From Native American cultural attractions to its burgeoning dining scene, Santa Fe offers terrific experiences that should be on every traveler’s list. Here are Fodor’s top picks for a memorable trip.
Museums
Learn about local and regional culture at the excellent institutions on Santa Fe’s Museum Hill. The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture presents interactive exhibits in its adobe-style building.
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Dining
A rising national culinary destination, the city has superb restaurants that offer both traditional New Mexican fare and more eclectic global cuisine.
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Railyard District
The popular indoor-outdoor farmers’ market, a fun urban park, and hip restaurants, galleries, and indie shops keep things bustling in this redeveloped area.
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Turquoise Trail
A fabled, seventy-mile-long mountain drive between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, scenic NM 14 weaves past rustic houses, churches, and old mining towns such as Madrid.
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Santa Fe Opera
Simply stunning, the opera’s indoor-outdoor amphitheater is carved into a hillside. A noted summer festival presents five works every June through August.
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Galleries
Gallery hopping is a prime activity in Santa Fe, including First Friday night Art Walks. The city’s nearly 200 galleries tempt with ceramics, paintings, photography, and sculptures for all budgets.
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Santa Fe Plaza
Join the fun in this lively square, the city’s historic heart and gathering spot. Events such as September’s Fiestas de Santa Fe are good times to explore galleries and restaurants—or browse in tourist shops.
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Intimate Inns
Unwind in a southwestern-style abode like the captivating Inn of the Anasazi. Traditional artwork, handcrafted furnishings, and authentic woven rugs capture the city’s unique ambience.
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Georgia O’Keeffe
Connect with the work of this prominent American Modernist artist, who drew inspiration from the area’s landscape, at the exceptional Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. You can also visit her house in Abiquiu.
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Holiday Season
Ancient buildings aglow in lights, Christmas Eve strolls, and elaborate celebrations make the city’s most festive season a truly magical experience.
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Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
Known for bizarre sandstone rock formations that look like stacked tepees, this box canyon is a memorable hiking getaway about forty miles west of Santa Fe.
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Bandelier National Monument
See the cave dwellings and ceremonial kivas of ancestral Puebloans in this 33,000-acre natural wonder with abundant wildlife, waterfalls, cliffs, and mesas.
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Spas
Indulge yourself in a day (or two) of relaxation at a tranquil retreat such as Bishop’s Lodge’s SháNah Spa, set against the striking Sangre de Cristo mountains.
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Native American Culture
Santa Fe celebrates Native culture at historic monuments and museums throughout the city. During the summer, Museum Hill’s Milner Plaza hosts Native American dances and jewelry-making demonstrations
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