La Romería is Costa Rica’s biggest religious event: a pilgrimage on foot to the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in Cartago, peaking the night of Aug. 1 into Aug. 2. Hundreds of thousands of people walk, most of them the roughly 22 kilometers from San José, and part of the main San José–Cartago highway closes to cars. This guide is for visitors who want to understand it, watch it or walk it, and for anyone driving in the Central Valley in early August who needs to know what closes.
| La Romería, Costa Rica | At a glance |
|---|---|
| What | Catholic pilgrimage on foot to the Basílica in Cartago |
| When | Late July to Aug. 2; peak is the night of Aug. 1 |
| Feast day | Aug. 2, a public holiday that’s never moved to a Monday |
| Main route | San José to Cartago, about 22 km (14 miles), mostly along Ruta 2 |
| Road closures | About 4 km of Ruta 2 from San Pedro east on Aug. 1; three blocks around the Basílica |
| Crowd | Often quoted at 2 million; a university survey estimated about 770,000 a year |
The story
What La Romería Commemorates
On Aug. 2, 1635, a woman named Juana Pereira found a small dark stone statuette of the Virgin Mary on a rock outside Cartago. According to the story, each time she took it home it reappeared on the rock, and the community built a shrine on the spot. That shrine became the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, and the statuette, about 3 inches tall, became La Negrita, “the little dark one.”
Costa Rica declared the Virgin of the Angels its patron saint in 1824, and Pope Pius XI approved her canonical coronation in 1926. The walk is the romería, and the walkers are romeros. Most are keeping a promise: asking for help with an illness, a job or a family problem, or giving thanks for one already resolved. For more on faith in daily life, see our guide to religion in Costa Rica.
The walk
Who Walks La Romería, and How Far
The classic route runs from San José east to Cartago, about 22 kilometers, climbing over the Ochomogo ridge before dropping into the city. At a steady pace it takes six to eight hours, so much of it happens at night. Others start much farther away, in Guanacaste, Limón, the Northern Zone or the south, and walk for days. Some finish the last meters to the altar on their knees.
How many people walk is a matter of debate. Two million is the figure most often quoted. A University of Costa Rica survey from 2010 to 2012 estimated an average of about 770,000 a year, roughly 16% of the population. Either number makes it one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the Americas.
Driving
La Romería Road Closures: What to Expect
If you’re driving around the Central Valley in late July or early August, the Romería affects you even if you never go near Cartago. The traffic police and transport ministry (MOPT) publish the plan each July. The pattern is consistent from year to year; in 2026 it looked like this:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Last weekend of July | The traffic operation starts; walkers fill the shoulders, and partial closures are possible on busy days |
| Aug. 1 (peak) | About 4 km of Ruta 2 (the Florencio del Castillo) closes to vehicles, from the Fuente de la Hispanidad in San Pedro east to the old Galera; about three blocks around the Basílica close to cars |
| Night of Aug. 1 to Aug. 2 | Heaviest foot traffic; police decide lane by lane how much road walkers get |
| Aug. 2 (feast day) | Enforcement on Ruta 2 from 6 a.m.: speeding, shoulder parking and overloaded buses |
Officers also work Routes 1, 27, 32 and 10 and control points in Zapote, San Francisco de Dos Ríos and Desamparados. In 2026, the suggested detours were Ruta 218 through Ipís and Rancho Redondo for all vehicles, and Ruta 212 through Patarrá and Coris for cars only.
New to driving here? Read our guide to driving in Costa Rica.
Watching
How to See La Romería Without Walking It
You don’t have to be Catholic, Costa Rican or fit to experience it. Stand anywhere along the route on the night of Aug. 1 and you’ll see the highway full of families pushing strollers, church groups with banners, vendors selling coffee and tamales, and volunteers handing out water.
- Take the train or bus to Cartago on the morning of Aug. 2. The overnight peak has passed, the Basílica is open and the plaza is full. In past years the train ran extra service between San José’s Atlantic Station and Cartago from the evening of Aug. 1 to midday Aug. 2; the regular fare in 2026 was ₡710. See our public bus guide for the buses.
- Look for the promises being kept. Pilgrims enter on their knees, and small silver charms shaped like hearts, legs or eyes hang inside as thanks for healings.
- Visit the spring. Behind the Basílica, visitors fill bottles with water from the spring below the rock where the statuette was found.
- Be respectful. It’s a working religious service. Dress modestly, keep your voice down inside and don’t photograph people praying up close.
The holiday
Is Aug. 2 a Holiday in Costa Rica?
Yes. Aug. 2 is a national holiday, but it’s a feriado de pago no obligatorio: employers must give the day off but don’t have to pay for it, depending on how workers are paid. The labor code also keeps it on Aug. 2 every year; unlike some holidays, it’s never moved to a Monday.
For travelers, that means banks and government offices close, while many restaurants, shops and tour operators stay open with fewer staff. Confirm any booking that matters. Our guide to Costa Rican holidays and celebrations covers the rest of the calendar.
Cartago
What Else to See in Cartago
Cartago was Costa Rica’s colonial capital until San José took the title. Once the crowds thin, it’s worth a day:
- Santiago Apóstol ruins: the roofless walls of an unfinished church, a few blocks from the Basílica. See our guide to ruins in Costa Rica.
- Irazú Volcano: the country’s highest active volcano rises above town; see our volcano guide.
- Tapantí National Park: cloud forest and rivers a short drive south; see our guide to Tapantí.
FAQ
La Romería FAQ
When is La Romería in Costa Rica?
Every year in the days before Aug. 2, the feast of the Virgin of the Angels. The biggest crowds walk the night of Aug. 1 into the morning of Aug. 2, and the traffic operation starts the last weekend of July.
How far is the walk from San José to Cartago?
About 22 kilometers, or 14 miles, over the Ochomogo ridge. It takes six to eight hours at a steady pace.
Can tourists walk La Romería?
Yes. Anyone can join, and foreigners walk it every year. Walk facing traffic, wear reflective clothing and remember that most people around you are keeping a religious promise.
Which roads close for La Romería?
On Aug. 1, about 4 km of Ruta 2 closes to vehicles from the Fuente de la Hispanidad in San Pedro east to the old Galera, and about three blocks around the Basílica in Cartago close to cars. Police adjust lanes daily based on crowd size.
How many people walk La Romería?
Two million is the figure most often quoted. A University of Costa Rica survey from 2010 to 2012 estimated about 770,000 a year, roughly 16% of the population.
Is Aug. 2 a public holiday?
Yes. It’s a national holiday that employers must grant, though pay isn’t mandatory, and it’s never moved to a Monday. Banks and government offices close.
The short version
La Romería peaks the night of Aug. 1; the feast day is Aug. 2.
Drivers: avoid San José–Cartago on Aug. 1 and 2, and check closures the morning you travel.
Visitors: take the train to Cartago on Aug. 2, or start with our San José guide and make Cartago a day trip.