Over 2 million march in annual pilgrimage

By Chrissie Long
Tico Times Staff | [email protected]
http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_08/080210.htm#story2

By 5 a.m. Sunday, there was already a small trickle of marchers making their way through the streets of San José on their way to Cartago.

Within a few hours, the walkers were taki

Cartago's Basilica de los Angeles
Cartago's Basilica de los Angeles (photo Nick Halverson)

ng up one lane, and by late morning the trickle had become a flood.The procession, in which an estimated two million people participated, was largely absent of religious paraphernalia or Catholic ritual. And, except for a handful of people whispering rosaries or walking barefoot – and the huge turnout – it almost could have been any philanthropic walk.

It was only once walkers arrived at the plaza in front of Cartago’s Basilica de los Angeles that they swapped water bottles for plastic crucifixes and MP3 players for hymns of the church. At the threshold of the basilica, many fell to their knees and covered the last hundred meters on the ground and in prayer.

“It’s gratifying to be here,” said 33-year-old Paula Torres, as she sat with shoes off after making the long walk from Desamparados, south of San José. “Each year, we come to say thanks for a year of good health, work and family.”

The romería has taken place every year for the past 228 years, except for 2009, when it was cancelled due to the H1N1 flu virus.

The pilgrimage is made in honor of a small statue of the Virgin Mary, affectionately called La Negrita, which is said to have miraculous powers. Each year, thousands of Costa Ricans pay homage to this small statue in the hope it will bring health and happiness to their families.

Thirty-seven-year-old Leiner Zuniga, who was massaging his feet on a curb outside the basilica, said he made the journey for the first time because of a promise he had made relating to the health of his father and his eight-year-old son.

“They are doing well and I am here,” said Zuniga, who had walked from San José that morning.

Ana Julia Campos, 41, whose face still glistened with sweat from her trek from Heredia, north of San José, said she made the walk in honor of her mother.

“We came here slowly, but with strength,” she said. “It was painful, but we are here.”

Basilica de los Angeles, Cartago, Costa Rica

See What Our Guests Are Saying!

This home was perfect for our family! We love to…

Jessica (review from Airbnb)
5star rating
July 1, 2022
This home was perfect for our family! We love to have a home base to cook and relax on rainy days and this home made us feel like we had a private bit of paradise to return to. We enjoyed seeing the monkeys playing in the nearby trees, the various...

Sempre un piacevole soggiorno

Luca C. (review from Vrbo)
5star rating
August 22, 2022
Tutto perfetto

Casa Perezoso is truly beautiful

Jennifer B
5star rating
August 13, 2019
It is the kind of home you just want to hang out in forever. Because the house is in the jungle, there were little glitches (water pressure, stuck doors, etc), but the local manager answered our texts within minutes and immediately sent the friend...

Hbvb

Angie Salazar
5star rating
September 13, 2023
Bbj

Beautifully designed, the house is just as it shows on…

Cath (review from Airbnb)
5star rating
April 17, 2023
Beautifully designed, the house is just as it shows on the pictures; loved the surroundings, they even have a spa and a yoga deck. I would definitely stay here again.

Had an amazing time! Great views, great house! Can’t wait…

Nicole (review from Airbnb)
5star rating
May 19, 2023
Had an amazing time! Great views, great house! Can’t wait to come backResponse:Thanks Nicole! It was a pleasure to Host you - we hope we get the opportunity again soon! Pura vida! Osa Property Management / Costa Rica Las Villas

If you are looking to be submerged in the jungle…

Jackie (review from Airbnb)
5star rating
April 19, 2023
If you are looking to be submerged in the jungle but stay near the ocean, this is the place. if you are looking for luxury off the beaten path, this is it. If you are looking to see toucans flying past your infinity pool, this is it! The road here...

Increíble lugar de lujo vistas espectacularesRecomendado ir carro de doble…

Diana (review from Airbnb)
5star rating
April 9, 2023
Increíble lugar de lujo vistas espectacularesRecomendado ir carro de doble tracción!

Absolutely Stunning

Joyce Traczyk (review from Revyoos)
5star rating
February 13, 2023
Casa Arcoiris y Sonrisa was absolutely beautiful! I would highly recommend staying here. Perfect location, beautiful home, great pool, fabulous restaurants nearby. It was everything and more than we expected.!

