Salt places to visit · Nemocón, near Bogotá, Colombia
Nemocón Salt Mine
A Muisca salt town turned mine museum, where brine pools reflect coloured lights like mirrors.
At a glance
| Where | Cundinamarca, Nemocón, near Bogotá, Colombia |
|---|---|
| Type of place | Salt mine and Muisca salt town |
| What you'll see | Underground chambers on the history of salt mining, brine pools that act as mirrors, a small chapel and a large salt sculpture. |
| Muisca connection | Pottery shows salt was being extracted here by the 4th century BC. The Muisca, called “the Salt People,” made Nemocón a salt market town. |
| How the Muisca made salt | Muisca women extracted salt from brine in large pots, and salt was used to dry and preserve fish and meat. |
| Visiting | The mine is open to visitors; check current hours before you go. Zipaquirá's Salt Cathedral is nearby. |
The salt story
Before the Spanish arrived, the Muisca of the central Colombian Andes mined salt at Nemocón, Zipaquirá and Tausa and traded it widely; pottery from these salt towns turns up across the Bogotá savanna. Later miners took about 8 million tons of salt from Nemocón between 1819 and 1968.
Hours, seasons and prices change. Check with the site before you travel.
More salt places
Cite this page
For school projects and reports. Teachers often prefer the original sources too: see the list below.
The Salt Almanac. (2026, November 8). Nemocón salt mine. https://saltalmanac.com/places/nemocon-salt-mine
“Nemocón Salt Mine | Salt Places to Visit.” The Salt Almanac, 8 Nov. 2026, saltalmanac.com/places/nemocon-salt-mine. Accessed [today's date].
“Nemocón Salt Mine | Salt Places to Visit.” The Salt Almanac. Last modified November 8, 2026. https://saltalmanac.com/places/nemocon-salt-mine.
Original sources
- Wikipedia. Nemocón. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemoc%C3%B3n
- Wikipedia. Muisca economy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muisca_economy
- Atlas Obscura. Nemocón Salt Mine. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nemocon-salt-mine