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Zipaquirá is an attractive town in the Cundinamarca department of Colombia. The Salt Cathedral makes it a popular day trip from Bogotá.
Introduction to Zipaquirá
The land around Zipaquirá was originally inhabited by the Muisca people, who started mining salt long before the arrival of the Spanish. The town itself was founded on July 18, 1600, by Luis Henríquez.
Today, Zipaquira is a popular tourist destination thanks to the Salt Cathedral, its attractive Spanish Colonial architecture, and handicrafts. Aside from the Salt Cathedral, you’ll find a couple of nice plazas as well as an archaeological museum. The main economic activities other than tourism are agricultural and salt production.
Getting to Zipaquirá
To get to Zipaquirá from Bogotá, take the Transmilenio to Portal del Norte and jump on a bus labeled for either town. The ride takes about 45 minutes.
Where to Eat in Zipaquirá
There are plenty of good choices on where to eat in town.
Alma Llanera
We ate lunch at Alma Llanera. It’s a friendly and inviting place, but our experience wasn’t that great. The price and quality of the picada (plate of assorted meats) was fair, but the chicken and fish were overpriced and overcooked. Try to avoid this place.
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Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá
Much to the dismay of the Spanish conquistadors, the Legend of El Dorado and its huge city made of gold was not true. Instead, they stumbled across another valuable resource – salt.
The hills to the north of Bogotá were once part of an ocean. The ocean dried up and the salt was trapped and covered by the mountains and hills. Eventually, the mining operations started by the native Muisca people were exploited by the Spaniards. These mines became much more modern and organized throughout the years to maximize the extraction of salt.
The most famous salt mines are in the city of Zipaquirá . In 1954, miners finished construction on a huge cathedral located inside the mines. This cathedral became a tourist attraction which was later closed in 1990 for safety reasons. Work on a new cathedral was completed in 1995. This new cathedral is now one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country.
Visiting the Salt Cathedral
The Salt Cathedral (Catedral de Sal) is open daily from 9am to 5:30pm. General admission for foreigners is COP$110,000 for adults and COP$97,000 for seniors and children aged 4 to 12 (as of April 2024). There are other activities available for an additional price, such as wall climbing, museums, and guided tours of the working mine and the town of Zipaquira. Also, it’s a good idea to wear comfortable shoes and bring a jacket if you get cold easily. Check the official website for more info.
Tours of the Mine
The mine has one entrance and at first you’re required to follow a guide. After the tour starts, however, you can ditch the guide and wander around on your own. Audioguides are also available.
The first section is quite boring, featuring only crosses carved out of salt. The most interesting thing you’ll see at the beginning is the sheer size of the caverns created to extract the salt. Beams of light are projected outward to show just how big these mines are.
Once you get to the cathedral itself, it becomes a little more interesting. One of these huge caverns was transformed into an actual cathedral. There are pews facing a giant cross at the altar, a carving of the Holy Family, and even a replica of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam carved into salt.
To the side of the cathedral is another huge cavern full of shops, a small theatre with a short 3D movie about the salt industry, and a restaurant. There’s also a reflecting pool.
For anyone interested in buying certified Colombian emeralds, this is the place to do it. Emeralds are less expensive inside the mine because it’s set up as a tax-free zone. Palacio de la Esmeralda are the wholesalers that operate the store and they have other locations in Bogotá.
My Thoughts on the Salt Cathedral
Visiting this so-called “First Wonder of Colombia” was a good experience but it’s also a major tourist trap. It wasn’t as impressive as I had hoped, plus there’s a lot of hype behind it. Anyway, if you decide to visit it can be completed in about 90 minutes.
For a more in-depth look at the salt mining industry, visit nearby Nemocón. Buses run frequently between Nemocón and Zipaquirá. The ride takes just under a half hour. You can get out of the bus near the entrance to the Nemocón Salt Mine. We enjoyed our visit to Nemocón Salt Mine much more than the Salt Cathedral. There were fewer people and it’s not Disney-fied.
Parque Villaveces
The square outside the entrance to the Salt Cathedral is Parque Villaveces. It’s named for Ignacio Villaveces, the administrator of the salt mines from 1942 to 1945.
Archaeological Museum of Zipaquirá
The Archaeological Museum of Zipaquirá (Museo Arqueológico de Zipaquirá) sits on Parque Villaveces. It costs COP$6,000 to enter (as of February 2023), or free with a ticket to the Salt Cathedral. Overall, there are lots of interesting artifacts in the museum but it’s not a must-see. It felt a little overwhelming.
The museum is broken down into three galleries. The first gallery contains several simple tools and some statues and pottery.
The largest gallery displays artifacts made by indigenous people from all over Colombia. They’re nicely labeled with the approximate dates of the culture and their location.
Finally is a small gallery of Muisca artifacts. The Muisca were the indigenous group that populated the area around Zipaquirá.
Plaza de los Comuneros
Plaza de los Comuneros is the main square in Zipaquirá. It contains the town’s cathedral and municipal buildings. It’s named for the communal capitulations that took place there in 1781, and has previously been called Plaza Mayor and Plaza González Forero.
The plaza was paved in 1823 and remodeled in 1938 and 2003. It’s surrounded by a mix of Colonial and Republican style buildings.
Cathedral of Zipaquirá
The cathedral is officially named the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity and St. Anthony of Padua (Catedral de la Santísima Trinidad y San Antonio de Padua). It was designed by Spanish Friar Domingo de Petrés (1759-1811), who also designed the Cathedral of Bogotá and the Cathedral of Santa Fe de Antioquia. Construction started in 1805 and it was consecrated on November 9, 1870. The cathedral was completed 1916.
Independence Plaza
Independence Plaza (Plaza de la Independencia) is a short walk from the main plaza. It was originally named Plaza Agustín Zapata and served as the town’s market square. Today it’s a lively place surrounded by plenty of restaurants and bars.
Our Lady of Sorrows
Just up the hill from Independence Plaza is a small church, Our Lady of Sorrows (Nuestra Señora de los Dolores). It was built by Monsignor Joselín Castillo, the parish priest of the Cathedral, in the 1920s. From a small platform in front, you can get fantastic views of Zipaquirá.
Quevedo Zornoza House Museum
The Quevedo Zornoza House Museum (Museo de Zipaquirá Casa Quevedo Zornoza) is a block south of the main plaza. It’s a 17th century home built by Scottish engineer Alexander Mac Douall (1804-1887), who settled in Zipaquirá and was the administrator for the salt mines. Colombian poet and politician Roberto Mac-Douall (1850-1921) was born in the house and lived there until he sold it to Carolina Quevedo Arvelo. Composer Guillermo Quevedo Zornoza (1886-1964) lived in the house as well.
The house has 12 bedrooms and two patios. The museum houses a collection of household items used by several generations of the Quevedo family as well as items used by Colombian independence heroes such as Simón Bolívar (1783-1830). It’s open daily and admission is COP$5,000 (as of February 2023). I’ll visit on my next trip.
