Convento del Desierto de La Candelaria
Convento de La Candelaria
An Augustinian monastery founded in 1604 in a barren canyon, with well-preserved cloister murals and hermit caves
Candelaria Convent was built in 1604 in a dry canyon south of Ráquira. Because of its desolate setting it is known as the “Desert Convent.” Augustinian friars still live here, and visits are led by a friar or a guide. Highlights include 17th-century cloister murals, religious oil paintings, an old library, and rock caves where early hermits lived. The convent is about 7 km from Ráquira and is usually visited on the same day. Admission is several thousand pesos, and tours are mostly in Spanish.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–12:00, 13:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Ráquira
- Gondava
- Pozos Azules
- Museo El Fósil
- Casa Terracota
- Viñedo Ain Karim
- El Infiernito (Parque Arqueológico de Monquirá)
- Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario