Basílica de Suyapa

Lonely Planet review

The most important church in Tegucigalpa, and Honduras, is the Gothic Basílica de Suyapa, about 7km south of the city center in the suburb of Suyapa, near UNAH, the national university. La Virgen de Suyapa is the patron saint of Honduras; in 1982 a papal decree made her the patron saint of all Central America. Construction of the basilica, which is famous for its large, brilliant stained-glass windows, began in 1954; finishing touches are still being added though.

La Virgen de Suyapa is a tiny wooden statue, measuring only 6cm. Many believe she has performed hundreds of miracles. She is brought to the large basilica on holidays, especially for the annual Feria de la Virgen de Suyapa beginning on the saint's day (February 3) and continuing for a week; the celebrations attract pilgrims from all over Central America. Most of the time, however, the little statue is kept on the altar of the very simple Iglesia de Suyapa (if you squint, you'll see her on the main altar). Built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and renovated multiple times, the church stands a few hundred meters behind the impressive basilica.

Buses for Suyapa leave from the gas station at 6a Av and 9 Calle in Comayagüela; get off at the university and walk the short distance from there. Colectivo taxis leave from a stop a short distance south of Parque La Merced.