With its picturesque adobe architecture, Santa Fe, New Mexico is the cultural gem of the American Southwest. Santa Fe’s charming downtown is loaded with historic hotels and resorts, endless art galleries, museums and concert halls. Santa Fe even has a world-class opera house just outside of town. Minutes away there are dozens of hiking trails, mountain biking trails and even a ski area. There is more to do and see in this small town than in many mid-size cities.
Having been lucky enough to live in Santa Fe for five years, I came to know and love this unique town with all of its quirks and contradictions. I always felt privileged to live in such a creative, beautiful, and interesting place. I continually explored the area with the eyes of someone seeing everything for the first time.
Having spent most of my life in Florida and California, I did not take any of Santa Fe’s charms for granted — the adobe architecture, the desert landscape, that Wild West nostalgia and Native American culture, and most of all the people. Santa Fe’s population is a unique mix of whites, Hispanics, hippies, artists, writers, Native Americans, Texans, Mexicans, rich and poor. The one thing they all seem to have in common is a desire to live a more authentic life in this Old West town that is happy to be stuck in the past.
DOWNTOWN & THE PLAZA
I have my favorite local haunts, most of which are farther afoot and not in the downtown area. That being said, there are those downtown “must-see” sites, with the downtown itself being the main attraction – a historic, well-preserved Southwest adobe fantasy world. Anyone visiting Santa Fe for the first time could easily spend an entire week just exploring the downtown Plaza area.
Art lovers should not miss The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and historic Canyon Road, which is lined with 100-year-old adobe homes converted into art galleries. These are serious art galleries filled with a lot of incredible high-end art. With over 250 impressive galleries, Santa Fe is often rated one of the top art markets in the United States.
There are also several museums right off the Plaza, including the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts and the New Mexico History Museum. For something more unique, visit Meow Wolf, a highly acclaimed art space known for comtemporary interactive and immersive art experiences.
Also in the downtown Plaza area and not to be missed is the Loretto Chapel, famous for its mysterious staircase. The historic downtown hotels are also worth exploring. Check out the La Fonda on the Plaza, the most interesting and historic hotel downtown. It’s a tourist attraction in itself. I recommend taking a look inside, walking around and even having lunch there. There is also the beautifully refurbished Hotel St. Francis. Take a look inside this gorgeous hotel or treat yourself to a drink at the bar.
The Museum of International Folk Art, a little farther from downtown, contains the largest collection of international folk art in the world. The collection represents cultures from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania, with additional concentrations in Spanish Colonial Art, Contemporary Hispano & Latino Art, and Textiles and Dress.
While you won’t run out of things to do and see downtown near the Plaza, to truly experience Santa Fe, you must pry yourself away from the somewhat touristy downtown area, as picturesque and charming as it is, and explore the surrounding areas. It’s the only way to discover what the locals know and love about Santa Fe and New Mexico. It’s what makes this place so attractive to artists, nature lovers, and everyone else. While downtown Santa Fe is beautiful and truly unique – a foodie’s and art lover’s paradise, it caters more to well-heeled tourists than locals.
JUST OUTSIDE OF SANTA FE
Ten Thousand Waves is a unique Japanese style spa and resort, and extremely popular with locals. I love everything about this place. The location is gorgeous and it’s just ten minutes north of Santa Fe on the way towards the ski area. It’s not only a beautiful Japanese spa, but also a hotel. Treat yourself to a private hot tub, a message, and then tea, surrounded by gorgeous mountain scenery.
Aspen Vista is Santa Fe’s most popular hiking trail, especially in the fall when the Aspen trees are changing colors. Here the landscape looks more like Colorado than New Mexico. The trail is wide, flat, and well maintained. It’s an easy trail anyone can walk (or mountain bike) and the scenery is just as beautiful at the beginning of the trail. You don’t have to hike far (or at all) to experience the beautiful views and all the Aspen trees. In addition to Aspen Vista, there are several other gorgeous hiking trails on the drive up to the ski area.
SCENIC DAY TRIPS
You really need to get outside of town experience the more authentic, rural New Mexico as well as the iconic scenery that inspired Georgia O’Keeffe at her beloved Ghost Ranch — which you won’t find in Santa Fe, as pretty as it is.
Ghost Ranch and the surrounding area is where you’ll find the stunning scenery that O’Keeffe so famously showcased in her paintings. About two hours northwest of Santa Fe, Ghost Ranch is where you’ll see the colorful red and yellow rock formations and dramatic New Mexico landscapes that inspired her. Hiking the trails at Ghost Ranch feels like being in one of her paintings. I recommend spending the day out there or even spending one night at Ghost Ranch or at the Abiquiu Inn, which is on the way. O’Keeffe had two homes, the more famous one at Ghost Ranch and the other one in Abiquiu. While not open to the public, the house in Abiquiu can be toured with a guide by making special reservations in advance at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe.
