The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá

Salt has been mined at Zipaquirá since long before the Spanish arrived, and miners carved a chapel underground for their own use. The present cathedral, opened in 1995 after the older one was closed for safety, sits roughly 180 metres below the surface in tunnels cut from halite. The route begins with fourteen stations of the cross, each a chamber with a cross carved in relief or hollowed into the rock, lit in blue, violet and amber, and ends in a main nave with a cross illuminated from behind so it appears to float. The scale is genuinely cathedral-like, the acoustics are strange and dead, and the whole thing is cool and faintly salty on the lips. Services are held on Sundays.

What you actually see

• The stations of the cross - fourteen carved chambers descending through the mine.
• The main nave and illuminated cross - the central chamber, lit from behind.
• The salt-cut domes - side chapels carved directly from halite.
• Zipaquirá old town - a colonial square and market above ground.

When to go

Any time; it is underground and unaffected by weather, which makes it a reliable rainy-day option from Bogotá. Sundays bring services and the largest crowds. The weekend tourist train from Bogotá is a slow but pleasant way to arrive.

Honest expectations

The lighting is heavily theatrical and the effect divides people, with some finding it moving and others finding it closer to a themed attraction than a church. The guided route moves in groups and cannot be done at your own pace at busy times. It is cool underground, around 14 degrees, so bring a layer.

Nearby

Bogotá is an hour south; Guatavita lake, source of the El Dorado story, lies east.