How to get to the Las Lajas Sanctuary in Nariño, Colombia

The Sanctuary of Las Lajas is considered the most beautiful church in Colombia, and The Telegraph, in 2015, called it the most beautiful temple in the world. And it is no wonder, because its imposing construction on a cliff is a feat that attracts thousands of tourists every year.

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Located in Ipiales, in the department of Nariño, it doesn't matter if you follow any religion or not, this is one of the destinations that you can not miss in Colombia. Therefore, now we tell you all the information so you know how to get to the Sanctuary of Las Lajas and other information that will surprise you.

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This is the Sanctuary of Las Lajas
 

The Las Lajas Sanctuary is built in gray and white stone, with a neo-Gothic architecture on the Guaítara river canyon. The story tells that at the end of the 1700s a woman and her mute deaf daughter traveled the canyon of the Guáitara River, when they found themselves in the middle of a terrible storm. Until suddenly, the women felt that a force was calling them and, to their amazement, they looked up and saw the image of the Virgin Mary on the rocks above. At that time, the woman's daughter was cured simultaneously of her inability to hear and speak. A short time later, another blind man, who collected money to build a chapel around this image, also regained his sight. It was these miracles that inspired the creation of the Sanctuary of Las Lajas between 1916-1949.

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The main attraction is the Virgin of Our Lady of the Rosary of Las Lajas; lady and inspiration of the place, and the jewelry that the image has, completing the picture with a gold crown with precious stones, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds and pearls. You will also be able to observe the flat and wide stones that surround the sanctuary, better known as slabs; stones that are typical of the region.

How to get to the Sanctuary of Las Lajas?
 

To get to the Sanctuary of Las Lajas, you must first reach Pasto; no matter in which city of the country you are. There begins the journey.

There, you must take a bus from Pasto to Ipiales; a municipality that is located near Pasto. The ticket costs 10,000 COP and the trip only takes a few minutes. Then in Ipiales you must take a collective taxi in the terminal and for a value of 3,000 COP in 15 minutes you will be at the Sanctuary of Las Lajas, ready to be amazed and take all the photos you want.

Recommendations and advice
 

Ipiales, and in general the department of Nariño has an average climate of 12 degrees Celsius so you can not miss warm clothes in your backpack, nor can shoes and comfortable clothes be forgoten because you will need it to be in the Sanctuary of the Lajas, because being here you will be able to go down and up the different paths there to have several perspectives of the temple.

If you have the possibility, spend a night in Ipiales, because around 6:30 pm, they turn on the temple lights, and looking at it at night is another great pleasure. It is worth remembering that the entrance to the Sanctuary of Las Lajas is completely free.

You can try guides to get to know some of the Colombian Heritage Villages like Barichara, Villa de Leyva, Mompox, Ciénaga or even go visit the magical town of Gabriel García Márquez, Aracataca. Otherwise, you can enter the blog and be inspired to travel through Colombia.