PUERTO RICO (By Jon Rust, NYTimes) March 4, 2004 - By 1521, more than 80 years before the founding of Jamestown in what is now Virginia, Juan Ponce de León, the first governor of Puerto Rico, had already scrapped his original colony and moved north across San Juan Bay to a windy, defensible headland. There, Spanish men and women began creating a city, with a fortress of towering 20-foot-thick walls that would later withstand naval attacks by the British, the Dutch and, eventually, the Americans. Old San Juan, almost 500 years later, is still surrounded by ancient walls of sand, gravel and limestone, its streets lined with deep-blue cobblestones used as ballast by Spanish ships. Centuries-old churches and meticulously preserved pastel houses huddle side by side within its seven-by-seven-block confines, yet Old San Juan is more than just a living, breathing museum.

It has plazas, parks, a Polo outlet and restaurants featuring cuisines from Transylvanian to French to Nuevo Latino to Italian. You could walk every block in an afternoon or spend a lifetime soaking in the details. And because Puerto Rico is easy and inexpensive to get to - and, of course, a Caribbean island where the average winter temperature is around 75 degrees - Old San Juan is a great place to get away from the blizzard blues.

Friday

6 p.m.
1) Lights, Sights, a Bit of Lime
Kick off the weekend with a waterfront view and a taste of Puerto Rico. Have a Cuba libre (rum, coke, wedge of lime) at Old San Juan's only rooftop restaurant, the Panorama Terrace Bar and Latin Grill at Hotel Milano (307 Calle Fortaleza; 787-729-9050), as the sun goes down and the lights of San Juan and the cruise ships flicker to life. Try the entremeses (small plates) of calamari, codfish, ham croquettes and more ($10), or seafood mofongo ($18), a local staple. Across the bay are the lights of Caparra, site of Ponce de León's first settlement.

8 p.m.
2) The Joy of Criollo Cooking
For local dishes at bargain prices, go to La Fonda del Jibarito (280 Calle Sol; 787-725-8375). The menu changes daily and the simple, hearty meals are what you might have for supper in a Puerto Rican home. Offerings whipped up in the open kitchen can include plantain tamales filled with pork ($6.95), beef stew with vegetables and potatoes ($7.95) or whole fried snapper ($14.95). It's a favorite haunt of both Robi Draco Rosa, who was in the boy band Menudo and wrote Ricky Martin's 1999 hit "Livin' la Vida Loca," and the archbishop of San Juan, who spends his days nearby at the 16th-century San Juan Cathedral, where Ponce de León is in eternal repose.

10:30 p.m
3) Put on Your Salsa Shoes
When the cruise ships shove off, the heart of San Juan's nightlife, Calle San Sebastián, starts beating. It has everything from colmados (small grocery shops) with little more than cheap Medalla beer and signs prohibiting political talk, to pool halls and rollicking dance joints. Don't miss Rumba (152 Calle San Sebastián; 787-977-4305), where you can break in your salsa shoes or just listen to Latin jazz and watch the locals whirl after the live music starts at 10:30. No trip to Old San Juan is complete without a stop at El Batey (787-447-8737) at 101 Calle del Cristo. Ask for a marker to add to the graffiti at this hole in the wall, and look among the crowd of crusty expatriates for the owner, David Jones, a cantankerous former sailor with a cigar in his mouth, a glass of whiskey in his hand and the best jukebox in the Caribbean.

Saturday

8:30 a.m.
4) Mallorcas Worth the Wait
La Bombonera (259 Calle de San Francisco; 787-722-0658) has been serving Puerto Rican coffee and tasty pastries for more than 100 years, which, depending on the mood of the waiters in red coats and bow ties, is how long you may have to wait to be served. But the ham-and-cheese mallorcas - buttered, grilled pastries sprinkled with powdered sugar - are worth the wait, and eggs, toast and bacon will set you back just $3.50. Fill up for a trip to the beach; taxis line up on Calle Tetuán just south of Plaza Colón.

