Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá

Tourist attraction · Zipaquirá

Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá

Tourist attraction · Zipaquirá

3

Parque De La Sal, Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, Colombia

Photos

Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by Photo by Alejandra Cardona
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by Photo by Alejandra Cardona
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by Photo by Alejandra Cardona
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá by null

Highlights

This underground salt mine cathedral near Bogotá dazzles with stunning carvings, eerie lighting, and a poignant Stations of the Cross tour.  

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Parque De La Sal, Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, Colombia Get directions

catedraldesal.gov.co
@catedraldesal

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Parque De La Sal, Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, Colombia Get directions

+57 601 8519502
catedraldesal.gov.co
@catedraldesal
𝕏
@catedraldesal

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Last updated

Jul 30, 2025

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@afar

"The Salt Cathedral About an hour north of Bogotá lies the so-called Salt Cathedral, an intriguing and impressive church that has been sculpted from the empty chambers of a working salt mine, one that’s been in operation since pre-Hispanic times. Beginning in the 20th century, miners began to decorate shafts with icons and saints from whom they sought protection. By 1954, a full-fledged cathedral had been carved into the rock and inaugurated; it has been attracting visitors from all over the world ever since. When a previous sanctuary became unstable, the current chapel was carved almost 200 feet deeper down and opened in 1995, complete with eerie lighting and beautiful sculptures. A visit is a moving experience even for nonbelievers. By Travesías"

Essential Guide to Bogotá
View Postcard for Salt Cathedral
@afar

"The Salt Cathedral About an hour north of Bogotá lies the so-called Salt Cathedral, an intriguing and impressive church that has been sculpted from the empty chambers of a working salt mine, one that’s been in operation since pre-Hispanic times. Beginning in the 20th century, miners began to decorate shafts with icons and saints from whom they sought protection. By 1954, a full-fledged cathedral had been carved into the rock and inaugurated; it has been attracting visitors from all over the world ever since. When a previous sanctuary became unstable, the current chapel was carved almost 200 feet deeper down and opened in 1995, complete with eerie lighting and beautiful sculptures. A visit is a moving experience even for nonbelievers. By Travesías"

The Perfect Week in Colombia
View Postcard for Salt Cathedral
@afar

"The Salt Cathedral About an hour north of Bogotá lies the so-called Salt Cathedral, an intriguing and impressive church that has been sculpted from the empty chambers of a working salt mine, one that’s been in operation since pre-Hispanic times. Beginning in the 20th century, miners began to decorate shafts with icons and saints from whom they sought protection. By 1954, a full-fledged cathedral had been carved into the rock and inaugurated; it has been attracting visitors from all over the world ever since. When a previous sanctuary became unstable, the current chapel was carved almost 200 feet deeper down and opened in 1995, complete with eerie lighting and beautiful sculptures. A visit is a moving experience even for nonbelievers. By Travesías"

The Best Things to Do in Colombia
View Postcard for Salt Cathedral

Arch S

Google
This impressive and unique Church is a must-visit! I visited with a tour group from Bogota and had a wonderful experience. There was ample time to walk around and admire this architectural treasure. Pictures do not do justice! “The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 metres underground in a halite mountain near the city of Zipaquirá, in Cundinamarca, Colombia. It is a tourist destination and place of pilgrimage in the country.”

Nic Zayas

Google
Worth the wait and the walk. Honestly, amazing experience! There’s a bit of a strong sulfur smell inside the cave but it goes away fast, but might suffer from allergies throughout the walk. You can see the stages Jesus had to go through from start to finish and you get to see different crosses. You have to be careful where you step at because the ground is not 100% smooth nor walkable. There’s a bunch of stores at the end to buy figures made with salt and there’s a coffee shop as well but gets super full and if there’s a tour guide waiting for you, you won’t have a lot of time to wait for the coffee. At the end, there’s a train that takes you to the beginning so you won’t have to walk all the way up if you’re tired. If you feel like walking again, you have to go up the same way you came down. I highly recommend you don’t miss this amazing experience.

Skip Jones

Google
This is a very interesting place! The salt mine has been made into a cathedral that tells the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. There are 23 different stops with different crosses and stories about Christ in his last days. I recommend getting the audio tour. At the end, there was a train to ride back to the surface, but it had a long wait, so we just walked back out. If you are near Zipaquirá, this is a MUST see location!

Michelle Rogowski

Google
If you're in Bogota, you must visit the Salt Cathedral, it's like nothing you've seen! It's like an entire village in there. With traffic it might take you 2 hours to get there but it's worth it. There's places to eat and drink, shopping kiosks, and a movie theater to learn about the mines. People visit for religious purposes to see the stations of the cross but it's so much more! What a large and vast place with history and science and amazement!

S.A. Resendez

Google
Impressive Experience at the Catedral de Sal We visited on a weekday and were glad to avoid the large crowds—great timing! Instead of joining a group tour, we hired a private driver for the roundtrip, which made everything easier and more flexible. At the entrance, they offer both basic and upgraded tickets. We chose the basic option, which includes the tour through the cathedral, and that was perfect for us. The salt mine and cathedral are stunning—photos honestly can’t capture how massive and incredible it all feels in person. It’s a long walk to reach the end, but there’s a little train you can ride back. Overall, this was a fun and interesting visit—well worth the trip!

Dipanjan Das

Google
Definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in Bogota! It's about 1.5 hours by road from the capital, and you could easily spend 2-3 hours visiting the salt cathedral. Makes for a great day trip.

Ross Daniels

Google
An amazing & must visit place. ## Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, Colombia. This is an underground Roman Catholic church carved inside a salt mine, located about 180–200 meters beneath the surface near Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca. It is one of Colombia’s most remarkable architectural and engineering achievements, often called a “Jewel of Modern Architecture” and was named the First Wonder of Colombia in 2007. The indigenous Muisca people first mined salt here over six centuries ago when Miners built the first sanctuary in the 1930s to pray for safety, expanding it into a larger church by 1954. Due to structural instability, the original cathedral closed in 1992. The current cathedral, designed by architect Roswell Garavito Pearl, opened in 1995, deeper and safer within the salt mountain. It is huge and features three main naves representing Jesus’ birth, life, and resurrection, each with altars and hand-carved sculptures. There are 14 chapels along tunnels symbolize the Stations of the Cross, with each chapel featuring a cross and space for prayer. The highlights include a massive salt cross, the sculpture "La Piedad" with indigenous features, the Guardian Angel statue, and the “mirrors of water” that create striking optical effects. Everything inside is hand-carved from salt rock, with some marble and stone sculptures by artists from Colombia and abroad.

Diana Gonzalez

Google
This place is just beautiful! It is such a wonder! The cameras inside this mountain are impressive and the carving and stability built on them is just so impressive. The airflow is so natural and my lungs definitely cleared up nicely during this tour. The smell is really so pleasant, the tour could be a bit slower and allow people to make more questions. The way they have decorated and enhanced the cathedral is beautiful, it’s truly a piece of art and a really wonderful place for those who worship. The additional museums and historic plates give such an authentic feel. I wouldn’t recommend the little car that takes you back up, it is just polluting the caves with the gasoline that it burns.