The Puerta del Sol took on its present appearance in the mid-19th century, when society was becoming less influenced by the church and more interested in shopping and entertainment. Convents bordering the square were demolished and replaced by residential and commercial buildings, which form a semi elliptical shape. The pedestrian areas have been extended recently, but the sheer density of people makes it difficult to negotiate at peak times.

Popularly known simple as Sol, the gate was a social hub in the 17th and 18th centuries, when people used to meet on the steps of the San Felipe church. Long before the invention of celebrity magazines, people came here to exchange snippets of gossip.