Plaza del Quinto Centenario

Totem Telurico! Absolutely stunning plaza you MUST visit when in Old San Juan! 🌟 Plaza del Quinto Centenario (Quincentennial Square) is a magnificent open space that beautifully blends history, art, and breathtaking views. The star attraction here is the impressive "Tótem Telúrico" (Telluric Totem) - a striking 40-foot tall monument designed by artist Jaime Suárez to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival to the Americas. Made of black granite and ceramic, this modern totem rises dramatically from a shallow pool of water, creating perfect photo opportunities. The water element represents the meeting of the Old and New Worlds across the Atlantic. What many tourists miss (but you shouldn't!) is the beautiful symbolism throughout the plaza. Look carefully at the decorative tiles and you'll spot numerous depictions of lambs - these aren't random decorations! They represent the "Cordero de Dios" (Lamb of God) that appears on San Juan's historic coat of arms. The story behind these lambs is fascinating: when Juan Ponce de León founded the city in 1521, it was named San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist). The city's coat of arms features the Agnus Dei - a lamb holding a flag with a cross, which is the symbol of St. John the Baptist. The lamb sits atop a book with seven seals, and the Latin inscription "JOANNES EST NOMEN EJUS" (John is His name). This emblem was granted by the Spanish Catholic Kings and is one of the oldest coats of arms in the Americas! (you can see the "F" and "Y" - Ferdinand and Ysabel) The plaza offers unbeatable views of San Juan Bay and is conveniently located next to El Morro fortress. I recommend visiting late afternoon - watch the sunset here, then enjoy dinner at one of the nearby restaurants in Old San Juan.

Nice place to come with family and friends. Easy access to park vehicles in the underground parking garage. This garage exit opens directly on the plaza. There will be a but of walking involved to visit different spots in old San Juan, so be prepared with comfy shoes and a bottle of water.

Great place to use as a place to meet up with others and is pretty close to lots of good places for eating drinking and sightseeing, but the heat there in the evening is too much.

This was Puerto Rico another island we hadn't visited before. Easy walk to forts but it poured with rain a couple of times to dampen our enthusiasm for strolling.

We went to Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 on the Carnival cruise celebration ship, and it was an awesome vacation. Puerto Rico is so beautiful and everyone is so friendly. A great vacation for the family!

The Plaza del Quinto Centenario is the heart of old San Juan. We were able to park our car in the underground garage located beneath the plaza. It was amazing to see the Agnus Daei

Beautiful view on our inexpensive bus tour of San Juan. The cruise ship stopped and for only $20 we got to enjoy the old city. Our driver was super informative, and we learned a lot about the city history. From the US president statues to a pretty little beach, we want to learn more and return to spend more time here. And $2 tequila shots with fresh empanadas we will be back!

Beautiful place to visit if you ever get the chance. There is so much rich culture in PR.

Can't really miss this big post in this plaza, as we walked back to the cruise port from our visit to the fort. It is lit beautifully at night, and the texture of the pole reminded me of the bark of a large palm tree, as the fronds die and leave behind the remnants, causing this layered effect.

Plaza del Quinto Centenario is a pretty plaza in a beautiful part of San Juan. When you are there, you really feel the history of the city. You are surrounded by many restored buildings from the Spanish colonial period in the 16th/17th century. It looks very European. Plus, across you will see the sea and the Castillo San Felipe de Morro, this gangster citadel overlooking the water. So beautiful. The first thing you'll probably notice is this gigantic totem pole. I found out that it's called, El Totem Telurico, and was created by a Puerto Rican artist named Jaime Suarez. The brown totem pole is made of granite and clay, and is a tribute the various indigenous peoples of the Americas. The Plaza itself was built to honor the 500th year anniversary of Columbus's voyage to the Americas. There's a cool fountain area, where the water spurts from the granite flooring. When we walked by, we saw little kids playing in the fountain area. It was so hot that part of me wanted to go in there with them, but I digress. There are benches around and you can sit and rest. Also, you can pick up free Wi-Fi in this plaza. It is worth stopping by and checking it out if you are here to visit Castillo San Felipe de Morro.

Not the prettiest monument, but very unique. It was created to celebrate Columbus's 500th anniversary of landing in the America's. Lots of open space here to hang out and admire the monument and/or scenery that surrounds it.