What is and where is it?

What to do in Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca?

Zipaquirá offers a wide variety of activities cultural, religious and recreational, officially recognized by Procolombia and the Municipal Mayor’s Office:

• Salt Cathedral: Considered underground architectural jewel, it was built 180 meters underground, within a salt mine. The cathedral is part of the Park of La Sal, administered by the industrial and commercial company of the Cathedral of Sal de Zipaquirá. It is one of the main referents of religious tourism and tourist infrastructure in Colombia.
• Historic Center: The Plaza de los Comuneros and its surroundings gather colonial and republican -style buildings, including the Diocesan Cathedral, built between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This urban space is protected as a national interest good.
• Archaeological Museum and Quevedo Zornoza Museum: These spaces promote local history and the Muisca legacy, an indigenous people who inhabited the region before Spanish colonization. Access to museums is promoted by the Ministry of Culture and Local Tourism.
• Hiking and nature: La Esperanza Ecological Park, managed by the Mayor’s Office of Zipaquirá, offers walking routes, observation of flora and fauna and environmental education activities.

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How to get to Zipaquirá from Bogotá?

Zipaquirá is at approximately 48 kilometers north of Bogotá. According to information from the National Institute of Roads (INVIAS) and the Government of Cundinamarca, the most used route is the North Highway, from which the diversion in the direction of Cajicá and then towards Zipaquirá.

The private vehicle journey has an average duration of 50 to 60 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.

For those who mobilize by public transport, from the Northern Portal of the Transmilenio System You can take buses Intermunicipal with direct destination to Zipaquirá. The frequencies are constant throughout the day, and the estimated time of Tour is about an hour.

ZipAquirá’s historical heritage and historical

Zipaquirá was an important salt trade center in pre -Hispanic timesinhabited by the Muisca civilization. With the arrival of the Spaniards, it was consolidated as a Urban Center for Regional Relevance.

The layout of its historic center, religious and civil constructions and their mining identity have been preserved by Programs of the Ministry of Culturewhich highlight its value as an example of Colombian colonial heritage.

The Municipal Palace, the Old Railroad Station and the San José National College They appear among historical buildings with official protection.

Sustainable tourism and local economy

As part of the Network of Heritage PeoplesZipaquirá promotes a sustainable tourism model, in line with the policies of Fontur and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. This includes the promotion of local products, the Strengthening of cultural routes and the participation of local communities in economic activities associated with tourism.

The local economy has strengthened thanks to the hand crafts offer, fabrics, ceramics and carved objects in wood. These products can be purchased at handmade or stores located in the historic center.

Typical region gastronomy

The offer Gastronomic in Zipaquirá includes traditional dishes such as the Santa Confereño Ajiaco, the baked overbarriga, the mazamorra and the tamales. Several restaurants in the Historic Center offer menus based on typical recipes of the Andean regionpromoted as part of the cultural identity of the municipality.