Praça Raul Soares is a perfectly circular square on the west side of the downtown, named after a former state governor. Tall residential buildings — many of them from the 1930s and 40s with original Art Deco detailing — ring the perimeter, and a fountain and the monument to Raul Soares occupy the centre.
It is one of the more elegant of the central squares, less busy than Praça Sete and a useful starting point for walking up toward Praça da Liberdade. There is usually a hot-dog cart or two on the perimeter for a snack.