On the southern end of Calle del Cristo, the pigeon-filled Parque de las Palomas is in a tree-shaded cobblestone courtyard on the top of the city wall, with views of Bahía de San Juan and the crisscrossing water traffic that often includes city-sized cruise ships. Bird phobics should give it a wide berth.

　　Paloma means ‘dove’ or ‘pigeon’ and it’s the latter you’ll encounter in the hundreds. With a lot more class than their often-scrabbling-about urban brethren, these pigeons fly in and out of dovecote-like holes in the wall and offer up a chorus of coos when at rest. Some folks come to the park just to feed them; small children come to chase them. Buy birdseed from a vendor by the gate.