Definitely worth a visit - beautiful inside, and is the second oldest cathedral in the Americas. It was first built in 1521, and houses Ponce de Leon's remains.
we sat inside for a while and took in how beautiful and serene it was just to sit here and soak up the history of this beautiful building. The colours, the artwork and the feel of the place was just beautiful... if you appreciate Churches and Cathedrals this is a must see in San Juan
Attended a wedding in March 2015. High vaulted ceilings, beautiful art, lovely antiques. My only complaint: the acoustics are horrible and guests were unable to hear any of the ceremony outside of some loud mumbles.
Situated in the midst of Old Town and a little difficult to find...but using my phone GPS located it. The Catholic Church is easy to miss. Enter on the left side and look for the crypt approx. hallway back. Open most hours even when church is not in session, the church is quite bautiful inside.Worth the walk from the docks in e middle of Old Town. Read my other views to find nearby restaurants for traditional Puerto Rican food as well as the place where the Piña Colada was invented do not attempt to drive....walk or take a taxi and enjoy your surroundings.
Beautiful catholic church which is supposed to house a relic of Ponce de Leon but we never found it.
You can google the name for details but if being immersed in history appeals to you this is a must see - The Cathedral has the bones of Ponce DeLeon, the original chapel (duck your head going in the originals were short folks and a mummy of St Pio (they dressed him up nice and covered his body in wax then placed him in a glass coffin)We walked up the front steps went to the right and did a full 360 degree circle through the church - Great way to spend an hour and many photo opportunities Oh! When you leave walk straight down the hill ./ street and you'll be at the the last original gate of Old San Juan
Step in and look at Ponce De Leon's remains. It's really old but in great condition. The gift shop is tiny and doesn't really have much.
The Cathedral of San Juan Bautista is located about a hundred yards from the beach where the first Spanish soldiers arrived in PR. It became the place that this community decided to build its first church. The church has a long history and lacked a major benefactor so that it took over a hundred years for the church to be built. Then later it had an addition to be sure that it was taller than it's next door neighbor, today known as El Convento. Once inside the space, you notice that the interior ornamentation is now sculptural but is tromp l'oeil...to give the appearance of a much more ornate and expensive church. The exterior is more simple than most cathedrals built at that time because, again, money was an issue. Today, the cathedral has a look that is almost contemporary in its simplicity. Many years after Ponce de Leon died, his remains were moved from the church built by his family to the San Juan Cathedral. Today his remains lie in this location.Another can't miss opportunity when you visit Old San Juan. The history lives on every corner.
When I went I felt very awkward not being a catholic in a Catholic Church. In the gift shop they are selling very odd things.
We had the opportunity to attend Mass and it was like traveling back in time to feel the faith of all those that came to San Juan and built the city, the Cathedral and the Castles for defense.