Santuario Nacional Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles
Santuario Nacional Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles
Santuario Nacional Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles
4.5
About
This church is best known for the 1635 appearance of the country's patron saint, the Black Virgin. An annual pilgimage takes place in August.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
681 reviews
Excellent
413
Very good
210
Average
47
Poor
6
Terrible
5
Dee
La Mesa, CA80 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
After reading about the story of La Negrita, we had to go and say our prayers. I cannot put the beauty of this bascillica into words and the power of the spirit could be felt as soon as I entered the doors. For reference, we are not Catholic. Regardless, we appreciated the sacred beauty of this place.
Written 2 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LaLaOntheRoad
New York City, NY293 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
Truly a magical place to go on a religious pilgrimage. The basilica is such a symbol of Costa Rican’s, their faith, and their pride. The story of the site of this church is beautiful. Many that go here to pray believe the water behind the church offers miracles and spiritual healing. Absolutely worth the trip here when visiting Costa Rica. Beautiful and inspiring place for all. It will leave your heart full.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nivea A
Los Angeles, CA44 contributions
Apr 2023
Must go here . We attended mass and we are non Christian but love Jesus and Mary . Such a wonderful and peaceful place . Must go behind to see the statue of La negrita and have some holy water . We filled two bottles in shape of statue to bring home .
Written 7 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Byron H
48 contributions
As one observer mentioned if you've seen a lot of foreign cathedrals there isn't anything particularly interesting or beautiful about this one. Presumably in order to avoid suffering the same fate as the nearby Catholic basilica (twice destroyed by earthquakes and now in ruins with no roof and a garden inside) there is extensive use of sheet metal and plywood rather than stone.
I felt saddened by the sight of the medals made out of silver? and purchased? by the impoverished sick. For example people who have a heart condition buy a heart made of silver and pay? to have it displayed to make their condition better.
The church also has a 'magical' story about a little girl finding a statuette in the woods in this spot and taking it home as a doll. 'Magically' it left the little girl in the middle of the night and came back to this spot over and over. (There are so many things wrong with this story....Why the middle of the night when she's sleeping? Why is she allowed to take it away at all? How did a magical statuette come about in the first place? Who made it? Questions that any rational modern day six year old would ask).
Also people sometimes drink water coming out of a drain pipe below the street that is said to be holy. I'm not making this up.
It really seems like the naive are being abused and taken advantage of. You can buy plastic bottles in the shape of a religious figure to put the water in.
Interesting to see more for the ritual aspects and to see people completely abandon reason and common sense, but I felt ashamed at seeing desperate people buying shiny metal representations of internal organs because that's what someone told them they had to do to get the attention of an invisible omni-present master overlord so he'd save their loved ones from death and disease.
I felt saddened by the sight of the medals made out of silver? and purchased? by the impoverished sick. For example people who have a heart condition buy a heart made of silver and pay? to have it displayed to make their condition better.
The church also has a 'magical' story about a little girl finding a statuette in the woods in this spot and taking it home as a doll. 'Magically' it left the little girl in the middle of the night and came back to this spot over and over. (There are so many things wrong with this story....Why the middle of the night when she's sleeping? Why is she allowed to take it away at all? How did a magical statuette come about in the first place? Who made it? Questions that any rational modern day six year old would ask).
Also people sometimes drink water coming out of a drain pipe below the street that is said to be holy. I'm not making this up.
It really seems like the naive are being abused and taken advantage of. You can buy plastic bottles in the shape of a religious figure to put the water in.
Interesting to see more for the ritual aspects and to see people completely abandon reason and common sense, but I felt ashamed at seeing desperate people buying shiny metal representations of internal organs because that's what someone told them they had to do to get the attention of an invisible omni-present master overlord so he'd save their loved ones from death and disease.
Written 31 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lavc555
Cartago, Costa Rica6 contributions
Jan 2020
I actually live really close this site and you can see lots of tourists every day, taking pictures, site seeing and learning.
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J. Antonio PA
Lopez Mateos, Mexico1,334 contributions
Nov 2019 • Friends
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels was a nice surprise.
This catholic temple is open for everyone, and is the National Shrine in Costa Rica.
The building is fairly new, and with an architectural design that resemble near East catholic temples that influence other such as the Venice temple of Saint Mark, hey, don’t be expecting that level of grandeur in any way, but just keen in mi d the resemblance.
I have to say the building in the inside is nicer than the outside, so try to go in, particularly with daylight to enjoy the stained glass work in the windows.
Do go.
This catholic temple is open for everyone, and is the National Shrine in Costa Rica.
The building is fairly new, and with an architectural design that resemble near East catholic temples that influence other such as the Venice temple of Saint Mark, hey, don’t be expecting that level of grandeur in any way, but just keen in mi d the resemblance.
I have to say the building in the inside is nicer than the outside, so try to go in, particularly with daylight to enjoy the stained glass work in the windows.
Do go.
Written 10 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rtacsan
Cartago, Costa Rica5 contributions
Aug 2019
Costa Rica is a very conservative country. On the foundations of this, catholicism is the pillar on which the majority of ticos (another way to call us costaricans) support their beliefs. The most important site of adoration for us is the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles "Our Lady of the Angels Basilica", which according to tradition its constructed over a particular site. According to legend, in 1635, a local very humble girl named Juana Pereira found this small figurine of the Virgin (La Negrita) holding baby Jesus over a riverstone. Juana took this figurine several times home after finding in the same spot on the riverstone when looking for firewood, but found that each time she took a new figurine to put it beside the one she took before, this one had disappeared.
