Religion

The Basilica Catholic church in Cartago.

Catholicism, which consists of 70.5% of the population, is the most practiced religion in the country, followed by Evangelical Protestants at 13.8% according to a survey done by the University of Costa Rica. A small part of the population, 11.3%, state they don’t have a religion, while 4.3% say they practice another religion. Jehovah’s Witness, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam are a few other religious denominations practiced in Costa Rica.

Famous Churches

Orosi Church

The oldest church still in use in Costa Rica is located in Orosi, which was founded in 1743 and is located in the Central Valley.  Due to deterioration and frequent use of the church throughout the centuries, it was decided to build another church next to this famous landmark.  People still regularly attend masses and activities held at the oldest church building, but not quite as much as before, since the new church building has been established and is used more on a frequent basis.  An historic museum can be found between both of these churches.  It has artifacts that date back several centuries when the original church was built, as well as other interesting relics.  There is a small entrance fee to enter.

Virgen de los Ángeles

The most famous church in Costa Rica is the Basilica Catholic Church, which is located in Cartago.  This church is dedicated to the Virgen de los Pardos, officially known as "Virgen de los Ángeles" (the Lady of the Angels).  This is based on a statuette rock that was found by a native on August 2nd, 1635, showing what appears to be the Virgin Mary carrying the infant Jesus.  A church was built to honor the statuette but at a different location.  After numerous failed attempts due to earthquakes, the church was then built at the original location where the stone had been found.  There were no more earthquakes and the church was successfully built in 1639. The Virgin was declared Costa Rica’s patron saint in 1824. People from all over Costa Rica walk to the Basilica on August 2nd to honor this statue.

If you have the opportunity to visit Cartago on your next trip, I highly recommend visiting this landmark.  But you should avoid traveling to Costa Rica on August 2nd, especially if you're going to go to the central valley.  It would be best to travel before or after this date.