Juquila

Juquila is a village of about 5,500 residents in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca. Officially named Santa Catarina Juquila (an overly long name used by nobody), it is a town of limited broad appeal, but huge appeal to faithful pilgrims who come to the town to venerate a small statue of the Virgin Mary that survived a catastrophic fire that burned everything in town sparing only the doll-sized figure, known as the Virgen de Juquila. The town is a pleasant Oaxacan small town with colonial architecture, indigenous craftsmen, and delicious regional cuisine, but it is really the small religious icon that makes travelers (almost 2 million of them per year) flock to the town. The town is otherwise unremarkable and one of the least interesting of Mexico's designated Pueblos Mágicos. If you're passing through the area, it may be worth a stop, otherwise, prepare to be underwhelmed.

Story of the Virgin
The story of the town's iconic statue begins in 1552 when Dominican friar Jordan Santa Catarina arrived to evangelize and convert the indigenous population to Christianity. He brought with him a small statue of the virgen, which he gave to a local from the nearby village of Amialtepec. In 1633, fire swept through that village. The statue survived, completely intact, though the fire destroyed everything else in the entire village. At the beginning of the 18th century, the statue was moved to Juquila, where the sanctuary was built specifically to house it. (The sanctuary is not the town's main church).

The feast celebration culminates on the 8th of December of each year, although celebrations typically begin several days earlier. Thousands of people arrive in town to join the celebrations.

Get in
Getting to Juquila can be challenge because it is not served by any direct bus services and the nearest major city (Oaxaca) is 5 to 6 hours away.

The fastest way to get to Juquila is to fly into Puerto Escondido, which is served by smaller commuter aircraft from Benito Juarez International Airport. Then take a taxi to Juquila. It's a 90-minute drive on twisty mountain roads but will probably only cost about M$150.

Get around
The town is pretty small and walking is often the best way to get anywhere. Taxis are readily available, including moto-taxis. There is a sitio on the street right next to the sanctuary. Hotel receptionists can also call a taxi for you.

Festivals

 * Feast of the Virgen of Juquila - December 8 each year marks the feast day for the virgin. The town is flooded with pilgrims from across Latin America, coming to celebrate the miracle of the statue's survival and to pray for other miracles.

Eat
Tlayudas are popular in this area. There are several street food vendors selling them and you can get them in the town marketplace.



Go next

 * Puerto Escondido
 * Huatulco
 * Lagunas de Chacahua National Park