Centro Comercial la Casona de Zipaquirá

Updated April 15, 2024

## Centro Comercial La Casona de Zipaquirá: Practical Guide to Zipaquirá’s Main Shopping Center

Centro Comercial La Casona de Zipaquirá is one of the key commercial hubs of Zipaquirá, a city most visitors know for the famous Salt Cathedral. For many travelers, La Casona ends up being the place to grab a quick meal, pick up essentials, or wait comfortably between buses and tours.

This guide walks through what the mall actually offers, how to use it strategically on a Zipaquirá day trip, and a few practical details you won’t get from a glossy brochure.

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## Where Is La Casona and Why It Matters for Travelers

La Casona is located on Calle 1 #10-04 / 10-14 in Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, at the entrance to the city’s urban core.

It sits within walking distance of several key places often included on a Zipaquirá itinerary:

– Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral (Catedral de Sal) – TripAdvisor lists the cathedral as about 0.6 km from La Casona, making the mall a logical stop before or after a visit.
– Central historic area – The main square, cathedral, and Plaza de los Comuneros are all under 1 km away, in the same general corridor of restaurants and services.

If you’re building a structured day out of Bogotá, La Casona works well as:

– A meeting point with a local guide before heading to the Salt Cathedral
– A fallback option for food if touristy spots near the cathedral are full
– A safe bet for practical errands (ATM, supermarket, pharmacy) before you continue onward

From Bogotá, many organized tours that visit the Salt Cathedral will pass very close to La Casona; independent travelers can easily reach it using intermunicipal buses or local transport, and navigation apps like Moovit list it directly as a destination.

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## A Quick Look at the Shopping Center Itself

According to the mall’s own “Nosotros” (About Us) information, Centro Comercial La Casona de Zipaquirá opened on 6 December 2008, created by a group of real estate investors. It was designed with a modern architectural style, wide corridors, and strong natural lighting, with the explicit goal of being the city’s main place for shopping and entertainment. Casona

Key characteristics confirmed by official and third-party sources:

– Mid-sized mall – Reviews consistently describe it as “small to medium” in scale: big enough for errands and a meal, but not a destination mall like those in Bogotá.
– Supermarket anchor (Éxito) – Several photos and reviews reference a large Éxito store as one of the anchors, making it a reliable place to buy groceries, snacks, or trip supplies.
– Food court (plazoleta de comidas) – There is a small food court with various casual options; reviews highlight it as a convenient place to eat after visiting the Salt Cathedral or running errands.
– Parking available – Visitors report that the mall has its own parking facilities for customers.
– Wheelchair access – Independent mapping sources list it as wheelchair accessible, which is important for travelers with reduced mobility or families using strollers.

The center positions itself as offering fashion, gastronomy, and entertainment, a description echoed on its official site and social profiles.

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## Opening Hours (and Why You Should Double-Check Them)

Here’s where things get a bit messy, and this is exactly the type of detail that can ruin a day trip if you don’t verify it:

– The official website lists the shopping center hours as:
Monday to Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Casona
– Another mapping source lists Monday–Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., with no separate Sunday schedule.
– An older local blog suggests an even earlier opening (6:00 a.m.) and extended hours on Sundays up to 23:00, which clearly looks outdated compared with the official site.

How to interpret this:

– The official website should be treated as the primary reference, but even that can change with public-health measures, holiday schedules, or management decisions. Casona
– Because multiple sources conflict, treat any specific time as “current at the time of writing” and verify again via the official website or social media before planning an early-morning visit or a late-evening stop.

For conservative planning, assume:

– Most shops and services will be fully operating from late morning to early evening.
– Arriving after 10:00 a.m. and before 7:00 p.m. is the safest window if you’re building an itinerary around it.

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## What You’ll Actually Find Inside

### Everyday Shopping and Services

From combined official information and visitor reviews, La Casona focuses on practical, day-to-day shopping rather than luxury brands:

– Supermarket (Éxito) for groceries, snacks, drinks, and basic travel supplies
– Fashion and clothing stores aimed at regional and national brands
– Artisan or regional-products shops, where you may find local souvenirs and Colombian handicrafts
– Banking and service points, which reviews mention as convenient for “vueltas al banco” (bank errands) and general admin tasks

This makes La Casona more of an everyday center for Zipaquirá residents than a pure tourist attraction, which is precisely why it’s useful for travelers who need real-life services during a trip.

