The Church of San Fernando stands on the main plaza at the centre of Carolina's historic town district. The current structure is a 20th-century building on the site of an earlier colonial church, maintaining the traditional relationship between Catholic church and public square that characterises most Puerto Rican municipal centres.
The plaza around the church is a pleasant place to sit — benches under shade trees, an occasional food vendor, and the low-key activity of a working-class Puerto Rican city centre that has never been gentrified into a tourist district. Carolina's historic centre sees almost none of the visitors who throng San Juan's Old City, which is part of its appeal.