Casa e posizione molto belle

MAURIZIO Z. (review from Vrbo)
5star rating
August 11, 2021
L'appartamento fa parte di un bel complesso ristrutturato per un totale di 5 appartamenti. È molto ampio con bella cucina (manca lavastoviglie) - soggiorno (da cui si può salire ad uno spazio che era un vecchio forno? adattato a stanza molto parti...

Magical place in a tropical paradise!

Emma (review from Revyoos)
5star rating
May 4, 2023
It was amazing- clean, well stocked with everything you could ever need, the perfect backyard and views for coffee in the mornings. Everyone with the management company was very helpful and responsive. Absolutely love and would recommend, we can’t...

Heaven

Cindy Maddox (review from Revyoos)
5star rating
April 1, 2023
Here's what you wrote to John: It was absolutely amazing. It was our 35 th wedding anniversary. Sooooo special. One of the best vacations we’ve ever had. Girls want to move to CR. Casa de Guacamaya Roja is absolutely beautiful. Perfect in e...

See What Our Guests Are Saying!

Great villa and great service by Cristian and Steven. Many…

Ingo (review from Airbnb)
5star rating
January 10, 2023
Great villa and great service by Cristian and Steven. Many thanks!Response:Thanks Ingo! It was a pleasure to host you. Osa Property Management / Costa Rica Las Villas

Howler monkeys

Amy R. (review from Vrbo)
5star rating
July 20, 2023
Pros: private road, house was clean, fun decor, well kept pool. Cons: located by the main road so traffic noise & make sure you have a 4x4 and can drive tricky turns getting in and out of the property. Could be a pro or a con: howler monkeys WE ❤️...

This place exceeded our expectations! It’s only 5 minutes from…

Brittany (review from Airbnb)
5star rating
March 6, 2023
This place exceeded our expectations! It's only 5 minutes from Envision, near the center of town and easy to get to. A 4x4 is required, but only for a section of the road. The property management group is wonderful to work with! Highly recommend t...

La casa es un lugar super bonito (muy privado y…

Kenneth (review from Airbnb)
5star rating
March 14, 2021
La casa es un lugar super bonito (muy privado y seguro), la pasamos super bien y tuvimos muy buena comunicacion con los administradores.

Amazing view!

Reyna S. (review from Vrbo)
5star rating
December 15, 2022
Great rental property! The pools are awesome and the view is spectacular! The road up was really good in comparison to other rentals we had. We didn't even have to put it in 4 wheel! Very cool layout to the house with the seperate rooms/suites! A ...

This place is a drive, and I found the view…

Paul (review from Airbnb)
5star rating
August 23, 2023
This place is a drive, and I found the view to be worth the bumpy road and the time it takes to get up/down from town to the house… (25-30mins from Uvita), my wife on the other hand didn’t think so.Otherwise it’s pretty much as represented. Pura vida

Awesome home

corydon j. (review from Vrbo)
5star rating
June 7, 2023
This place was amazing. Relaxation at its best. Mauricio V host was on top of every need.

Amazing holiday!

Kimberly Cunningham (review from Revyoos)
5star rating
June 12, 2023
Casa Luna de Plata is a stunning home perched high up on the hillside. The pictures, while gorgeous, really don’t come close to what it’s like to stay here. The ultimate luxury and my favorite is lounging by the infinity pool watching the mated ma...

Awesome Experience

MANJEET B. (review from Vrbo)
5star rating
October 31, 2022
This is our second time there and will definitely visit again soon. Everything here is beyond words and there is some different level of peace in this house.

Casita Quetzal

Yolanda Luna
5star rating
December 31, 2022
We had a wonderful stay at casita Quetzal. The location is great, close to the supermarket and the beach. The house is brand new and everything worked. We enjoyed our stay a lot and would definitely come back

Ocean/Jungle View

Megan S. (review from Vrbo)
4star rating
December 11, 2022
Amazing view!

© Osa Property Management, SRL 2010 – , All Rights Reserved.
Website by Hudson Creative Studio Hudson Creative Studio.