San Juan National Historic Site
San Juan National Historic Site is one of the National Park Service's 400+ sites. Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Castillo San Cristóbal, the majority of the city walls, the San Juan Gate, and Fort San Juan de la Cruz are all located close to the bay's entrance. Our goal is to protect natural and cultural assets like this one for current and future generations to enjoy.
Puerto Rico is the easternmost of the Caribbean's Greater Antilles and the first significant island with freshwater, food, shelter, and supplies like wood that sailors arriving by sea from Europe could access. But there was another factor that made Puerto Rico much more vital to Spain. Shortly after arriving, the Spaniards learned that the larger regions of Mexico, Central America, and South America were rich in gold, silver, and diamonds. Spain wants the wealth. San Juan's defensive defenses made Puerto Rico the "front door" to the vast Spanish territories in the New World.
Because of the strategically positioned island of Puerto Rico, Spain swiftly became a great international power in the 16th century. That is why Spain has spent more than 250 years protecting this strategic site. It's no surprise that Spain fought to keep Puerto Rico under its hands for over 400 years!
