Santuario Católico del Señor de los Milagros de Andacocha, Catholic sanctuary in Guachapala Canton, Ecuador

The Santuario Católico del Señor de los Milagros de Andacocha is a modern-style Catholic temple in the Guachapala canton, Azuay Province. It was built on the spot where farmer Manuel Corte Juela found a small image of Christ in 1957, and it retains elements of the older architecture from which it was made.

A farmer named Manuel Corte Juela discovered a small religious image in his field in 1957, which led to the establishment of this sanctuary. This finding prompted the transformation of the location into a site of worship and pilgrimage.

Residents tell how the image was once taken to the church in Guachapala, but each night it returned to its chapel on the hill, until they left it in Andacocha with a supervisor. The name Andacocha is also linked to Chilean sailors saved at sea who spent three years tracing the image's origin.

The sanctuary stands about 10 minutes from the centre of Guachapala, roughly 40 minutes from Cuenca and 1 hour 20 minutes from Azogues in Cañar. Until about 20 years ago it could only be reached on foot along a bridle path; today an asphalted road brings vehicles to the site.

The revered image that was originally discovered is remarkably small, measuring just a few centimeters, yet its spiritual influence reaches across national borders. Believers travel from multiple countries to visit this humble object and seek its intercession.