Ruins of Ujarrás


The village of Ujarrás was damaged by an 1833 flood and then abandoned. All that remains are the crumbling walls of Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción, a 1693 stone church once home to a miraculous painting of the Virgin. According to folklore, the relic refused to be moved, forcing clerics to build a church around it. But after floods and earthquakes, the painting conceded to move to Paraíso, leaving the church ruins in a rambling park.

Every year, usually on the Sunday closest to April 14, there is a procession of 3000 to 4000 people from Paraíso to the ruins, where Mass, food and music help celebrate the day of La Virgen de Ujarrás. The church’s grassy grounds are a popular picnicking spot on Sunday afternoon, but go in the middle of the week and chances are you'll have them all to yourself. There are restroom facilities in the park.

To reach the village, turn left off the main road at the 'Ujarrás' sign and wind about 1km gently downhill, passing the well-signposted Restaurant La Pipiola en route.


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