Central Valley & Highlands - Costa Rica - page 259

As the story goes, when the woman who discovered the statuette tried to take it with her,
it miraculously reappeared back where she'd found it. Twice. So the townspeople built a
shrine around her. In 1824, she was declared Costa Rica's patron Virgin. She now resides
on a gold, jewel-studded platform at the main altar. Each August 2, on the anniversary of
the statuette's miraculous discovery, pilgrims from every corner of the country (and bey-
ond) walk the 22km from San José to the basilica. Many of the penitent complete the last
few hundred meters of the pilgrimage on their knees.
Las Ruinas de la Parroquia RUIN
(Iglesia del Convento; GOOGLE MAP ; Calle 0 btwn Avs 0 & 2)
This now-ruined church was built in 1575 as a shrine to St James the Apostle (Santiago, in
Spanish), destroyed by the 1841 earthquake, rebuilt a few years later and then destroyed
again in the 1910 earthquake. Today only the outer walls remain, but 'the Ruins' are a
pleasant spot for hanging out and people-watching - though legend has it that the ghost of
a headless priest wanders the ground on foggy nights.
Mercado Central MARKET
( GOOGLE MAP ; Av 1 btwn Calles 2 & 4; 6am-5pm Mon-Sat, to noon Sun)
This wonderful old-school covered market is conveniently located right around the corner
from the bus and train stations that serve San José. It's fun just to wander the labyrinth of
aisles, where you'll find fresh produce and food items of every description.