Santa Fe Things to Do, Santa Fe Vacation

Santa Fe, N.M., is the oldest capital city in the United States and thought by many to be the most charming. It was founded in 1607 by Spanish conquistadors, later became headquarters for rulers of the northernmost colony of Mexico when that nation won its independence from Spain in 1821, and came under U.S. control in 1846.

Today it retains its Spanish and Mexican appearance, with winding paved and unpaved red dirt roads lined with sand or pink colored homes, shops and offices behind rounded adobe walls. The look of Santa Fe is by design—local authorities in the early 20th century declared that all buildings, even new ones, must conform to the historic “pueblo” or “territorial” styles.

Santa Fe is also an art hot spot in the Southwest, with more than a half-dozen world-class museums, a cathedral made famous by an American literary novel, thriving contemporary art and crafts galleries, and two major summer music festivals. It proudly celebrates its three distinct cultures: Spanish, Indian and “Anglo,” the common term for latecomers from mainstream white America.

On top of all this, Santa Fe, which is an hour north of the state’s biggest city and primary airport, Albuquerque, is an outdoor activities center of breathtaking natural beauty. Stunningly situated in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at an altitude of 7,000 feet, it features multihued sunsets each evening and lures visitors to its ski area in the winter and its hiking trails in the summer   

 

• Find Santa Fe souvenirs at the Palace of the Governors.

Dan Monaghan/New Mexico Tourism Department

Historic Attractions

The downtown Santa Fe Plaza is like no other. It represents the end of the Camino Real, the route used to link Spanish colonies, as well as the end of the Santa Fe Trail, which was the main avenue of commerce between the states east of the Missouri River and the Southwest in the 19th century.

In the center of the plaza is a Soldiers’ Monument, dedicated in 1867 to those who died in wars with Native American tribes during the contentious years before statehood in 1912.

On the north side of the plaza stands the Palace of the Governors, the oldest public building in the United States and site of its first government. The Palace was already 200 years old when the White House was being built. Along its portal, or porch, Native American artisans continue a tradition of selling handmade jewelry and other wares. The Palace contains historical archives and exhibitions. It is the centerpiece of a history “campus,” which includes the New Mexico History Museum officially opened in May 2009.

 

• The Saint Francis Cathedral was built in the late 19th century.

puroticorico

Steps from the plaza, past the La Fonda Hotel, is the soaring St. Francis Cathedral, built in the late 19th century not in homage to the hacienda or territorial architecture, but in Romanesque revival style. A statue in front portrays the French archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy, who had grand designs for reforming what he viewed as a straying Catholic flock that leaned toward heretical local worship. He is the model for the lead character in Willa Cather’s Death Comes for the Archbishop, one of the most famous historical novels in American literature. Copies are sold in a museum shop just inside the entrance.

On a nearby street called Old Santa Fe trail is the Loretto Chapel, another Gothic structure built under Lamy’s direction. Inside is its “miracle” spiral staircase, a wooden flight of steps that makes two turns without a center beam. It was long ago desanctified, but still functions as a favorite place for weddings and as a magnet for tourists.

Shopping and Art Galleries

Canyon Road, which begins at the ring road called Paseo de Peralta, is Santa Fe’s best-known gallery haven, a half-mile packed with art galleries and restaurants. At Christmastime, visitors who stroll the street listen to carolers and warm their hands on many a corner over fires built in barrels.

The Railyard District, a short walk from the plaza, is a shopping, dining, gallery and transportation center reclaimed from freight and industrial yards. In season, Santa Fe hosts a large indoor and outdoor farmers market on Saturdays, featuring chile, organic produce and other items from New Mexico growers. The old train station, which was used by passengers from east and west who arrived in Santa Fe along a rail spur from the town of Lamy, 18 miles southeast of town, now is the boarding point for two different train lines.

 

• A gallery on Canyon Road.

Chris Corrie

Besides its vast number of art galleries on Canyon Road and elsewhere, Santa Fe shopping options include amazing clothing boutiques, cowboy boot shops, Nambe shops with gorgeous tableware and decorative items in both glass and an unusual metal compound, Collected Works (a great bookstore filled with titles linked to the Southwest and the wider world), and Jackalope—a filled-to-the-brim home objects and rug shop with a New Mexico flavor. The best advice: just stroll side streets near the plaza, on Guadalupe Street near the Railyard district, and you will find treasures. 

Walking tours of the downtown and other areas, conducted by such companies as Historic Walks of Santa Fe, are especially helpful in appreciating the city’s architecture and history.

Next: Museums, Performing Arts, Hiking and Skiing, New Rail Transport