Travel Guide Santuario De El Cisne

At 70 km from Loja, in the direction of Machala, perched at 2,400 m on the top of the mountainous peak of Chayalama, this sanctuary is probably one of the most visited places by Ecuadorians. From 1596 to 1935, many churches were built there in honor of the Virgin Mary. Every year in mid-August, according to a tradition inaugurated by Bolívar, the statue of the Virgin is transferred from the sanctuary to the cathedral of Loja, where it remains until November 1st, when it returns to its mountain sanctuary. This is done with great pomp and ceremony, in front of thousands of pilgrims from all over Latin America, and even from Spain and the United States.