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A Trip to the Zipaquira Salt Mine – aka The Underground Salt Cathedral
One of the popular day trips out of Bogota is a trip to the Zapaquira Salt Mine – which doubles as an underground Salt Cathedral.
The salt mine has been in existence for centuries and is still active. The Salt Cathedral sits within the halite mine - more than 500 feet beneath the surface.It’s been nominated a Jewel of Modern Architecture and The First Marvel of Colombia.
Getting to the Salt Cathedral takes about 90 minutes via taxi from Bogota – even though it’s only about 49 kilometers away. Traffic is that bad!
Once you arrive at the entrance you have a veritable menu of tour choices. We went for the basic tour without a guide – and I’m glad we did. It took us about 90 minutes to wander around underground and that was plenty.
Entrance to the Salt Cathedral
The cathedral has been built within the tunnels of the salt mine. The church does function and on Sundays can see upwards of 3000 visitors – a day in my mind to avoid.
Walking underground
The paths through the salt mine take you by 14 small chapels representing the Stations of the Cross to an enormous chamber filled with seats and a cross.
Love the lighting on this cross
The main room where services take place
Underground shopping anyone?
By the time we’d spent 90 minutes looking in wonder at LED lit crosses, we were ready to be above ground again.
There is a cafeteria where we had lunch and killed some time waiting for our ride back.
Don’t miss this sculptural piece of a salt miner – who looks positively ripped.
Back above ground a statue of a salt miner
And as I’m sure it was and still is for today’s miners, I love the blast of colour when you’re back above ground. The agapanthus were in bloom when we were there.
Lots of natural blue above ground with agapanthus everywhere
Is a trip to the Zipaquira Salt Mine worthwhile?
I think it is but unless you’re very religious the short tour will probably be adequate.
For more travel inspiration check out the photos of other travel bloggers on Nancie’s Budget Travelers Sandbox website.
Leigh McAdam
HikeBikeTravel
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About Hike Bike TravelAvid world traveler. Craves adventure - & the odd wildly epic day. Gardener. Reader. Wine lover. Next big project - a book on 100 Canadian outdoor adventures.
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42 Responses to A Trip to the Zipaquira Salt Mine – aka The Underground Salt Cathedral
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I’ve been all over the world – to all continents but Antarctica and to a grand total of 53 countries. I’ve always got some sort of an adventure planned – even if it’s only a weekend. I thrive on change and travel provides that.
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I think taking a tour via your blog will do me just fine. I’m not a fan of underground anything. Love the way you caught the underground colors.
Jackie Smith recently posted..Searching for Catania Sicily’s “Pescheria”
@Jackie I’m not really keen on the underground either – but the entrance was wide, the ceilings were high and it didn’t have the claustrophobic feeling you and I would both get- I bet – if it was in a tighter space underground.
HI Leigh, I first read about the underground salt mine cathedral in National Geographic. I’m glad to see more visual of it from your post. I’m not religious but I find it truly fascinating. Lovely photos.
Marisol@TravelingSolemates recently posted..The Beautiful Sunset on Manila Bay
@Marisol I know of the one in Poland which looks far more ornate and I would like to see it one day. I’m glad I visited but a few hours is all you really need.
I agree with Jackie.! Thank you for the tour. It looks interesting but…. ! I couldn’t imagine being down there with 3000 people for a Sunday service!
jenny@atasteoftravel recently posted..Tuesday Travel Bite: Red Rooster Rules in Harlem
@Jenny That’s one of the reasons we went on a weekday. It is a huge place underground and I’m sure they’e allowed for more than one exit but…
What a weird and wonderful place. I definitely would not be down there with thousands of others, but a walk around with far less would be fun.
budget jan recently posted..Marooned on the Mekong
@Jan I’m not a huge fan of underground anything either – and with a crowd especially if anything went wrong – that would scare me.
These LED lit crosses are awesome! I love the red especially. I would definitely visit this interesting place but probably wouldn’t stay too long either. I like the thought of telling people we went to a salt cathedral.
Mary @ The World Is A Book recently posted..The Magical World of Tivoli Gardens Copenhagen
@Mary I’m not religious but I found the way that the Stations of the Cross were lit made for very compelling scenes.
Amazing photos
Muza-chan recently posted..Unusual statue, Hotei Daibutsu from Konan City
Thanks Muza-chan.
I get it. I’m guessing salt was their major industry. It’s certainly unique and imaginative. I was a bit disappointed when I read the lighting was LED. I was expecting it to be from some recently discovered property the salt had that could only be visible underground when hit by shafts of sunlight. Oh, yes, I can dream! Worth a visit but I’d have to get there really early to avoid the crowds.
InsideJourneys recently posted..Jamaica’s Fascinating Fretwork
@Marcia The lights changed colour all the time and certainly made the displays far more interesting than they would be if not lit up – but no magic- sorry to say.
I’m going to have to confess that if I visited this place, I’d be really tempted to lick the walls or at least run my finger along a clean part and then lick my finger. Would it taste salty? I find the LED lighting very dramatic. If it wasn’t such a long journey out of Bogota, I might be tempted to see it myself.
