Nemocón Salt Mine: Colombian Site Filmed for Chilean Miners Drama

Colombia's Salt Mine of Nemocón, a subterranean site in the municipality of Nemocón within the Sabana Centro province near Bogotá, served as a key filming location for the Hollywood production The 33. This historic mine, with a documented history of salt extraction spanning over 500 years and evidence suggesting industry dating to the end of the first millennium BC, provided the necessary atmosphere of confinement for the biographical drama. The film, directed by Patricia Riggen, recounted the 2010 Chilean mining disaster where 33 miners were trapped underground for 69 days.

Principal photography for The 33 began in December 2013, with substantial scenes shot in Nemocón through January 2014 before the production moved to Chile for exterior shots. The cast included Antonio Banderas, who portrayed miner Mario Sepúlveda, alongside actor Mario Casas. The mine’s connection to the film remains a point of interest, reportedly featuring Antonio Banderas's signature within its depths.

Recognized as the second-largest salt mine in Colombia, surpassed only by the nearby Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, the Nemocón site was central to the Muisca indigenous people, historically known as the "Salt People." Generations of workers extracted approximately 8 million tons of salt from the site between 1819 and 1968. Today, the mine, located in the department of Cundinamarca, is actively preserved and accessible to the public, offering guided excursions that descend up to 80 meters through roughly 1,600 meters of pathways documenting the region's history in mining, tourism, and cinema.

Beyond its cinematic role, the mine showcases several geological and cultural features. Visitors encounter the Brine Mirrors (Espejos de Salmuera), historical tanks where salt rock was dissolved, now creating a reflective optical effect. Notable formations include the Heart of Nemocón (Corazón de Nemocón), a salt crystal shaped like a heart weighing approximately 1,600 kilograms, sculpted in the 1960s by miner Miguel Sánchez, and the Salt Waterfall (Cascada de Sal), formed by natural crystallization over more than eight decades. The site also features a replica of the Fénix 2 rescue capsule, the vessel used to bring the 33 Chilean miners to the surface after their 69-day entrapment.