We caught the TransMilenio from Las Aguas station and took an easy ride for about an hour to Portal del Norte and then caught a local bus to Zipaquira, which took about 45 minutes. A short walk later, we made it to the Salt Cathedral.

Zipaquira is one of the oldest cities in Colombia, possibly originating in the 1500’s. The church pictured above right, Holy Trinity and San Antonio de Padua Parish, was created in 1779.

The Salt Cathedral (Catedral de Sal de Zipaquira) is an underground Roman Catholic Church built inside the tunnels of a salt mine about 200 meters underground. It’s a very popular tourist destination, but it also serves as a place of pilgrimage and about 3000 parishioners attend services every Sunday. Because it has no Bishop, it isn’t officially recognized as a Cathedral.

Stationed on the floor in front of the cross is “La Creacion del Hombre,” a sculpture by Carlos Enrique Rodriguez.

All Pictures: 6OCT12. Zipaquira. Bogota, Colombia.