Cartago - Our Lady of the Angels Basilica Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles

This church is the most famous in the Central Valley, if not all of Costa Rica. An imposing structure, the church was rebuilt in the Byzantine style after being destroyed in the 1926 earthquake. The focal point of the church is a statue of the Virgin known as La Negrita, and the Virgin associated with the statue is the patron saint of Costa Rica.

It is believed that the statue was discovered at the site where the church now stands on August 2, 1635, and reappeared miraculously in the same spot after being removed. The shrine of worship was built on the spot where the statue appeared, and today La Negrita is considered a pilgrimage destination. Each year on August 2, thousands of ticos and Central Americans make the pilgrimage to the statue, which is a major Costa Rican event.

The pilgrimage takes the form of a foot procession from San José, 22km/14mi away. La Negrita is attributed with miraculous healing powers. Many gifts and offerings from healed pilgrims surround the statue, which are mostly metal or gold models of human body parts that have been healed by the miracles of La Negrita.