Located in southwestern Colombia, Guadalajara de Buga is a small pleasant city on the banks of the Guadalajara River and set amidst the green sugar cane fields of the Cauca River Valley. Founded in 1555, Buga is home to the Basilica de Nuestro Señor de los Milagros and several fine colonial era churches. The Basilica houses a crucifix that was found in the Guadalajara River by an Indian washer woman. Legend has it that she pulled the small crucifix from the waters and took it home. Overnight, the crucifix grew to over a meter.
As a major pilgrimage site and tourist destination, Buga boasts many beautiful hotels and hostels. One is in a former nunnery but the best known is the Hotel Guadalajara built in a Moorish style in the mid-1950s.