Caparra

Caparra is an archaeological site containing the remains of the village of Caparra, the first European settlement in the main island of Puerto Rico. Located in the Pueblo Viejo barrio of the municipality of Guaynabo on the grounds of the Museo y Parque Histórico Ruinas de Caparra (Original Residence of Juan Ponce de León) near the town line with the capital municipality of San Juan, it is centered around the foundations of the residence of Juan Ponce de León, the first European conquistador and governor of Puerto Rico, who established the settlement as the capital of Puerto Rico in late 1508. It is a U.S. National Historic Landmark, as it represents the oldest known European settlement in the United States.