San Manuel Colohete

San Manuel Colohete Review

Another 14 km (9 mi) beyond La Campa over a rough road is the remote village of San Manuel Colohete, which borders Parque Nacional Celaque and gets the same ethereal cloud-forest mists as you'll find inside the park. The town's stunning 1721 church of the same name is considered to be the most beautiful in the country. Sculpted saints set in niches make the facade quite unusual, while the swirling colors of the frescoed walls and ceilings inside have led people to compare it to the Sistine Chapel. The massive gold-plated altarpiece with a gleaming Cristo Negro (Black Christ) is breathtaking. At his feet (you may have to gently shift some lace decorations) are paintings of the sun and moon that recall the religions that Christianity hasn't managed to completely push aside here. The church is only open for Sunday Masses.