Michele {Malaysian Meanders} recently posted..Wishes Made at Kyoto’s Kiyomizu Temple
@Michele The licking the walls thought had crossed my mind!
I’ve never heard of this place ever, thank you for the beautiful tours. I think the LED lighting is gorgeous and they seem to have been added everywhere. An old train tunnel by my sister’s house in the south of France was made-over and they put in these solar-panel-fed LED arches that light up as you walk closer, very very cool
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Please come and join us if you have time. Have a great weekend.
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I would love to see that salt mine. There’s one outside Krakow in Poland as well, looking quite different but very interesting, too.
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@Sophie I take it you’ve been to the mine in Poland. It looks very different. I’m glad we went to this one but also very happy we didn’t waste money on a more involved tour.
Interesting but I also think I’ll just live vicariously through your post! I would have thought there would be more evidence of salt. I think having 3000 people down there is too much!
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista recently posted..Art Around Town – Statues & Fountains
@Debbie The walls didn’t exactly look like Sifto – more dirty and dark grey the way much of salt is before it’s purified. I would love to hear 3000 voices down in the cathedral – and wonder how the sound moves.
That underground cathedral looks unreal! They did an amazing job with the lighting, it really adds to the atmosphere. Love love absolutely love your photos!
- Maria Alexandra
Maria Alexandra @Latinabroad recently posted..Puerto Rico travel video and photos: my first hosting bid!
@Maria Thanks for your very kind words.
Very brave of you to be down there with so many people, and what some amazing photos you’ve taken. I enjoy tourist caves in South West Australia, but only with a few people around
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@Johanna There were people around but nothing like on a Sunday – a day I would definitely avoid.
Now that is interesting. Hello via the Sandbox linky, I am really enjoying my afternoon of armchair travelling.
Seana – Sydney, Kids, Food + Travel recently posted..Murray’s Beach at Jervis Bay – And The Shark That Got Away
@Seana Glad you stopped by.
Thanks for a trip down Memory Lane. I visited the Zipaquira salt mine cathedral in 1974 (yes, I’m that old) with my Colombian host family when I studied in Bogota for a semester during college. I don’t remember any traffic issues and I don’t think LED lighting existed. I do remember being “treated” to murcilla (blood sausage) at a roadside stand during the trip — and regretting it later that day.
Just One Boomer (Suzanne) recently posted..WHAT THE !?!? Hawaii Edition
@Suzanne, I’m in the same age group so I can relate. Bogota has terrible traffic now!!! and the lighting is beautiful but perhaps they went to LED to save energy. I gag on blood sausage too.
90 minutes underground would be testing my limits, but this certainly looks like a must-see. Gorgeous shots. I agree with you that Sunday would not be the day to visit, however.
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@Cathy I wouldn’t say that you feel deep underground the way you do if you’ve ever been in a mine. The passageway in is huge s that really helps. Still agreed – 90 minutes is plenty.
Stunning images Leigh. Anything underground fascinates me. Exploring inside our earth feels so unnatural, it’s a shame I’m so claustrophobic! I think I’d be hard pushed to last 90 minutes, however it looks like a worthwhile trip and perhaps my fascination would take over and push my anxiety to the back of my mind.
Charli l Wanderlusters recently posted..Long Term Travel: Losing A Cagoule
@Charli Thanks for the compliment. I think most people are pretty fascinated once they’re in the mine that they aren’t thinking – get me out of here. The place DOES NOT feel claustrophobic.
You would not get me down there on a Sunday with 3000 people! If I was visiting Coloumbia, I would visit. Love your shots.
Nancie recently posted..Through the Sandbox Travel Lens #53 — An Enchanting Burmese Puppet
Neat place. Did you lick anything to prove that it’s actually made of salt
?
jill recently posted..My Kind of Beach in Belitung, Indonesia
@Jill The salt is really dirty and I can imagine how many (dirty) hands wipe the walls every day so no I didn’t lick anything.
I was not impressed, but it all depends on your interests. It was kinda interesting to see, but I felt it was too far away and too expensive.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..One of the most beautiful bookstores in the world
@Stephanie I’m glad I went but it’s definitely a once off affair. I think because the traffic in Bogota is so bad right now it feels like a much longer drive out and back than the distance would suggest.
Wow looks like a fascinating place to visit and love the images so atmospheric. I’ve not visited Bogota definitely seems to be a gap in my travelling portfolio which needs filling.
Iain Mallory recently posted..Photography Tips; Discovering Perspectives
@Iain It was the lighting that made the place so atmospheric. Colombia itself is a great destination if you haven’t already been and Bogota is fun to discover via a 3-5 hour easy but fun bike ride – http://hikebiketravel.com/23833/discovering-bogota-colombia-bike-tour/.
This was on my list of things to do in Bogota, but I ran out of time. Pretty disappointed in myself now!
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@beyondblighty It was interesting but not a knock your socks off OMG I really missed something incredible. Definitely worthwhile IF you have the time.A bike tour of Bogota on the other hand was way more fun & informative.