Santa fe

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Overview

Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico, located about an hour northeast of the much larger Albuquerque, in northern central New Mexico. If you’re just looking to see the main sights, it can be walked around in about a day.

The city has become an artist haven with galleries seemingly on every block, with inspiration drawn from the American Southwest, local indigenous cultures, and the natural beauty of the state, which is nicknamed “The Land of Enchantment”. Adobe construction is everywhere, and Southwestern and Najavo motifs abound.

Downtown is centered around Santa Fe Plaza, a 400-year-old National Historic Landmark. The half-mile-wide, charming, discombobulated small mess of streets is replete with fancy restaurants and art galleries. The famous Canyon Road, stretching about a mile to the southeast of the city center is packed with more art galleries, punctuated by fancy restaurants. The newly revitalized Santa Fe Railyard Arts District just a half-mile southwest of downtown has more art galleries and more restaurants, and yes - a few of them are fancy, too. Santa Fe is an upscale little town.

And yet, there’s lots of fun little haunts to be discovered, there’s skiing accessible less than an hour away at Ski Santa Fe, and the local cultural elements are great to explore. Slow down - think tea, not coffee (there is a LOT of tea on offer in this town).

Day-Ish Long Itineraries

+ Local Exploration

Santa Fe Plaza

Start at the historic plaza, which is a National Historic Landmark and dates to 1610 A.D., when it was originally a fort constructed by the Spanish. The Palace of the Governors on the north side dates from the same time (but is currently closed for renovations). In the early 1820s the plaza became the western terminus of the Santa Fe Trail, which connected to Missouri.

  • Breakfast:

    • The no-frills diner Tia Sophia's claims to be the first place to ever put 'breakfast burrito' on a menu. In New Mexico, they're done up as part of a big dish and smothered in chile and cheese.
    • Alternatively, if you want a more upscale, artsy vibe, check out Cafe Pasqual's, also serving up authentic New Mexican fare.
    • Just need coffee or tea and a place to work? Check out Remix Audio Bar, a tiny vinyl-themed spot above an ice cream shop that also rents out time on the in-house DJ equipment.

  • Museums:

    • If you like history, check out the New Mexico History Museum.
    • If you like the history of art, check out the New Mexico Museum of Art.
    • And if you like historic artists, check out Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.

Santa Fe Railyard District

This area around the train station is emerging as another hub for Santa Fe local expression, featuring craft markets and yes, more art galleries. Plan this around weekends.

  • Shopping:
    • Santa Fe Farmer's Market (Saturdays 8AM-1PM) for local spices and dried ingredients, along with pastries and coffee.
    • El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe (Oct-May, Saturdays and Sundays 9AM-3PM) has a huge, eclectic range of items for sale, including Native American jewelry and art, vintage and antique American and Western collectibles, books, textiles, and clothing. A whole lot of local stuff. Get yourself a cool souvenir.
    • Railyard Artisan Market (Sundays, 10AM-4PM) showcases the arts and crafts of local vendors. All works are original.
    • Kowboyz has an expansive collection of authentic cowboy boots, hats, and other accessories.
  • Brunch:
    • Walk a couple blocks north to Iconik Coffee Roaster Lupe. This local chain has lots of space to hang out, a limited slate of excellent yet inexpensive breakfast and lunch dishes, coffee, and steep-your-own-tea options.
    • Or, walk a couple blocks east to Sage Bakehouse, a quick-serve bakery offering artisan baked goods as well as sandwiches.

Canyon Road

A mile to the southeast stretches the famous Canyon Road. On the way, stop in at San Miguel Chapel, the oldest church structure in the United States, and the Oldest House Museum, both built around the early 1600s. Thirsty? Need a dessert? Check out Kakawa Chocolate House for Central American hot chocolate.

Along the road itself lies gallery after gallery after gallery. Stroll through a few that catch your interest. At the eastern end, grab lunch at the Teahouse, offering up six pages of tea varieties and a great soup and sandwich combo. Make sure to check out Ed Larson's folk art studio next door.

+ Get out of Town

Want to get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Santa Fe?

Museum Hill

  • About two miles to the southeast of downtown lies a cluster of museums (Museum of Indian Arts & Culture; Museum of International Folk Art; Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian; Museum of Spanish Colonial Art; Santa Fe Botanical Garden).
  • They all have separate admission, or if art museums are your thing, check out the New Mexico CulturePass (also works at the museums around the Santa Fe Plaza).

Ski Santa Fe

  • Just 45 minutes northeast is Ski Santa Fe, a medium-sized ski resort with a mix of difficulty levels.
  • There's even public transportation from downtown right to the base! Check out Bus 255 for schedule info. The bus is $5 each way, but includes a $5 voucher for food at the lodge or for rentals.
  • You will need to sort out rentals in town, or at the resort. Another rental option is Cottam's, located about halfway up the mountain, but the bus does not make a stop there.
  • Ten Thousand Waves is a Japanese-style spa/hotel/dining complex about one-third of the way up the mountain. Check out the hot tub after skiing. The on-site restaurant is also surprisingly affordable.

LOgistics

Airport Stuff: Flying directly into Santa Fe Regional Airport (SAF) is sometimes possible, but more likely is to fly into Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ, and yes, they changed the name from Airport to Sunport in 1994). Santa Fe is about an hour northeast of ABQ by car. Alternatively, the Rail Runner train runs frequently between the two cities and takes about 90 minutes. Get on at either Bernalillo County Station (some trains) or Downtown ABQ Station (all trains).

Getting Around: If you’re sticking to the triangle of Santa Fe Plaza, Santa Fe Railyards District, and Canyon Road, you can manage on foot - they’re at most about a mile apart. Museum Hill can be visited by rideshare, and Ski Santa Fe can be managed by public transportation.

Where to Stay: Downtown is a good home base, but anywhere within walking distance to the triangle would work.