Resplendent in blue and white on Catemaco’s zócalo, this church was named a basilica (ie a church with special ceremonial rights) in 1961, due primarily to its position as a pilgrimage site for the Virgen del Carmen. It's said she appeared to a fisherman in a cave by Laguna Catemaco in 1664, in conjunction with a volcanic eruption. A couple of statues of the virgin, whose feast day is July 16, reside in the church.
The intricately decorated interior and splendid stained glass of the church belie its modernity; the current building only dates from 1953, though it looks at least a century older.
