Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira

Declared The First Wonder Of Colombia In 2007 And A National Cultural Monument. A Roman Catholic Basilica Carved 180 Metres Into A Salt Mountain, Opened In 1995 In Place Of An Earlier Mine Church, With A 16 M Cross And Three Naves. · Zipaquira, Cundinamarca

The Salt Cathedral is a Catholic church built inside a working salt mine about 50 km north of Bogota, and it is the most visited day trip from the capital. You walk down a long tunnel past fourteen small chapels marking the Stations of the Cross, each carved into the rock and lit in blue and violet, until the passage opens into three huge naves under a dome, with a cross of about 16 m cut into the salt wall. It is a working church, with Mass on Sundays, not only a museum. Honest expectations help: the walk is short, the underground gallery shops are commercial, and the whole visit takes about two to three hours. The town of Zipaquira above has a colonial plaza and makes a good lunch stop. Go on a weekday if you can, because Sundays bring long queues and crowds that take away the quiet the architecture depends on. Nationals pay less than foreigners, so bring your passport and expect to show it at the ticket desk, and bring a light jacket for the cool, damp air below.

Underground church inside a working halite mine on the edge of Zipaquira, about 50 km north of Bogota, Zipaquira, Cundinamarca, Colombia

The mine is normally open most days including weekends, usually from morning until late afternoon, with the last entry well before closing. Hours change with the season and with church events, so check the official ticket page or call the day before. Sunday is open but is the busiest day, and Mass is held in the main nave at set times when visitor routes are limited. Tickets are sold at the entrance and online; online is faster on weekends. Expect closure for maintenance or on a few national holidays, so confirm before you travel.

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