Outdoor sights in San Juan
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Parque de las Palomas
Parque de las Palomas on the lower end of Calle del Cristo is a cobblestone courtyard shaded with trees at the top of the city wall. Paloma means 'dove' or 'pigeon' in Spanish and it's the latter variety you'll encounter here, in their hundreds. Some brave souls come here for the view it affords of BahÃa de San Juan. Others just turn up to feed the pigeons. (You can buy birdseed from a vendor by the gate.)
Devout Christians have long believed that if you feed the birds and one 'anoints' you with its pearly droppings, you have been blessed by God. Agnostics prefer to look upon it as just plain old bad luck.
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Plazuela de la Rogativa
This tiny gem of a park, the Plazuela de la Rogativa, has lovely vistas overlooking the bay and is home to a whimsical bronze sculpture of the bishop of San Juan and three women bearing torches.
According to legend, the candles held by the women who walked through this plaza one night in 1797 tricked British lieutenant Abercromby - who was getting ready to lay siege to San Juan with his 8000 troops and flotilla of more than 50 vessels - into believing that reinforcements were flooding the city from out on the island. Fearful of being outnumbered, Abercromby and his fleet withdrew.
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