Old San Juan - Carmelite Convent

(Local Name: Convento de las Carmelitas) The Convento de las Carmelitas in Old San Juan was the first Carmelite convent built in the Caribbean. It was constructed in the 1650s for the Carmelites but over the years was used for a multitude of purposes. Today, after a major restoration in the late 1990s, the Convento de las Carmelitas is now an upper end hotel called "El Convento". The restoration work was beautifully completed and the open beamed ceilings are complimented with beautiful Spanish style furnishings. Consequently it probably doesn't resemble the modest Carmelite Convent it once was but it is a charming piece of architecture that is definitely worth a look while walking the streets of Old San Juan.