She explained this to the local church community, who verified this behavior and determined that it this was a sign that the site should be a place of worship for the Virgin and his son. So, the Basilica stands over the Riverstone where this events where supposed to happen. Every 2nd of August, we have the national festivity of "Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles", and on the days prior to this, millions of pilgrims, who we call "romeros", walk from different places of Costa Rica and some even from neighboring countries to either thank the Virgin for something or to ask for a favor in return for their pilgrimage. It is estimated that nearly 2.5 million people make this pilgrimage each year, which we also call doing the "romería", which for a foreigner I would recommend as a very gratifying experience, whether you are a spiritual person or not. Most people do the "romería" on August 1st, but because there is so much people that day, some prefer to do it on the weekends prior or after the Holiday. If you want to enjoy the full experience, do it the 1st.
You can come anyday of the year to the Basilica, which doesn't ask for any fee to enter. I would recommend you to visit the interior of the church which has a very Costa Rican feel to it (remember our spaniard heritage), visit the Riverstone, which is under the Basilica, and also take a bottle to fill it with "holy water" from the natural water stream that came from the river, which is still running nowadays.
If you are going to Cartago, you can visit this place either before or after visiting other interesting sites this province has to offer, like Volcán Irazú, Volcán Turrialba, the Church on Orosí, the Cachí Dam, Ruins of Ujarras (destroyed colonial church), Sanatorio Durán, Prusia Forest, just to mention some. You will not regret it.
She explained this to the local church community, who verified this behavior and determined that it this was a sign that the site should be a place of worship for the Virgin and his son. So, the Basilica stands over the Riverstone where this events where supposed to happen. Every 2nd of August, we have the national festivity of "Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles", and on the days prior to this, millions of pilgrims, who we call "romeros", walk from different places of Costa Rica and some even from neighboring countries to either thank the Virgin for something or to ask for a favor in return for their pilgrimage. It is estimated that nearly 2.5 million people make this pilgrimage each year, which we also call doing the "romería", which for a foreigner I would recommend as a very gratifying experience, whether you are a spiritual person or not. Most people do the "romería" on August 1st, but because there is so much people that day, some prefer to do it on the weekends prior or after the Holiday. If you want to enjoy the full experience, do it the 1st.
You can come anyday of the year to the Basilica, which doesn't ask for any fee to enter. I would recommend you to visit the interior of the church which has a very Costa Rican feel to it (remember our spaniard heritage), visit the Riverstone, which is under the Basilica, and also take a bottle to fill it with "holy water" from the natural water stream that came from the river, which is still running nowadays.
If you are going to Cartago, you can visit this place either before or after visiting other interesting sites this province has to offer, like Volcán Irazú, Volcán Turrialba, the Church on Orosí, the Cachí Dam, Ruins of Ujarras (destroyed colonial church), Sanatorio Durán, Prusia Forest, just to mention some. You will not regret it.
Written 6 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CWRiley
Hamilton45 contributions
Feb 2019 • Family
We visited this town after seeing it advertised as a tour. The church was magnificent! Inside there was a golden hue that radiated through out the building. A photographer's dream. It is famous for a story about a Black Madonna and its reappearance at the church. Many believe it to be a miracle and believers can be seen crawling to the alter from the entrance.
Written 22 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabs
Bamberg, Germany43 contributions
Mar 2018 • Solo
The pictures on books as beautiful as when you get in for real ... this is a great chef d’œuvre, even if you are not so much in Religion, the stop is a must !
Just remember it is a place of worship so be respectful and don’t act like in a Zoo ;)
Just remember it is a place of worship so be respectful and don’t act like in a Zoo ;)
Written 6 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CoolCouple99
Victoria, BC, Canada376 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
We stopped off at Our Lady of the Angels on our way back from Volcan Irazu National Park. It was well worth the stop. This church is very significant to Costa Ricans and many make an annual pilgrimage to it from quite a distance. Of interest is that some pilgrims will drop to their knees when entering the Basilica and make their way all the way to the sanctuary on them (quite a long way on your knees).
Written 15 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Buenas noches. Me podrían decir si el 13 y 15 de setiembre del año en curso, estará abierta al publico la Basilica?
Written 2 August 2021
Buenas noches! Me gustaría saber a qué hora hay misa el domingo? Gracias.
Written 7 October 2015
Lunes 6 a.m. 9 a.m. 11 a.m. 6 p.m.
Martes 6 a.m. 9 a.m. 11 a.m. 6 p.m.
Miércoles 6 a.m. 9 a.m. 11 a.m. 6 p.m. Rosario Vocacional 3 p.m. en la Capilla del Santísimo.
Jueves 6 a.m. 9 a.m. 11 a.m. 6 p.m. Hora Santa 3 p.m.
Viernes 6 a.m. 9 a.m. 11 a.m. 6 p.m.
Sábado 6 a.m. 9 a.m. 11 a.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
Domingo 6 a.m. 8 a.m. 9 a.m. 10 a.m. 12 m.d. 4 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 7 p.m.
Written 12 October 2015
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