37. Colombia - Ipiales

Ipiales has 2 claims to fame: it is the last town before the most popular border crossing into Ecuador, and it is the home of Santorio Nuestra Senora de Las Lajas – Sanctuary of Our Lady of the (Slabs) Rocks. We took time out from our research and discussions on how to deal with the border closure issue to visit the single tourist attraction the city had to offer.

The Sanctuary was built as a shrine to the purported miraculous appearance of the Virgin Mary to a traveler and her daughter who were seeking refuge among the rocks during a nasty storm in 1754. Its a popular pilgrimage destination, and there have been subsequent reports of miraculous healing at the site. The architecture of the Sanctuary, which sits on a 130 ft bridge over the Guaitara River is pretty cool.Read more