Old San Juan – Puerto Rico.

Colorful display of various doors and windows.

“Paseo de la princesa”

“Garita” (The look-out) detail from “Castillo de San Cristóbal” (San Cristóbal Fort)

Puerto Rico Institute of Culture

“Santo de Palo” are highly prized art and antique collectibles.

Arts and crafts: “santos de palo” (small religious icons carved from wood)

Arts and crafts: coconut and gourd mask

First thing I do and a must in the morning is to stop at la “Bonbonera” and have a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice accompanied by a “mayorca” (sweet bread pastry). My wife loves the coffee.

“La puerta de San Juan” (The door to San Juan)

Famous bar “El Batey”
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I am thrilled to have my super kind friend Manuel Olmo-Rodriguez share his lovely photo collection and commentary on his homeland. Manuel is an exceptional graphic designer and illustrator with a rich appreciation for art, culture and design. It is evidenced in his work. View his portfolio and also check out my recent feature on him here at AQ-V. Now without further ado, here is Manuel…
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This post is dedicated to my friend Amy who expressed interest in knowing what Puerto Rico was like, and to all her loyal readers.

Being a native and devoted Puerto Rican broadens the topic. This post will be dedicated to the city of Old San Juan, one of my favorite places.

Old San Juan is a five hundred year old city with lots of flavor and character, full of art galleries, museums, restaurants, antique shops, boutiques, outdoor cafes, nightclubs, historical landmarks, plazas, parks, fortresses and beautiful Spanish colonial architecture. Founded in 1521, Old San Juan is the second oldest European-founded city in the Americas and the oldest city under the U.S. flag. The city is also a major port and tourist destination and one of the largest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean. The city is also called the ”walled city“ because it is surrounded by fortress walls, that once served as protection from English and pirate attacks.

I’ve always loved Old San Juan. As a young boy I studied at “La Liga del Arte” for many consecutive years, and later as a young adult spent many evenings having a blast bar hopping with friends. Now as an adult I participate in festivals and have various clients with offices or venues within the city. I am always surprised by the beauty of this place and the architecture.

>> En mi Viejo San Juan flickr set
>> For more information about San Juan, visit Welcome to Puerto Rico!
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Manuel Olmo-Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican graphic designer and illustrator. He resides in San Juan with his wife and their three great kids. In 1993, Manuel received his BA in both Fine Arts and Visual Communications Design from Purdue University in Indiana. On the side he continues to research and produce personal artwork with the purpose of learning and documenting folk culture and exploring illustration and typography.

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