Travel has a wonderful way of revealing stories that linger long after the journey ends. Some of those stories come from historic buildings, ancient streets, and centuries-old forts. Others come from the guides who bring those places to life with tales that blur the line between documented history and lingering legend. That is precisely the experience offered by US Ghost Adventures, whose guided ghost tours invite travelers to explore cities through a delightfully eerie lens. One is also offered the opportunity to either purchase or rent their own EMF counter!
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, ghost tours have become one of the most entertaining ways to experience historic destinations. They combine local folklore, historical facts, and a bit of theatrical storytelling to create an atmosphere that is equal parts educational and mysterious. As lanterns flicker and footsteps echo down quiet streets, visitors quickly find themselves immersed in stories that have been whispered for generations.
Similar to tours we’ve taken in Portland, OR – The Shanghai Tunnel Tour, Annapolis, MD – Capital Ghost Tour, and Queen Mary’s Close in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Old San Juan – US Ghost Adventures tour definitely lived up to the hype. In addition to the excellent tour guide, this tour has one of the most fascinating settings for such a tour is the historic district of Old San Juan. With its cobblestone streets, colorful Spanish colonial architecture, and buildings dating back more than 400 years, the city already feels like a place where the past never fully disappeared.
The Tour
Cobblestone streets glow differently at night for the San Juan – US Ghost Adventures Tour. The pastel facades of Old San Juan soften into shadow, and the centuries-old walls seem to breathe with stories that never quite settled. On a US Ghost Adventures tour, history isn’t just told—it lingers, whispered through alleyways, plazas, and fortresses that have witnessed conquest, faith, love, and loss.
Something that addes to this particular experience is a small digital EMF counter, a handheld device, designed to detect fluctuations in electromagnetic fields, becomes an unexpected companion throughout the night.
Two of our group are privileged (or not?) to be carrying a counter. Our guide Jan calmy explains that sudden spikes—especially in places with no electrical interference—are often interpreted by paranormal investigators as signs of unseen “beings.” Skepticism lingers at first, but curiosity quickly takes over.
The evening begins at the Plaza del Quinto Centenario, where each person in the group shares one by one their name and some sort of supernatural experience they’ve had experience with, then learning the history of the plaza itself and the tower made of ceremics.
We then move on to the massive stone defenses of Castillo San Cristóbal, where one of the island’s most infamous legends clings to a solitary sentry box: the Garita del Diablo. Known as the “Devil’s Watchtower,” this small turret is tied to stories of soldiers who vanished without explanation, leaving behind only their uniforms. Some claimed supernatural forces were at play, others whispered of forbidden love and secret escapes—but no one ever proved what happened.
As the group crams themselves inside the garita at the invitation of our guide, the wind whips in from the Atlantic—and then, unexpectedly, one EMF device flickers, the other does not. A soft green light jumps to yellow, then briefly to red. There are no power lines nearby, no obvious explanation. The moment passes quickly, but the tone of the evening shifts. Whether coincidence or something more, it’s just enough to make everyone lean in closer to the stories.
From there, the tour winds deeper into Old San Juan’s spiritual past, where death and devotion have long intertwined. Just outside the city walls lies the breathtaking Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery. Built in 1863 and overlooking the ocean, it was intentionally placed beyond the city—reflecting the Spanish belief that the dead should be separated from the living, yet guided toward the afterlife by the sea.
But beauty doesn’t quiet the stories here. Visitors often hear tales of a mysterious “witch” said to wander the cemetery grounds, her presence tied to rituals and restless spirits. As the guide recounts these encounters, the EMF counter flickers ever so slightly to amber, wanting to go red but does not.
Not far away, that sense of unfinished story continues at the Governor’s Mansion, known as La Fortaleza. As one of the oldest executive residences in the Western Hemisphere, it has housed centuries of leadership—and, according to legend, a spirit named Anna. Her story shifts depending on who tells it: a woman wronged, a presence tied to tragedy, or simply a ghost who refuses to leave the halls of power.
Here, at the rear gate, the EMF counter reacts again—brief but unmistakable. A flash of all the lights from green to amber to full red. Then nothing. The guide smiles knowingly, and by now, everyone is paying attention.
The tour also passes through plazas that once held darker purposes. One such square, now peaceful, was once used as a cemetery by the Franciscan church. It’s a reminder that Old San Juan has continually reinvented itself—layer upon layer of life built atop death. Near the statue in the center, both EMF counters begin flashing radically, perhaps due to the weight of history being difficult to bear for those buried there.
Not far away, faith leaves another imprint on the tour. In the cathedral of Catedral Basílica Menor de San Juan Bautista lies the tomb of Juan Ponce de León, the famed explorer associated with the search for the Fountain of Youth. His presence anchors the island’s colonial narrative, but it also raises questions—about ambition, conquest, and the cost of legacy. Once again the device registers the presence, then nothing.
Nearby, in the quiet elegance of Hotel El Convento, another story of Anna emerges—this one rooted in love and loss. Originally established in the 1600s as a Carmelite convent, the building is tied to Doña Ana Lanzós, a wealthy widow who, after losing her husband, devoted her life to religion and helped establish the convent itself. Today, guests and staff have reported unexplained occurrences—doors closing on their own, footsteps in empty corridors—suggesting that perhaps Anna never truly left.
Standing in the softly lit courtyard outside the El Convento entrance, the EMF device flickers once more, almost gently this time, as if acknowledging the story rather than interrupting it.
The Extended Tour
As some of us moved on after the others left, we discovered there are the more unsettling legends—the ones that blur the line between folklore and fear. Tales of goat blood rituals surface occasionally, tied to whispers of secret practices and unexplained events.
A short walk away, the city’s original gate, once the formal entrance to walled San Juan, also holds its share of mystery. Passing through it at night feels symbolic—like crossing from the modern world into something older, quieter, and more watchful. The EMF counter stays dark here, but by now, its earlier signals have already done their work—heightening every shadow and sound.
And finally, there is the shadow of the old prison—often referred to as the Princess Prison. Once a place of confinement and execution, its history adds another layer to the tour’s narrative. Here, in one of the final stops, the device lights up one last time—brief, flickering, and then gone. A fitting end to an evening built on questions rather than answers.
But more importantly, how did those cats get up in the bell tower?
What makes the US Ghost Adventures experience in San Juan so compelling isn’t just the ghost stories—it’s how seamlessly they blend with real history—and how interactive they feel. The EMF counter doesn’t prove anything definitively, but it invites participation, turning listeners into investigators. Every flicker becomes part of the story.
By the end of the walk, the city feels different. The same streets, the same buildings—but now filled with possibility. In Old San Juan, the past doesn’t stay in the past. It walks beside you, just out of sight, waiting for nightfall—and perhaps the right signal—to be noticed again.
The Wrap Up
We enjoyed the US Ghost Adventures – Old San Juan Tour. It was easy to walk to in Old San Juan and the meet up was effortless.
US Ghost Adventures also offers a Lizzie Borden – Ghost Tours version!
👻 Full Disclosure: Journey Moore Often (JMO) did receive complimentary passes for the Old San Juan tour from US Ghost Adventures. That said, JMO doesn’t write about anything we don’t like or bad excperiences (see Reviews and Articles), and we certainly wouldn’t lie about it.
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