The Top 5 Reasons to Visit Santa Fe, New Mexico Now
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Find yourself in a city that never lost its way—Santa Fe, New Mexico is a city unlike any other. With a legendary history spanning 400 plus years, you’ll encounter countless experiences and culture around every corner, an art scene that spans from traditional to contemporary, and award-winning cuisine that’s as eclectic as it is sumptuous.
Source: TOURISM Santa Fe
The early Native American inhabitants called it “Dancing Ground of The Sun,” while the founding frontiersman at the turn of the 20th century referred to it as “The City Different.” Those nicknames still hold true today, as you’ll see for yourself. These are the top five reasons why Santa Fe, New Mexico should be on your bucket list.
1. THE CUISINE + COCKTAILS
Over the course of 200 years, the Palace Prime Santa Fe location has been home to one form of entertainment or another. Beginning in 1835, an opulently decorated casino and hotel spanned Burro Alley, between Palace Avenue and San Francisco Street. Tradesmen, miners and travelers on the Old Santa Fe Trail frequented the luxurious establishment, gambling away their hard-earned gold, and enjoying the company of La Tules’ courtesans. Now a chic Santa Fe steakhouse and contemporary speakeasy, we recommend trying The Queen’s Cup—concocted with Pimm’s, cucumber-infused gin, amaro, ginger-raspberry cordial, citrus, and absinthe mist for your artisanal cocktail fix.
Source: Palace Prime Santa Fe
An institution in Santa Fe for decades, Palace Prime Santa Fe is a modern approach to a classic steak house distinguished by an emphasis on the freshest seafood available, deliciously created nightly. Signature dishes and favorites include LaFrieda Premium Filet Mignon & Grilled Maine Lobster with boursin pommes purée, heirloom baby carrots, bourbon glaze and fine herbs, Mushroom Ricotta Ravioli with parmesan fonduta and black garlic, as well as Oysters on the Half Shell with mezcal mignonette.
Take the time to indulge your sweet tooth at Palace Prime Santa Fe and enjoy one of many decadent desserts such as Jamaican Spice Cake with pineapple jam, brûléed banana and cream cheese frosting, as well as Chocolate Pots de Creme with chantilly and cacao nib tuile.
2. THE ART
Santa Fe, New Mexico offers a visual feast for art lovers of all sorts, whether you're a serious collector or a fan who finds joy in just viewing the work. With more than 250 galleries to explore, you'll be astonished by the city's array of art, including traditional and contemporary painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, textiles, and more. Located just west of the Plaza, the New Mexico Museum of Art displays an extensive collection of Southwestern artists, including major pieces by Georgia O'Keeffe.
Source: TOURISM Santa Fe
Get a chance to meet some of the artists at Santa Fe's famous Friday evening gallery openings, which take place year-round but with more frequency during the summer months. Located in downtown Santa Fe, the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts is dedicated solely to advancing the discourse, knowledge and understanding of contemporary Native arts.
As you walk the city discovering one gallery after another along the legendary Canyon Road, around the Plaza and downtown, and in the developing historic Railyard District, you'll agree: art lies at the heart of Santa Fe.
3. THE SHOPPING
Discover one-of-a-kind, handcrafted treasures on your shopping odyssey into exquisite locally owned and independent boutiques and charming stores. Wherever you go, you will find a shopper’s paradise of Southwest specialties and wonders from around the world. Santa Fe’s art community spans generations with some of the best and most prestigious art markets in the world—the International Folk Art Market, held the second weekend in July, the vibrant Traditional Spanish Market, held the last weekend in July, to the celebration of Native arts and culture at the Santa Fe Indian Market, held the third weekend in August.
Shopping in Santa Fe takes you on an odyssey, into charming historic buildings filled with treasures handmade and hard to find anywhere else. Favorite shopping hotspots include Historic Plaza, Native American Artisans Portal, East Palace Avenue, Sena Plaza, East Marcy Street, Canyon Road, Railyard, Baca, Guadalupe Districts, and DeVargas Center.
4. THE GARDENS
The Santa Fe Botanical Garden celebrates the relationships among Santa Fe's unique cultures and landscapes. Located at Museum Hill, southeast of historic downtown, the gardens are nestled in a piñon-juniper woodland landscape. The garden features three main sections: The Orchard Gardens, Ojos y Manos: Eyes and Hands and Piñon-Juniper Woodland. A focal at the gardens is the beloved circa 1913 “red bridge,” also known as Kearny’s Gap Bridge.
The orchard is nestled into the hillside, surrounded by a rugged retaining wall on three sides and feature horticultural and architectural elements. Plants were selected for their beauty and ability to thrive in the Santa Fe landscape. The Xeric Garden is a dry garden that relies on rainwater and features a sophisticated plant palette with dramatic textures, forms, and colors echoing the Santa Fe landscape.
5. THE ARCHITECTURE
Santa Fe, New Mexico is the oldest and highest-elevation state capital in the United States and its second-oldest city, founded in 1610 by a Spanish conquistador. No other city in the country has so many low-slung, earth-colored buildings made of adobe bricks, which consist of a mixture of sun-dried earth and straw. Santa Fe's unique architecture is one of the reasons for the immense popularity of this capital city, which is surrounded by majestic mountains with gentle slopes that resemble the soft curves of adobe walls.
One of Santa Fe's most celebrated landmarks is the circa 1869 Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. Here, you can explore ancient Native American ruins filled with petroglyphs or a living history museum devoted to Spanish Colonial life. Visit centuries-old adobe and European-style churches or simply enjoy the uniquely historic architecture of downtown Santa Fe on your own walking tour. With such a layered history, Santa Fe draws visitors back over and over again to uncover its fascinating past and experience its unforgettable presence.
WHERE TO STAY IN SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
The scent of piñon woodsmoke fills the air as you step onto your private patio to watch the sun set. In Santa Fe, it’s hard not to feel a little spoiled by the rugged beauty that surrounds the intimate Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado—a high-desert refuge in America’s land of enchantment.
