Zipaquirá: Salt Art Underground and Colonial Heritage

Zipaquirá can be explored through two very different themes: underground, salt and sculpture take center stage, while colonial-style buildings and decorative balconies shape the character of the Old Town. There are also historic sites and experiences where salt is not just viewed as a material, but worked with firsthand.

Salt Art and Underground Routes

The Monumental 180 Museum is located 180 meters underground. Its collection includes 22 relief sculptures: eleven on salt walls and eleven on marble blocks. They were created by sculptors from around the world. Here, different materials meet artistic works displayed deep underground.

The underground Stations of the Cross at the Catedral de Sal offer a different perspective. The route has 14 stations and is 386 meters long. The reliefs in the museum and the Stations of the Cross have different focal points: sculptures and their materials are central in one, while the other follows a sequence of stations along a set route.

Experience Salt Firsthand and Stay Active

On the Ruta del Minero, visitors can break off rock salt in several mines, extract salt, and take it home. This makes working with salt an activity in its own right, distinct from viewing the relief art underground.

In Parque de la Sal, the Green Trail features gardens and native plants. The operator describes it as suitable for sports activities and visits with pets. The Catedral de Sal complex also has an outdoor climbing wall. Inspired by the ceiba tree, its strength and size, it is one of the highest outdoor climbing walls in Colombia. The experiences described therefore range from plants and garden areas to sports activities and a climbing wall with a regional nature-inspired theme.

Old Town, Architecture, and History

The guided Walk Traces of Salt tour takes visitors through the streets of Zipaquirá’s Old Town and showcases important colonial-style buildings. The houses in the historic center also shape this impression with their decorative balconies. Those interested in architectural history will find other specific connections to the city’s past in addition to the walking tour.

The Estación del Tren, also known as Estación Tres Esquinas, was designed by Alfredo Bazzani in the French Neoclassical style and inaugurated on December 8, 1927. Under Decree 0746 of 1996, it is a National Monument. From 1811 to 1816, the Casa de los Virreyes served as the seat of the presidential palace of the patriotic government of the United Provinces of New Granada.

Plaza de los Comuneros is the municipality’s main square; the signing of the Capitulaciones Comuneras at this site is associated with it. Sendero de los Zipas, meanwhile, is a walking route through the municipality’s cultural heritage, intended to foster knowledge of its origins and identity. You can choose between architecture, a historic site, and a route focused on cultural heritage.

Choose a Vacation Rental That Suits Your Itinerary

When looking for a vacation rental in Zipaquirá, it helps to first decide what matters most to you: should the trip focus mainly on salt art, more active experiences, or the architecture and history of the Old Town? If you’re traveling with others, you can take their different interests into account. Then check the location information for the places you plan to visit and choose your accommodation accordingly. This way, your search reflects your actual itinerary rather than a general idea of which base is the best fit.

Discover more destinations: Suesca, Cumaca, El Potrero, Subachoque, Sopó, Mosquera, San Francisco, Tenjo.

See the broader travel overview: Cundinamarca.