro means “promontory” in Spanish. The full name for this historic fort is Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
Where is El Morro?
El Morro sits at the entrance to Bay of San Juan. It is situated near the top of Puerto Rico’s capital city of San Juan.
What Do You Do at El Morro?
This place is a historical piece of history. You do what you would do at any other historical location – you walk around and learn the history of the place.
But it is more like an adventure because you are free to wander around with your family and climb and explore.
Fly Chiringas at El Morro
Before we entered the first gate, we spent probably an hour flying kites on the hills in front of the fort. It was super super windy in that area on the day of our visit to Ell Morro which made it perfect for flying “chiringas.” There is a vendor who sells kites for a reasonable price near the bottom of the road that leads up to El Morro. There is good reason he has set up to sell there as the area saw a large number of families flying kites at El Morro. Our Uber driver told us it is a common thing to see.
See the Lighthouse at El Morro
The lighthouse at El Morro is the oldest lighthouse in Puerto Rico. It gives a majestic vibe.
Explore Many Original Pieces of the Fortress Including Original Canons
It is really cool to see some of the old equipment that was used to defend the fortress. According to information, the canons are original to the property!
Norah Says…
There was a lot of old towers and steps to climb. It was a nice place to go for vacation and visit in San Juan.
Exploring the 6 Levels of El Morro During Our Visit
There are six levels in total at El Morro. We got very tired and had to stop for breaks and water often.
The wind was also really crazy and our hats would not stay on our heads. Even the new hat Mom bought at the kite vendor station would not stay on any of our heads. We had to hold it down with our hands to keep it from blowing away.
Things to Know Ahead of Your Visit to El Morro
- Be prepared with plenty of water. You can buy water in the gift shop or carry some in your bag.
- The ladies bathroom will have the most spectacular bathroom view you’ve seen!
- Wear LOTS of sunscreen and pack more in your backpack. The sun is fierce!
- Wear your hair pulled back if you have longer hair because the wind gets crazy there at the bay.
- Bring chapstick to keep your lips from getting wind chapped.
- If you bring a hat, make sure it is one that can secure under the chin. Otherwise, you might be holding on to it a lot (like we did)!
- The gift shop has a few fun odds and ends.
- You can buy a kite at the bottom of the road that leads up to the fort.
- The area doesn’t seem all that accessible for those who might have trouble walking as might be expected from a historical location from the 1500s!
- Since the National Parks Service runs the property, you can purchase a National Parks passport for your kids. These passports are fun to take along on all your family travels from national park to national partk!
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Plan to stay a couple of hours.
Find out more about El Morro pricing and hours before you arrive for your family visit to El Morro.
