In addition to its stunning Gothic Revivalist design, Las Lajas Sanctuary’s construction in a dangerous gorge and on a mountainside more than a century ago makes it an architectural wonder. It would be challenging to pull off such a feat now, much less a century ago. However, it was brilliantly completed, and for that, we are all the luckier.

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According to legend, a mother and her deaf and silent infant became stranded in a violent storm in 1754. When the two went into the gorge to seek shelter from the weather, they sensed a power calling to them. The Virgin Mary then materialized on the rocks above, curing the daughter’s deafness and enabling her to speak for the first time.

Las Lajas is a breathtaking sight, regardless matter whether you’re on a pilgrimage or are just passing through to neighboring Ecuador. The neighboring mountain landscape and the lush Colombian highlands contrast beautifully with the exquisite spires and stunning white stones.