Old San Juan: El Morro Fortress at Atlantic Sunrise

Old San Juan occupies a small island at 18.5°N on the northwest coast of Puerto Rico, enclosed by 400-year-old Spanish colonial walls. Golden hour lasts roughly 22 minutes. Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro, 1539–1787) stands at the northern tip of the island, rising 43 m above the Atlantic Ocean. From the upper ramparts, the view faces open Atlantic with no obstructions to the horizon. At sunrise, the eastern faces of the sentry boxes (garitas) and the lighthouse catch direct light as the sun rises over San Juan Bay to the east. The brightly coloured facades of Calle Norzagaray and Calle del Cristo (blues, yellows, ochres) intensify dramatically at golden hour. The esplanade lawn between El Morro and the old city provides an unobstructed field for photography outside the fort interior.