San Juan National Historic Site
This summer I visited Puerto Rico for the first time. I got a chance to visit the San Juan Historic site; The San Cristobal Historic Fort. There are 2 historic forts in San Juan, but we didn’t make it to the second fort San Felipe, because of the sweltering temps caused by the heatwave during our visit.
This fort played a role in the civil rights protests of the 1960s. In 1961, a group of civil rights activists, led by the Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos, protested against the segregation of African American soldiers at the Fort. The protesters were met with resistance from the military police and were eventually arrested and jailed.
In the following years, civil rights protests continued in Puerto Rico, with a focus on ending discrimination against Afro-Puerto Ricans and other minorities. The San Cristobal Fort was one of several sites where protests took place, as it was a symbol of the island's colonial past and the injustices that had been perpetrated against Puerto Ricans of African descent.
As part of our tour of Old San Juan , we visited the La Perla historic district which is in the Old San Juan Historic District which is managed by US National Park Service. La Perla is primarily inhibited by the poorer Afro-Puerto Rican residents of the island and has sometimes been described as a slum or shantytown because many homes have been built without proper permits. We were advised to “enter La Perla at your own risk” due to the crimes recorded in this area. Despite the civil rights protests that occurred just adjacent to San Cristobal, La Perla is a glaring representation of the racial and class segregation that persists today.
I also got the chance to do a day trip to the El Yunque National Forest. El Yunque National Forest covers an area of approximately 28,000 acres in the northeastern part of Puerto Rico. It is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. El Yunque receives an average of 200 inches of rainfall annually, making it one of the wettest places in the Caribbean. It houses over 240 species of trees, including diverse ferns, orchids, and giant tree ferns. El Yunque is also home to the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot, as well as other unique bird species, frogs, and insects. The forest offers several well-maintained hiking trails that allow visitors to explore its natural wonders. Popular trails include La Mina Falls Trail, Big Tree Trail, and El Yunque Trail. The forest has cultural significance to the indigenous Taíno people, who considered it a sacred place. The forest's name, "El Yunque," is derived from the Taíno word for "white lands" or "white mountain," referring to the frequent cloud cover that envelops the peak.
The tour was hosted by our guide Alejandro, who is a native islander and a university professor on the mainland during the academic year. He was very knowledgeable and led us on an exciting tour through the rainforest where we experienced several natural water slides, and a rope swing into the cooling waters of the forest. It was a once-in-a-lifetime hike, which ended with a hearty meal at a local food stop for traditional Puerto Rican dishes and smoothies!