### Food Court & Casual Eating

The plazoleta de comidas is repeatedly mentioned in reviews and the mall’s own information: it’s relatively small, with casual restaurants and fast-food options suitable for a simple lunch or quick dinner.

Typical use cases:

– Post-Salt Cathedral meal: a straightforward place to eat without needing to navigate menus aimed solely at tourists.
– Backup plan when the historic center is crowded: if restaurants near the main square are full, the mall food court gives you reliable alternatives in a controlled environment.

You won’t get high-end gastronomy here, but you will get predictable, family-friendly options with indoor seating.

### Entertainment and Events

La Casona has leaned into community events and cultural programming, especially around Colombian celebrations. A local tourism portal documented activities such as:

– Historical reenactments related to Zipaquirá’s independence-era martyrs
– Photography contests around “Orgullo Zipaquireño” (local pride)
– Seasonal campaigns (for example, Christmas and themed family events)

There is also a Multiplex La Casona cinema listed very close to the mall on mapping platforms; it appears to serve the same general complex, offering movie showings for residents and visitors.

For travelers, this means La Casona can double as:

– A rain-day fallback: catch a film or indoor event if weather disrupts your outdoor plans
– An evening option with kids after a day of sightseeing

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## How La Casona Fits Into a Zipaquirá & Salt Cathedral Itinerary

If your main goal is the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, La Casona is best seen as a support hub rather than a primary attraction.

A realistic flow for a day trip might be:

1. Arrive in Zipaquirá (by bus, tour, or private transfer).
2. Stop at La Casona to:
– Withdraw cash from ATMs if needed
– Grab breakfast or a snack from the supermarket or food court
– Use restrooms and orient yourself
3. Walk or transfer to the Salt Cathedral for your booked time slot.
4. After the underground visit, return to La Casona for:
– A simpler, budget-friendly meal
– Extra layers, water, or snacks purchased for the journey back
5. Continue into the historic city center for a stroll around Plaza de los Comuneros, the Diocesan Cathedral, and nearby cafés.

If your site covers those broader experiences, this is an ideal place to link out to a Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá guide or a Zipaquirá day trip from Bogotá itinerary from within this article.

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## Accessibility, Inclusivity, and Comfort

A few practical details matter if you’re traveling with mixed-ability groups or young children:

– Wheelchair / stroller access – At least one mapping database explicitly marks La Casona as wheelchair accessible.
– Corridor width – A 2022 visitor review highlights that corridors are spacious enough for baby strollers, which is helpful for families.
– Baby-changing facilities – A 2019 review criticized the bathrooms for lacking proper baby changing tables, noting a makeshift solution.
– This specific complaint is several years old, so facilities may have improved; travelers who depend on these services should be prepared with a backup plan and, if possible, check recent reviews.

In general, the mall’s role as an everyday center for residents tends to support a more inclusive mix of businesses and price points than heavily touristic zones. You’ll see local families, workers, and visitors sharing the same spaces, rather than a purely tourist-priced environment.

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## What Do Other Visitors Say? (And How to Read It)

On TripAdvisor, La Casona sits at around 3.8 out of 5 based on a small number of reviews (nine at the time of access).

The themes in those reviews are fairly consistent:

– It is “bonito pero sencillo y no muy grande” – pleasant, simple, and not very big.
– It’s useful for errands: groceries, a quick meal, bank visits, or a brief stop between activities.
– It is not a place people would usually “program a full day tour” around; it’s better as an add-on to other attractions.

One reviewer commenting on Zipaquirá in general described the town as relaxed but noted it’s “not the safest,” which is a fairly typical observation about many working towns in Latin America rather than a specific indictment of the mall itself.

How to use this information:

– Treat La Casona as functional infrastructure, not a must-see sight.
– Use recent reviews mainly to check current conditions (crowds, cleanliness, maintenance, safety perceptions) before your visit.

Ratings and opinions are inherently subjective and change over time, so always:

– Look at the date stamps on reviews
– Cross-check with at least one recent Spanish-language review, since locals tend to highlight different issues than international visitors

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