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Spanish settlers established Santa Fe in the early 1600s, making it one of the country's oldest cities, and its high perch beneath the Sangre de Cristo range makes it the loftiest of all state capitals. Strict design rules keep its center in adobe and Pueblo Revival style, and Native American, Hispanic and Anglo traditions blend in its art, cooking and architecture.
Life revolves around the Santa Fe Plaza, where Native artisans sell jewelry beneath the portal of the Palace of the Governors. A short walk away, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi rises in Romanesque stone, Loretto Chapel shelters its famous spiral staircase, and San Miguel Chapel is often called the oldest church in the country. The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum honors the painter who made northern New Mexico her subject, while Canyon Road is lined with galleries in old adobe homes. Museum Hill groups institutions devoted to folk and Native art. The Railyard district hosts a farmers market, and Meow Wolf's immersive installation draws a younger crowd. Beyond town, Bandelier National Monument preserves cliff dwellings, and the High Road to Taos winds through old Hispanic villages.
Santa Fe suits art lovers, history buffs and anyone eager to debate red versus green chile. Summer is lively with markets and opera, and winter brings snow and nearby skiing. The altitude can tire newcomers.
WiserMap travel guideSanta Fe New Mexico Canyon Road Galleries and Green ChileA Santa Fe guide: the Plaza, historic churches, Canyon Road galleries, Museum Hill, the Railyard, Bandelier, green chile and when to visit at high altitude.Read the guide
The heart of the city since the early 1600s, the Plaza is surrounded by adobe buildings, shops and cafes. On its north side, the Palace of the Governors is one of the oldest public buildings in the United States, and Native American artisans sell jewelry under its portal each day.
A Romanesque Revival cathedral built from 1869 by Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy, standing at the end of San Francisco Street. Inside are stained glass windows from France and a chapel holding La Conquistadora, a statue of Mary brought in 1625. Visitors are welcome outside Mass times.
A small Gothic Revival chapel completed in 1878, famous for its Miraculous Staircase, a spiral stair with two full turns and no central support. Legend says a mysterious carpenter built it. The chapel is now a private museum with a small entry fee, and visits take about 20 minutes.
Often called the oldest church structure in the United States, this adobe chapel was built around 1610 and rebuilt after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. Inside are an old altar screen and a bell said to be very old. It sits in the Barrio de Analco a short walk from the Plaza, with a small fee.
A museum devoted to the life and work of Georgia O'Keeffe, who painted the landscapes of northern New Mexico. It shows rotating selections of her paintings, drawings and personal items. Book timed tickets online, and the museum also offers tours of her home and studio in Abiquiu.
A hilltop campus southeast of downtown with four museums: Folk Art, Indian Arts and Culture, Spanish Colonial Art, and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. The Museum of International Folk Art has a vast collection of toys and crafts. A city bus runs up from downtown.
A living history museum on an old ranch south of Santa Fe along the Camino Real, with restored buildings, a water mill, chapel and farm animals. Volunteers in period dress demonstrate weaving, baking and blacksmithing. It opens from spring to autumn, with festivals on some weekends.
A narrow lane climbing east from downtown with more than 100 galleries, studios and shops in old adobe houses, showing everything from Native art to contemporary sculpture. It is very pleasant to walk. On Christmas Eve, the street is lit with farolitos and bonfires and fills with walkers.
The Railyard district has a farmers market, contemporary galleries, SITE Santa Fe and the Rail Runner train to Albuquerque. A short drive away, Meow Wolf's House of Eternal Return is an immersive art exhibit where you explore a strange house full of secret passages. Book tickets ahead.
A summer opera company performing in a striking open-sided theater on a hilltop north of the city, with sunsets over the Jemez Mountains behind the stage. The season runs from about late June to August. Many guests tailgate in the parking lot before shows, and backstage tours are offered.
A canyon about an hour from Santa Fe with cliff dwellings carved into soft volcanic tuff by Ancestral Pueblo people. The Main Loop Trail passes ruins, and ladders climb to Alcove House. In summer a shuttle from White Rock is required during daytime hours, so check before you go.
A scenic route through the mountains between Santa Fe and Taos, passing old Spanish villages such as Chimayo, with its famous Santuario, Cordova, known for woodcarving, and Truchas. Allow most of a day to stop at churches and galleries, and return by the faster river road through the gorge.
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