Buga Basilica

The tradition holds that in the sixteenth century an indigenous washerwoman saving money to buy a crucifix gave it instead to free a man from debt, and afterwards found a small crucifix in the river where she worked; it was kept, grew in size, and became the object of a devotion that has continued since. The Senor de los Milagros draws pilgrims from across Colombia and beyond, particularly around 14 September. The present basilica, in red brick with twin towers, was built between 1892 and 1907 by Redemptorists who took charge of the shrine. The town around it runs substantially on pilgrimage, with religious goods shops filling the streets near the church and hostels catering to walkers who arrive on foot.

What you actually see

• The Senor de los Milagros - the crucifix the shrine exists for.
• A red brick basilica of 1892-1907 - built by Redemptorists.
• Pilgrims arriving on foot - particularly around 14 September.
• A town of religious goods shops - built round the devotion.

When to go

Year round; 14 September is the main feast. An hour.

Honest expectations

This is a working pilgrimage church, crowded and devotional rather than a sight to tour. Feast periods fill the town entirely. The story of the crucifix is tradition, not record. Services close it to visitors at times.

Nearby

Cali is south; Lake Calima is west.