Abiquiu is hard to describe — there’s no Main Street, a real downtown, or even any commercial buildings. It’s more of a rural community where everything is spread out. For artists, photographers and O’Keeffe fans, it’s worth exploring. The small historic village, where Georgia O’Keeffe’s original home is now a museum, sits on the side of a hill, and worth a quick look. To tour the O’Keeffe home, you must reserve tickets in advance through the Georgia O’Keefe Museum in Santa Fe.
The main village of Abiquiu (the old historic section where O’Keefe’s house is located) has several old chapels, but no shops, cafes or commercial buildings. There is a small, but decent cafe and gift shop at the gas station market nearby just on the other side of the main road. The tiny village has a smattering of very small old houses, but when I visited the folks that lived there seemed a bit weary of tourists so tread lightly.
The Abiquiu Inn is a charming old hotel, right on the main road (you can’t miss it) which also has a nice cafe, opened for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, the Inn has a gift shop and art gallery. Its a lovely location and worth exploring or even spending the night if you want to take your time exploring Abiquiu.
The Chama River, Abiquiu, and the surrounding rural landscape is beautiful and you can understand why many artists make Abiquiu their home instead of Santa Fe.
Just a little bit south of Santa Fe is the old mining town of Madrid, the anti-Sant Fe. No glitz, high-end resorts, spas or or adobe fantasyland here! It’s a funky little artists’ community/biker town. Its one-street downtown is dotted with old homes converted into galleries, shops and small cafes. There really isn’t much to do or see here other than the town itself – a tiny quirky, slightly rundown old west town loaded with character (and characters), set amongst the desert hills. It’s where they filmed the movie Wild Hogs starring John Travolta.
El Santurio de Chimayó is an exquisite old adobe chapel and a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1916, this Catholic church is famous for its legends, the healing powers of dirt from a hole in its floor, and for its annual pilgrimage during Holy Week of around 30,000. In fact this church attracts approximately 300,000 visitors every year. You will find photographs, postcards and paintings of this beautiful old structure in galleries and shops all over Santa Fe. If you visit, stop and have lunch at the Rancho de Chimayó nearby.
Taos is only about an hour or so from Santa Fe and while much smaller, it’s well worth the drive. I imagine that Taos is more like Santa Fe used to be like before it boomed in the 80s and became a top tourist destination. Compared to Santa Fe, Taos is tiny, rustic and laid back — nothing like the expensive resort town that much of Santa Fe has become. By far, the biggest historical and cultural attraction is the Taos Pueblo — which will not disappoint. Visiting this working pueblo is like going back in time. For such a small town, Taos is packed with incredible historic sights, museums and things to do, including New Mexico’s most photographed church: the San Francisco de Asis Church. Also worth exploring are the Mable Dodge Luhan House, the Victor Higgins House, the Rio Grande Gorge, the Harwood Museum and much more.
Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, a favorite of locals, opened in 1868. The spa’s hotel was added in 1917. This beautiful, rustic, and truly unique outdoor spa and mineral baths is north of Santa Fe in a very rural part of New Mexico. Ojo Caliente is famous for its outdoor mineral pools surrounded by desert scenery and beautiful rock formations. The spa even has three buildings listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. If you have the time, I highly recommend visiting this unique spa.
WHERE TO STAY: Where to stay downtown (walking distance to the Plaza): the historic and beautifully remodeled Hotel St. Francis, the La Fonda on the Plaza, Inn & Spa at Loretto, Inn of the Governors, Hotel Santa Fe, La Posada de Santa Fe, and Inn on the Alameda. These gorgeous historic hotels on the Plaza can be quite pricey though, so if you’re on a budget you may want to stay at one of nice chain hotels or other options on Cerrillos Road. Note that hotels on Cerrillos Road are not walking distance to downtown and the Plaza.
WHERE LOCALS EAT, Downtown Plaza Area (my favorite places): a must is The Shed (traditional New Mexican food with lovely decor) the Cowgirl (decent food, great bar and live music), Upper Crust Pizza, Del Charro Saloon, Coyote Cafe & Rooftop Cantina, Tomasita’s Restaurant (traditional New Mexican), Clafoutis (French bakery & cafe, for lunch), and a cheap local favorite is the Frito Pie at Santa Fe’s Five & Dime General Store located on the Plaza.
WHERE LOCALS EAT, Elsewhere in Santa Fe: Jambo Cafe (African cuisine), Backstreet Bistro (amazing soups & sandwiches), The Pantry (for breakfast), Counter Culture Cafe (breakfast or lunch), and El Parasol (best taco stand on Cerrillos Road), Tesuque Village Market in Tesuque (just 10 minutes north of downtown).
WHERE LOCALS GET A DRINK: The Cowgirl, Del Charro, Rio Chama (upscale restaurant with a very nice bar), The Matador (a cool dive bar and local favorite), and Evangelo’s, which is right downtown and where a scene from Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges was filmed.
@ Rebecca Pavlik | TravlGusto, All Rights Reserved