Religious Building · Zipaquirá, Colombia
Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá
The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá (Spanish: Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá) is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 metres (660 ft) underground in a halite mountain near the city of Zipaquirá, in Cundinamarca, Colombia. Built 1995.
Photo: Nestor Gonzalez Alonso via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Zipaquirá, Colombia |
|---|---|
| Type | Religious Building |
| Built | 1995 |
| Coordinates | 5.0188° N, 74.0093° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá is known for
The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá (Spanish: Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá) is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 metres (660 ft) underground in a halite mountain near the city of Zipaquirá, in Cundinamarca, Colombia.
About Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá
The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá (Spanish: Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá) is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 metres (660 ft) 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. The temple at the bottom has three sections, representing the birth, life, and death of Jesus.
History
The halite mines were exploited already by the pre-Columbian Muisca culture since the 5th century BC, with it being one of their most important economic activities. The traditional halite mining was described by Alexander von Humboldt during his visit to Zipaquira in 1801. He depicts this deposit as bigger than the main halite mines of the time, such as those in Spain, Switzerland, Poland and the County of Tyrol with a calculated resource estimation of one million cubic meters.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Zipaquirá |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | El Dorado International Airport (BOG) |
| Distance from the airport | 24.0 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- El Dorado International Airport (BOG) · Bogota, Colombia · 23.9 miles away
- Jose Maria Córdova International Airport (MDE) · Medellín, Colombia · 125.4 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Colombia
More religious buildings
Frequently asked questions
What is Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá?
The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá (Spanish: Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá) is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 metres (660 ft) underground in a halite mountain near the city of Zipaquirá, in Cundinamarca, Colombia.
Where is Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá located?
Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá is in Zipaquirá, Colombia. Its coordinates are 5.0188° N, 74.0093° W.
How do I get to Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá?
The nearest town is Zipaquirá, and the nearest airport is El Dorado International Airport (BOG), about 24.0 miles away (straight line).
When was Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá built?
Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá was built 1995.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Cathedral_of_Zipaquirá — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2565876 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.catedraldesal.gov.co/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.