This salt is holier than your salt. Cathedral de Sal in Zipaquirá

The Catedral de Sal in Zipaquirá was one of the most unique and interesting things I’ve ever seen in my life.  It’s an enormous salt mine in which a large already-mined section is ornately decorated with beautifully carved crosses.  The low-key colorful lighting perfectly installed to complement the crosses helps make a trip through the cathedral an eerie and mystical experience.  I also used it as a great spot to work on some low-lighting photography.

It´s a salt cathedral, they want you to lick the walls!

Buses from Bogota to Zipaquirá are frequent (only 1 hour ride), and Zipaquirá is easy to walk around.  The main square had some nice colonial architecture and lots of cafes and bars.  If you’re looking at South America on a Shoestring, as we were, just be aware that the price to get into the Catedral de Sal is actually 20,000 COP ($10) and there is NO discount on Wednesdays, as the book suggests.  The basic ticket includes a walk through and a goofy 3D movie, which is skippable.  The cathedral, however, is definitely one of the coolest things I’ve seen in awhile!

***Edit 2024 Has anyone been to Zipaquirá recently? We would love to hear if this placed has changed at all. There’s a post that goes with this one that tells the story about how we got robbed in the main square of this town after getting an ice cream.