Inside Bogota’s Famous Salt Cathedral…
Bogota wasn’t really on my radar as a fabulous destination. But then, I got deported from Panama & sent back to Bogota for an extra week! And I’m glad I did. I got to explore incredible street art in the historic Candelaria district, climb to the top of Monserrat, & my personal favorite: visit Bogota’s famous Salt Cathedral, which is located just outside the city in Zipaquira. I was so blown away by the experience, I want to take you inside Bogota’s famous Salt Cathedral with this video!
Medellin may get have more international buzz than Bogota….but the Salt Cathedral is one of many reasons why you may not want to overlook traveling to Colombia’s capital.
Welcome to the Salt Cathedral by Bogota…
About the Salt Cathedral
The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira is a Roman Catholic church, built within the underground tunnels of a salt mine ~ more than 200 meters below ground.
Sound interesting??
It’s one of the most unusual, eerie, & mysterious places I’ve been. Colombians consider the Cathedral as their own “Wonder of the World,” & it’s an important pilgrimage site for many Catholics. Fun Fact: If you lick any of walls in the Cathedral (which I don’t necessarily recommend!), you’ll find that it’s ALL made of salt!
A friend told me to do this, & I discreetly did so in a private section ~ & can confirm: it was salty.
Lick the walls & you’ll find that the Cathedral is in fact SALTY!
Step inside Bogota’s famous Salt Cathedral with me below…
Camera
Guide Book
Theft-Proof Purse
Inside Bogota’s Famous Salt Cathedral ~ Video
How to Get to the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira
The Salt Cathedral is located in the pleasant town of Zipaquira, which is 30 miles north of Bogota. Though it’s only 30 miles, budget at least one hour for the ride both there AND back ~ traffic in Bogota is notoriously bad! Both my journeys took over an hour, & I was driving from the more northern part of Bogota; so budget even longer if you’re staying in Candelaria.
You can reach the Salt Cathedral by bus, Uber, renting a car, or by a guided tour from Bogota.
The cheapest way to reach the Salt Cathedral would be to take a bus ~ which cost less than $15 US round-trip. Though you may have to taxi up to the Cathedral from the bus stop. Buses will take the longest (90 minutes to 2 hours), so I opted for an Uber: which cost $20 US each way. I got great drivers, & was able to practice my Spanish on the drive!
If you’d rather go in a group, check Trip Advisor or Viator. They both offer tours to the Cathedral, which start around $90, not including your entrance fee ($18.50 US).
I took an Uber each way to the Salt Cathedral, for about $40 US, round-trip.
Where I Stayed in Bogota
During my time in Bogota, I stayed at three different hotels: 1) Hotel le Manoir Bogota ($45+/night), 2) Hotel Morrison 114 ($60+), & 3) NH Bogota 26 Urban Royal Hotel ($34+). I’m a Gold Member of Hotels.com ~ so prices shown are what I actually paid, but they’re probably on the lower end due to member discounts. Rooms in all three hotels were GREAT, & the room at NH 26 was HUGE!! All hotels offered room service, & as s a solo traveler, I felt comfortable & safe in all three.
Though NH 26’s location was not my favorite, as it’s on a busy street, in a less scenic part of town (though the street art nearby is amazing)! Le Manoir & Hotel Morrison are in a more upscale part of town, with plenty of coffee shops & restaurants close by.
Bogota is an underrated & fascinating city. Photo taken at Monserrate viewpoint.
Inside Bogota’s Famous Salt Cathedral
Thanks for reading this short but sweet post on Bogota’s Salt Cathedral! And if you’d prefer not to visit on your own, check out Viator’s Bogota tours below….
Read Next: Solo Female Travel in Colombia
This place looks amazing!! Was it scary to be inside there by yourself? I keep hearing good things about Colombia, but I’ve never heard too much about Bogota. Keep up the great posts!
Hey David! Honestly, it was a good kind of creepy ~ but definitely not scary! “Ave Maria” is playing throughout most of the cathedral, which is more calming than scary ~ but in some places, your heart will definitely pound! Especially when looking down the long, dark cave caverns that seem to go on forever. I highly recommend Colombia, & agree with you that there is less written about Bogota than many other Colombia destinations. But there’s a ton of cool stuff there! I’ll try to write about it soon. Thanks for your comment!