Basilica of Our Lady of Suyapa
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Suyapa
Honduras' most important Catholic pilgrimage site. It houses the national patron, Our Lady of Suyapa, in an impressive Gothic Revival basilica with stained-glass windows.
Our Lady of Suyapa is the patron saint of Honduras. Legend holds that in 1747 a farmer found a cedar statue of the Virgin in a field, only 6 centimeters tall. Construction of the basilica began in 1954 in the Suyapa district, east of the city. Its enormous scale is striking, with twin towers on the façade, long interior galleries and large stained-glass windows. The original small image is usually kept in the older chapel next door, called the Ermita. Each year in early February, during the feast of the Virgin, large crowds of pilgrims arrive on foot, and the atmosphere is festive. Admission is free. The basilica is about 6 km from the city center, roughly 20 minutes by taxi, and it can be combined with a visit to the National University area.
Opening hours
About 07:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Chiminike Children's Museum
- Museum of the Honduran Man
- Church of San Francisco
- National Art Gallery
- Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel
- Parque Central (Plaza Morazán)
- Cristo del Picacho
- Santa Lucía