The town's small main square is centred on a statue of Coronel Manuel Álvarez Prado, a local independence-era figure. On the eastern side stands the old cabildo (town hall), a stout whitewashed building whose clock tower is the most photographed spot in Humahuaca after the monument up the hill.
Around the plaza are cafés, an artisans' market that sets up in the afternoon, and the candombe-painted Iglesia de la Candelaria across the street. The square is the natural meeting point and a good place to sit with a coca tea after the high-altitude walk in from the bus station.