By Scott Bateman
© Caribeez.com

Introduction
Two tours of San Juan spread 10 years apart convince me that the experience is all about timing.

The first tour was about places to see. The second was about people to see.

Old San Juan street; © Caribeez.com

Ten years ago we saw the impressive forts of San Cristobal and especially El Morro, built in the 1500s. El Morro stands more than 140 feet over the sea and has dungeons, secret passageways and massive walls. The rest of the visit was focused on shopping and other historical places to see.

Among them is Casa Blanca, also known as the White House. Casa Blanca was the residence of the descendants of Juan Ponce de León, the first governor of Puerto Rico, for more than 250 years. The house is now a museum about 16th and 17th century family life.

Another highlight is La Fortaleza, a grand structure also built in the 1500s and the oldest governor’s mansion in the Western Hemisphere still in use.

Highlights
Our second tour, however, was all about the people and the atmosphere of the "real" Old San Juan.

Yes, there any many interesting historical sites, lovely cobblestone streets and enough shopping on street after street to exhaust the most intrepid shopper.

But Old San Juan comes alive with the people who live there on a Saturday evening in July. Once the shops closed at 5 o'clock, the tourists cleared out.

We found ourselves wandering back down toward the water. It was a sense that locals were going there. The traffic and walkers became heavier. We came out of the tight, curvy streets onto Plaza de la Darsena. There we find a free public band concert with hundreds of local residents standing or sitting on steps and portable chairs. Pushcart vendors dot the sidewalks.

As we wander through the smiling, talking and listening crowd, we found ourselves on Paseo de la Princesa, a tree-lined boulevard with casually walking locals, many more vendors and the beginning of the historical Old San Juan city wall, El Morro.

Conclusion
The sun was starting to set in the distance over the end of the boulevard, and more than coincidentally we saw it setting over the bronze sculptures of Raices Fountain, which spray water dozens of feet into the air from the massive statue of people and animals.

Beyond the fountain, we walked along Paseo de El Morro, the path between the city wall and the Caribbean. Trees hung over the path, lights start to sparkle as the sun set.

Old San Juan is worth a visit for anyone stopping over on a cruise visit or embarking from San Juan.