Santa Fe is a fantastic place for a weekend getaway in New Mexico. The small town feel and relaxed pace makes it a great place to unwind. Read on for all the things to see and do in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe Farmers Market:
On Saturday morning we drove down to the famous Santa Fe farmers market. I really liked it because it wasn’t too small or too large. There was plenty to see and sample without being overwhelmed by the choices. This is a great place to pick up fresh roasted hatch green chile since almost every other stall was selling some. Close by was also the Artisans market, which is a nice place to pick up any local arts and crafts.
La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site:
Just on the outskirts of the city limits was the La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site. There is a small car park and a short trail marked by white arrows that lead you to the Petroglyphs. While the trail was short and quick, we were also fairly underwhelmed by the petrogylphs. There weren’t nearly as many as we were expecting.
Saint Francis Cathedral:
On Sunday, we decided to explore the downtown/old city area. Everything was quite close by and easy to get around by walking. There are quite a few walking tours of the area, as well as tram tours but we just wandered around. The first place we came across was the Saint Francis Cathedral. The cathedral is built on the site of an older church that was destroyed during the Pueblo revolt.
History Musuem/Palace of the Governors:
Our next stop was the New Mexico history museum and the Palace of the Governors. The two are connected, and we entered through the museum before exploring the palace. We spent a good few hours in here, learning about the Pueblo Indians, the Spanish settlers and the various important events in the history of New Mexico. The Palace of the Governors is the oldest continuously occupied public building in the USA, and now houses quite a few artefacts and is an extension of the museum.
Tip:The plaza just opposite the Palace of the Governors is a great place to pick up a few souvenirs if you’re interested in a spot of shopping.
Canyon Road:
If you’re an art enthusiast, you will love Canyon road. If you are not, it is still worth a stroll. Canyon road is lined with various art galleries and a few cafes if you want to stop for a quick bite. (Mmmm green chile stew…). While we didn’t really go into the galleries, we did enjoy the various sculptures on display.
Loretto Chapel and the Famous Staircase:
The Loretto chapel is tiny but houses a very famous staircase. The wooden spiral staircase has 33 steps, completes two full turns and is built with no visible means of support. You can read more about the story of the staircase here.
San Miguel Chapel
This is the oldest church in the United States, originally built around 1610. It was restored/rebuilt in 1887 and functions as a church to date. The chapel, like many of the historical sites in the area, is built using adobe(mud bricks).
Santa Fe also has some amazing places to eat, especially if you like Mexican food. Hatch green chile is everywhere here, so make sure you try some! A word of warning: since it is a small town, shops and restaurants close early (around 9pm), so plan accordingly.
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