The capital of Puerto Rico is a spirited modern metropolis with high-rise beach strips and a major commercial center. It dates from the early 16th century， making it the second oldest city in the Americas （after granddaddy Cuzco， Peru）。 Today it's the engine of the island's economic and political life and the cultural beachhead for US influence in the Caribbean.

　　For an old timer， San Juan can seem pretty spry（精神好的；活泼的）- nothing like strips of high-rise hotels littered about the beaches to make a town look young. Even Old San Juan seems strangely fresh and well-preserved given that it's getting on for 500 years old. Many Caribbean adventurers never make it past San Juan： there's a lot to be said for being able to lay a towel down on an unmistakably white Caribbean beach， while having the culture and quaintness of a historic city and the convenience of a modern metropolis just minutes away. But if day tripping appeals， the capital also makes a good base from which to explore the compact island.

　　Proudly independent in spirit but technically a territory of the USA， Puerto Rico is where four centuries of Spanish Caribbean culture comes face to face with the American convenience store. This leads to some strange juxtapositions（并置，并列，同时存在）- parking lots and plazas， freeways and fountains， skyscrapers and shanties - but they're not hard to reconcile（调和；使一致）in the context of the Caribbean's hybrid（复杂的；混合的）history.

　　Although tourists have been visiting San Juan for decades， few ever felt the need to get out of the casinos， let alone （更谈不上）the city limits. Today， travelers who venture into the island's mountainous interior or explore its undeveloped southern and western coasts are coming across stately hill towns where the locals in the plaza seem to have been feeding the same pigeons for decades. Add to this a perplexing culture that is proud of its past yet unable to seize its independence and you have the ingredients for an intriguing （有趣的）adventure.