Santa Fe, New Mexico sits at 7,000 feet in the desert mountains of the southwest. With four distinct seasons and 300 days of sunshine per year, it’s always a good time to visit Santa Fe! With pleasantly warm summer days and cooler nights this area of New Mexico provides the perfect getaway to escape the summer heat. Known as “the city different” there is something for everyone in Santa Fe. Founded between 1607 and 1610 Santa Fe is rich in culture, art, and history. For the nature lovers, Santa Fe provides amazing hiking and other outdoor excursions. Don’t forget the food and drinks! Santa Fe specializes in margaritas and southwestern cuisine, so come hungry!
Things to Do
Explore Canyon Road
In the heart of Santa Fe, Canyon Road is a tree-lined street where more than 100 art galleries are found inside beautiful pueblo style adobe houses. The walk is an easy one mile in length, perfect for an afternoon stroll. There are many interesting shops to browse through. Some have really pretty outdoor garden areas you can walk through and explore along the way. The kids loved these unique stone rockers and metal spinners!
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
The cathedral, built between 1869 and 1886, is located in downtown Santa Fe. It is one of the most recognized and historic buildings in Santa Fe. The wooden statue that stands nearby is known as Our Lady of Peace, and was brought to Santa Fe in 1625. While exploring the downtown area this is a nice place to walk if you are waiting for a table at dinner or are just looking for a nice place to stroll around. They do have church services that are open to the public on Sundays as well.
Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos Pueblo near Santa Fe is historically known as “Cicuye”, the “village of 500 warriors.” This pueblo was one of many rock and mud villages that were built in a valley here in AD 1100. The Pecos village eventually housed more than 2,000 people 350 years after it was originally built. This Native American community was eventually abandoned in historic times. As you can see, this park is rich in history and there is a nice 1.25 mile loop which takes you around the pueblo and some of the kiva ruins. It was really quite impressive to walk through the pueblo and think about the people who once lived there, and how how life must have been in this region so long ago.
Bandelier National Monument
Located 40 miles from Santa Fe in Los Alamos, Bandelier is a great day trip to take. In this New Mexico canyon, petroglyph engravings and cliff dwellings are waiting to be explored. The human history here at Bandelier dates back 11,000 years, and in 1150 AD pueblo people settled here. The structures they built can still be seen today. The hiking here is very scenic and peaceful. The trail we hiked up to the dwellings allowed you to wander through the lush canyon. It was truly amazing inspecting the cliff dwellings and pictograph images up close. You are usually able to climb up the ladders into one of the biggest dwellings but unfortunately this was closed at the time due to Covid. We definitely plan on making a trip back to explore the park further!
Santa Fe Rafting
If you are feeling extra adventurous, we would highly recommend booking a rafting trip through Santa Fe Rafting Co. We did the half-day Rio Grande Racecourse trip and rafted through class I-III rapids. It was an awesome experience to say the least. Our guide Sparky was fantastic, encouraging the kids and telling us which way to paddle, etc. The Rio Grande is absolutely beautiful. My favorite part of the trip was towards the end when Jon and I jumped out of the raft and floated for about 30 minutes on our back, letting the river carry us down stream. So peaceful! Sparky stayed with the kids in the raft and paddled them down while we enjoyed the cool, gentle current. Definitely a highlight of the trip!
The Offical | Santa Fe Rafting Co. | New Mexico Rafting Outfitter
Chimayo
Located 40 miles from Santa Fe the village of Chimayo is an easy day trip. At Santuario de Chimayo there are two chapels that can be visited. The Christ of Esquipulas Chapel (the bottom picture) and the Holy Child of Atocha Chapel (top picture). A shrine containing dirt that is believed to contain healing powers can be found here. This small church complex is visited by over 300,000 people each year. The chapels are beautiful and it was very interesting to see such well preserved adobe structures. Also, the grounds surrounding the sanctuary are nice to walk around for a bit.
Loretto Chapel
The Loretto Chapel, completed in 1878, is located in downtown Santa Fe. Modeled after the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, its gothic style architecture stands out against the typical adobe buildings in Santa Fe. During construction of the chapel it was discovered that due to its small size a typical staircase could not be built from the bottom floor up to the choir loft. So, a carpenter built a circular staircase with simple tools and wooden pegs. The chapel is known for its “miraculous staircase.” The staircase has no center pole for structural support and two 360 degree turns, with all the weight resting on the bottom stair. This was an an interesting little adventure while walking in the center of Santa Fe. The chapel is small but beautiful and it was impressive to see the detail of the staircase. Of course the kids wanted to walk up the staircase to test it out, but being an antique the stairs are for admiring only.
Where to Eat
The Shed
For amazing, authentic New Mexican food you must go to the shed! Outdoor and indoor dining is available. However, plan ahead because there is usually a wait. We put our name on the list and used the wait time to walk around Santa Fe Plaza. There are many shops you can explore while you build your appetite for chips and margaritas!
Plaza Cafe
Santa Fe’s oldest restaurant is located right in the plaza. This is another great option for New Mexican cuisine and they are open for breakfast too! We ate here several times during our trip and were never disappointed. The outside patio area is right on the street making it fun to people watch while enjoying your meal!
Rancho de Chimayo
We could not get enough of the New Mexican eats while in Santa Fe! Rancho de Chimayo is our recommended lunch stop when visiting Chimayo. This restaurant is in a restored ancestral home and the dishes have been perfected over generations. The atmosphere is also wonderful, with a large open patio area which is especially nice on a warm, sunny day.
Pig & Fig Bakery
Located in White Rock, New Mexico, Pig & Fig is our recommended lunch stop while visiting Bandelier National Monument. With tasty sandwiches and killer dessert this is a great post hike stop! We went all out and enjoyed a massive slice of their chocolate cake!
Where to Stay
La Posada de Santa Fe
You definitely feel the southwestern vibes walking the beautifully landscaped grounds surrounding this adobe-styled resort. Upon arrival to La Posada your vacation begins immediately as you are handed a fresh margarita at the front desk. Such a nice touch! The location is also great, with the resort being conveniently located within an easy walking distance to the Santa Fe plaza.
Savings Strategy
How to Stay at La Posada de Santa Fe for FREE
La Posada de Santa Fe is a Marriott property and participates in Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs. Essentially you can use travel points to pay for your stay. One of the best credit cards to have in order to accumulate travel points is Chase Sapphire Reserve. The current sign up bonus for this card is 60,000 travel points. You are awarded these points as long as the minimal spending amount of $4000 in the first three months is reached. After accumulating your points, you can book your stay at La Posada through the Chase Portal online. At the time of our trip the cost per night to stay at La Posada was 13,000 points per night. Happy travels!
