The Cathedral of San Bernardo dominates Tarija's Plaza Luis de Fuentes y Vargas, the main square around which the city's social life revolves. A colonial structure with a distinctive ochre-painted facade, it gives the plaza its character and provides a reference point for the compact historic centre.
The interior is modest but well-maintained, with carved wooden altarpieces and colonial-era religious art. The cathedral is active — morning and evening masses draw local worshippers — and its presence gives the plaza a genuine sense of civic use rather than merely touristic display. The square itself is the best place to absorb the Chapaco character of the city: fountains, benches, street food vendors, and people of all ages sharing the space in the easy, unhurried way that Tarija seems to encourage.