Luis Muñoz Rivera Park always brings back fond memories. When I was little I lived in San Juan and my dad frequently took us to this park and the nearby beach. Some of the attractions from when I was a child are still in this park.

This park has been renovated through the years. At the moment it is in a state of semi abandonment. The structure known as the Polvorín de San Gerónimo was, many years ago, a natural history museum. In this museum I saw for the first time an American bald eagle and a lion, both stuffed of course.

There is a bridge that takes you to the other side of the street, to Parque del Tercer Milenio, also in semi-abandonment, Playa de la Ocho and El Escambrón, another beach.
If you go early you can park your car in the surroundings or if it is later use the paying parking lots, in the same park and on the other side on the beach.

The park offers many photographic opportunities, from the almost destroyed Pabellón de la Paz, to the Polvorín de San Gerónimo and all the green areas in between. The trees are especially interesting as some are quite old.

My favorite focal lengths for this location are 24 and 28mm for Polvorín de San Gerónimo and the trees, to emphasize its roots, and 45 or 50mm for everything else including some street photography, with people. In the case of the Polvorín, it is better photographed in color due to its colors and textures. The best time to go is in the morning, if you don’t want a lot of people, the side lighting brings out the shadows and creates a tree-dappled light effect that is a delight to the eyes. In the afternoon it is better if you want to add the human element, as this always favors urban photos.

The first photos that I show were taken with my iPhone and as you can see they turned out better than the rest of the photos. The iPhone is a serious tool that in the hands of a good photographer can do wonders.

Here are a few photos of the place. Regards!