This plaza in front of the Cathedral of Our Lady Santa Maria of the Incarnation is a crossroad of activity in the old city: the starting point for walking tours since guides congregate in this area (official tour guides prominently display ID badges over light blue tops and khaki bottoms); a taxi dispatch; and as an end to that tour, an ideal spot for cooling off with a refreshing drink while watching pedestrian traffic amble by.

Parque Cólon is also a central meeting place for locals who idle away time while chatting over little cups of coffee or tall bottles of Presidente beer on the sidewalk café attached to Hotel Conde Peñalba.  In the center of the park is the statue of Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Cólon) pointing toward Spain with a Taino woman at his feet.  Bordering the park to the east is Borgella Palace housing a satellite office for the Ministry of Tourism while a smattering of restaurants and shops run the perimeter to the north.