From the bastión, the route passes the Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento on the Plaza Mayor. Founded with the city in 1680, the current building dates to 1808; a lightning strike later ignited stored gunpowder, and Charles Darwin, passing in 1833, called the ruins a monument to "the power of electricity and gunpowder united." Rebuilt in 1842, its towers still dominate the quarter.
Evening on the Rambla
By late afternoon, day-trippers thin out. Find a table on the rambla and watch the light drop toward Argentina over a glass of Tannat.