Old San Juan (Spanish: Viejo San Juan) is the oldest settlement within the territory of the United States and it is the historic colonial of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is one of the two barrios of San Juan as of 1951, before Río Piedras was added to the city (the other being Santurce), and is subdivided into seven sub-barrios:
The slum neighborhood of La Perla is on the rocky north coast, outside of the city limits, and belongs to sub-barrios Mercado and San Cristóbal.
Old San Juan is located on a small island connected to the mainland of Puerto Rico by bridges and a causeway. The city is characterized by its narrow cobblestone streets and colorful buildings which date back to the 16th and 17th century when Puerto Rico was a Spanish possession.
The district is also characterized by numerous public plazas and churches including the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, which contains the tomb of the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. It also houses the most ancient Catholic school for Elementary education in Puerto Rico, the Colegio de Párvulos, built in 1865. With its abundance of shops, historic places, museums, open air cafés, restaurants, gracious homes, tree-shaded “plazas”, and its old beauty and architectonical peculiarity, “Old San Juan” is a main spot for local and internal tourism. A free Tourist trolley serves the city.
