La Fortaleza Gardens

Year built: 2024 | 13,945 sq.ft. | Project Cost: $600,000

Los Jardines de La Fortaleza, located north of Puerto Rico’s executive mansion in Old San Juan, spans 13,850 square feet between the bay wall and Calle Blair. Organized into four stepped terraces (Jardín del Escudo, Jardín de las Esculturas, Huerto, and Jardín Hundido) the site was once in disrepair, with disorganized vegetation and damaged infrastructure. Inspired by the vision of Doña Inés María Mendoza de Muñoz Marín, the restoration reintroduced coherence, identity, and purpose through a design rooted in sustainability, art, and cultural heritage.

The upper terraces emphasize symbolism and artistic contemplation. Jardín del Escudo, adjacent to the Governor’s offices, serves as a ceremonial space framed by jasmines, eugenias, and flowering trees. Below, Jardín de las Esculturas features over sixty varieties of creole roses, liriopes as unifying elements, native species like Palo de Violeta, and a mango tree as a natural sculpture, reinforcing the dialogue between art and landscape.

The lower gardens combine productivity and ornament. The Huerto applies agroecological practices with modular planting beds, drip irrigation, and trellises, producing edible and medicinal crops while supporting biodiversity. At the core, the Jardín Hundido centers on a restored Andalusian fountain with cross shaped paths and plantings of amapolas, caliandras, and jasmines. Together, the four terraces create a layered, symbolic, and resilient landscape that bridges Puerto Rico’s history with contemporary use.