When I was a kid my sister and I loved building forts.  We’d gather as many pillows and blankets as we could find and stack them up against the furniture to make the ultimate hideout.  We would enter the fort and create a different world, spending hours on end entertaining ourselves.  So when I actually got to wander around a real fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico when I was 10, it stuck with me forever.  I don’t remember much about it now, but I do know that to this day I still recall the fascination and excitement it sparked in me.

Upon my return 27 years later, I knew that the fort in San Juan was going to be a main attraction of our visit to this beautiful city.

Families and friends gather in the park outside the fort to fly kites or just enjoy the sunshine.  There’s no shade anywhere, but there is a nice breeze.It doesn’t look like “much” from the front……but once you get inside, a whole new world opens up.From walkways that lead to different levels inside the fort……to tunnels that take you several flights down……it’s like a city within itself. 

And it quickly becomes apparent that this is the ultimate fort!

It’s exciting to imagine the history that once took place here.

The weathered buildings tell their own story.

It’s a place where you can become a kid again.And you can discover how small you really are.

And you can take a few moments out of your busy life to dream about what’s out on the horizon.