10 a.m.
5) A Beach With Shrimp Wraps
Tucked between the tourist strips of Condado and Isla Verde is the low-key neighborhood of Ocean Park and the best beach in town. Take a taxi to Parque Barbosa on Calle McCleary, walk a couple of hundred feet left (west), find a spot and soak up some sun. Vendors have water, beer and shaved-ice piraguas, and there are beachfront guesthouses with restaurants. The fare at the Hostería del Mar (1 Calle Tapia; 787-727-3302 at the west end of the seawall) goes perfectly with the sound of waves lapping at the shore. Whether you dine inside or out, try a shrimp wrap with creamy avocado and cilantro mayonnaise ($18) or a manchego-cheese-and-roasted-tomato sandwich ($10). Before you leave, make a reservation for your next vacation.

3 p.m.
6) Santos and Cigarros
The corner of Cristo and Fortaleza is the center of Old San Juan's shopping district, where the amount of jewelry for sale is blinding. Among the T-shirt and trinket shops, find Olé (105 Calle Fortaleza; 787-724-2445), which has hand-carved wooden santos (saints), along with historical photographs. Farther afield, at 59 Calle del Cristo (787-977-2983) the staff at Don Collins Cigars will offer a handmade stogie and sip of rum while you ponder your purchases. At 99 Cristo (787-368-6164), Manolo Díaz has interesting sculptures made from found objects.

7:30 p.m.
7) Polly Wants a Feast
The menu at the Parrot Club (363 Calle Fortaleza; 787-725-7370) is in Spanglish, which hints at the mix of flavors. Dine early then hang around and enjoy the music, which begins at 8:30. For starters, try the smoky chicken and cheese empanadillas ($12); entrees range from "Nuestro famosa blackened tuna in a dark rum sauce with orange essence, yuca mohada y viandas" ($24) to steaks with local accents. Wash it all down with a mojito or a watermelon martini.

10 p.m.
8) A Roll of the Dice
Spanish-appointed governors here used to keep their subjects tame with dancing, drinking and gambling, and at the old city's only casino, little has changed. Try your luck at the Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel and El Casino (100 Calle Brumbaugh; 787-721-5100). Skip the slots and try Caribbean Stud, and if the money runs out take a stroll along the waterfront Paseo de la Princesa.

Sunday

10 a.m.
9) Defend the Empire
Literally and figuratively, you can't miss El Morro, the imposing 16th-century fortress that symbolizes Puerto Rico and is a Unesco World Heritage Site as well as a National Park Service Historic Site ($3, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 787-729-6777). Explore the nooks and crannies, spiral staircases and kitchens and quarters, and imagine fighting off Sir Francis Drake. In the original tower is a shell lobbed by the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War in 1898, when the Americans ended Spain's four-century-old empire in the New World. On the way out, weave north through the children flying kites and find the Santa Rosa Bastion, where a sentry tower, or garita, offers great views of the old cemetery and the seaside shantytown of La Perla.

Noon
10) Square Time
When your legs are worn out from walking, take a breather at the Cuatro Estaciones Cafe, in Plaza de Armas in the heart of the old city, with a cafe con leche ($1) and a quesito (a pastry, $1) or maybe an aspirin (50 cents). Watch the pigeons and the people, listen to the nearby fountain and soak in a little more of a day in the life of Old San Juan.

Visiting Old San Juan

Direct flights from the Northeast to San Juan take about three and a half hours. Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport is served by most major airlines. Old San Juan is about 15 minutes by taxi from the airport. If you plan to spend most of your time in the old city, you will not need a rental car.

Run by the artist Jan D'Esopo, the Gallery Inn (204 Calle Norzagaray; 787-722-1808) is a bed and breakfast in a renovated 17th-century building with a rooftop deck, parrots in lush garden patios, a grand piano and occasional concerts. Its 22 rooms are $175 to $350.

Hotel El Convento (100 Calle Cristo; 787-723-9020), with 58 rooms in a former Carmelite convent dating to 1651, has a rooftop pool and exudes elegance. Rates are $355 to $410.

Hotel Milano (307 Calle Fortaleza; 787-729-9050) is Old San Juan's best bargain. Its 30 rooms have air conditioning, cable TV and refrigerators and are $90 to $155. Its rooftop restaurant offers great views of the bay.