Ace San Juan

Ace Car Rental in San Juan, Puerto Rico

El Morro
Morro Castle or Fort San Felipe del Morro is a magnificent 16th century citadel located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico that sits on the northwestern most point of the islet of San Juan, named in honor of King Philip II of Spain and became known as the el morro or promontory that had been designed to guard the entry into the San Juan Bay and to defend the city from the seaborne invaders. In 1983, it would become part of the world heritage site, with more than 2 million visitors coming here each year to explore the passageways and windswept ramparts, that has made this fort one of the main attractions in the city. The fort would be started in 1539 after the authorization by King Charles V of Spain, that included the encompassing walls to protect the city and entrance to the port. During the next four centuries, numerous additions would be constructed onto the fort, with the outer walls being built some 12 feet thick. In 1680, Governor Enrique Enriquez de Sotomayor would start the construction of the city walls that would take another 48 years to complete, and by the late 18th century, the walls had become 18 feet thick. It now contains six levels that rise up from the ocean waters to 145 feet, and along the walls, there are dome covered sentry boxes called garitas that have grown into a cultural symbol of the city. In 1843, the El Morro or Port San Juan lighthouse would be built above the fort, although it would be replaced by the US military in 1908 with the present lighthouse. It sits on about 70 acres of land. In 1898, US navy ships would bombard the fort for a solid day, damaging the tip of the main battery, and six months later, it would become a US territory by terms of the Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American War.

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Castillo de San Cristobal
The Castillo de San Cristobal is another Spanish fort in San Juan that was constructed by Spain to protect against land based attacks on the city and is part of the San Juan National Historic Site, and is the biggest fort constructed by the Spanish in the new world, that was completed in 1783 and covers 27 acres of land. It is almost as if it was built to encompass the city, and the entrance to the city would be closed by the double gates. In 1897, a third of the fort would be demolished after a century of peace, so that the flow of traffic into and out of the city could be eased. The fortress would be built on the summit of hill called, the Cerro de la Horca or the Cerro del Quemadero that was eventually changed to Cerro de San Cristobal to help celebrate the Spanish victories that expelled the English and Dutch invaders from the island of the same name in the Lesser Antilles. The fort has a large tunnel system that links various parts of it, with a main plaza, guard house and troop quarters. There is also a military observation post that was constructed by the US Army in WWII, as well as 200 pound mortar shells. The fort has three flags flying over it that includes the US flag, the Puerto Rican flag and the old Spanish military flag that is known as the Cross of Burgundy. There are marvelous displays of military uniforms, and five cisterns under the main plaza, where the troops would drill, and they held about 716,000 gallons of water that could possibly support the garrison's troops for complete year. The majority of the city's walls have gueritas or sentry boxes, located at different points along the wall, with one called, "The devil's guerite" since it one of the oldest parts of the fort that was constructed in 1634.

May 16, 2011