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The largest city in Puerto Rico is San Juan, the island’s capital. It is also the most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
San Juan is Puerto Rico’s most important seaport and is the island’s manufacturing, financial, cultural, and tourism center.
Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon founded San Juan in 1519. This town was near the gold mines that made Puerto Rico valuable to the Spanish. And today Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States.
Street art is big in San Juan. I was impressed by many artworks, from large graffiti murals to more subtle artistic expressions on the city streets. I did not purposefully hunt for street art, but I was able to spot excellence everywhere I went in town.
When I was walking along the waterfront streets of San Juan, I saw a beautiful seahorse sculpture. The Spanish words for seahorse is “caballito del Mar”. This steel and bronze sculpture stands an impressive 38 feet. The graceful outdoor artwork was created from converting pieces of junk metal into stunning sculpture.
The seahorse is depicted upright amid a grouping of curved rods that suggests sea grass. The concrete pedestal is the source of a fountain.
The Fernando Botero Park is a tiny concrete alcove in the Condado district. It is home to a remarkable statue from a rather influential artist. Fernando Botero’s “Madre y Hijo” told the story of a mother sitting stoically and holding her baby lovingly. “Madre y Hijo” means “Mother and Child” in English. It was created in 1991.
With this bronze statue of Madre y Hijo, Fernando Botero used his special style of exaggerating forms of his subjects. The artist illustrated a scene for visitors to enjoy arts and culture in the new town of San Juan.
One of my favorite quotes by Fernando Botero seems to sum up his philosophy of life as an artist. He said, “The richness of an artist is the fusion of influences that have shaped his life and work.”
In the new town of San Juan, I observed the old splendor intertwining with a vibrant contemporary scene that keeps the streets bustling.
A simple activity that is completely free but not to be missed is a stroll through the streets of San Juan. I quickly fell in love with the colorful streets under the warm sunshine. It was relaxing to enjoy the idyllic settings. It was also the best way to reenergize my mind, body, and soul.
As I was leaving the amazing town of San Juan, I saw the banners hanging on the street lamp poles that said “Vive San Juan.” The word “vive” is French for long life. “Vive San Juan” means “long live San Juan.” That is my best wishes for San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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