Parque de Bolívar

The statue of Simon Bolivar sits in the center of the park, surrounded by massive rubber trees with thick, hanging roots that form natural tunnels along the pathways. During the nineteenth century, this was the Plaza de la Inquisicion, a site where the colonial office held trials. After Bolivar helped lead the region to independence, the city renamed the park in his honor. City officials placed his bronze likeness there to anchor the square, facing away from the nearby Palace of the Inquisition.