The Catedral de Sal in Zipaquirá is one of the most popular destinations in Colombia. And after nine months in country, I’d never been there until Sunday.
I was itching to get out of Bogotá like always and so I headed to Zipaquirá, land of the famous salt mine late afternoon to check it out.
Though in my personal opinion the entry fee is a little steep at 20,000 pesos, I did fork over the cash to check out what is dubbed “Colombia’s first touristic marvel”, a phrase that translates poorly into English. The setup is pretty nice and the entrance fee comes with a free 3D movie showing (there are seven packages in total.)
A local tour guide takes you through the humongous mine in small groups, which takes about an hour. For those planning to visit who don’t speak Spanish, don’t take photos until the end because the salt mine is full of negative energy that sucks the life from your batteries.
It’s crazy to think about how much time and effort goes into building something so expansive and ginormous. There are tons of crosses throughout the mine, some weighing over three tons. Wikipedia has a good rundown of the facts and figure.
My favorite part might have been the 3D movie – I was really feeling the red and blue glasses.
So was the salt cathedral trip worth it? If you’re a claustrophobic, satanic fan of pepper, you might want to stay away. Otherwise, the mine is pretty awesome.
The town of Zipaquirá itself is cute and is worth the trip just to soak up the small town atmosphere and watch farmers get drunk in the morning. The pueblo has not just one, but two central plazas, which is unusual for a Latin American town.
It’s also worth the trip to see Garfield live in person :)
Have you been to the salt cathedral? Was it worth the trip?
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