Santa Fe, New Mexico Travel Guide
I was hooked on Santa Fe, New Mexico after my first visit to the Land of Enchantment. The mountains and stunning landscape offer so much beauty, the food showcases the local flavor and the culture provides so much to see and do. There’s truly something for everyone in Santa Fe—ideal for a couples’ getaway, girls’ weekend or family vacation.
There’s so much to love about Santa Fe, but these are some of my favorites.
Where We Stay
We’ve stayed with friends at their family home as well as a few different hosted homes via Airbnb and a local rental company, Two Casitas.
We loved Raven Hill so much that we returned for a second stay. The property is hosted by Two Casitas, a local Santa Fe vacation rental company that we’ve had good experience with. This particular property is perfect for larger groups—think extended family or girls’ trip. It’s located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo peaks, across the street from Ten Thousand Waves and less than a ten-minute drive from The Plaza. It’s not a walkable property so if that’s important to you, opt for something in town, but the views (from three decks) and serenity outweigh the convenience of walking for me. Two Casitas will also happily arrange to have local Santa Fe snacks awaiting your arrival at your property, which I highly recommend!
That said, we’ve also stayed in town in the Railyard District and we could easily walk nearly everywhere we wanted to go, including restaurants and the plaza.
You can’t go wrong whether you stay in town or outside of town—it all depends on what kind of environment you want on your vacation.
Where We Eat
Santa Fe Restaurants
The Compound Restaurant maintains countless accolades and awards and focuses on elevated local cuisine. It’s an ideal occasion-worthy restaurant; we went for Thanksgiving one year.
Cowgirl was introduced to us on our first visit by friends who spend a lot of time in Santa Fe, and we go back every time we’re in town. It’s a fun, casual spot just off the plaza. Tasty tacos, margaritas and the like.
Coyote Cafe is the spot for elevated Southwest cuisine. Another occasion-worthy choice, we’ve celebrated a memorable birthday dinner here. Excellent cocktails, food and service.
Coyote Cantina is the more relaxed, casual sister to Coyote Cafe and is located on the rooftop of Coyote Cafe. It’s steps from the plaza and has a fun, lively atmosphere. We were there on a busy Friday evening but they were able to find space for us quickly. The Turquoise Trail house margarita is a must! Lots of green chile dishes for local flair.
Geronimo is another Santa Fe icon boasting countless accolades. Fit for foodies!
Paper Dosa offers ten different types of dosas at last check. If you’re not familiar, a dosa is a thin South Indian crepe filled with vegetables, meats and spices. My Indian in-laws approved, for what it’s worth!
Pasqual’s is a brunch favorite that’s worth the wait. We like to put our name on the list (because there’s always a list) and stroll the nearby shops (especially Doodlet’s conveniently across the street).
Tia Sophia’s is a beloved local favorite. Go for breakfast and opt for Christmas-style (red and green chile).
Tomasita’s is a popular restaurant in the Railyard District, seemingly always busy. Sopapillas are enormous and amazing!
Upper Crust is our go-to for pizza delivery. It’s perfect when you’ve fully exhausted yourself hiking, sightseeing and shopping and want to stay in for the night and eat well. Salads and pizzas are solid.
Tesuque Restaurants
El Nido is one of our favorites for delicious Italian. Most memorable dish—house-made spinach potato gnocchi with cream sauce.
Tesuque Village Market is another good choice for breakfast (I’m sure lunch and dinner are tasty, too, but have only dined for breakfast).
What We Do
Canyon Road | Canyon Road is fun to stroll and check out artwork of all kinds as well as boutiques, jewelry and restaurants. It’s all quite high-end but a fun way to spend time, nonetheless.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi | The picturesque cathedral sits on the far east end of the Plaza and is open to visitors (there’s also a small gift shop in the entrance with Catholic-themed gifts as well as Santa Fe treasures).
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum | I will happily go to the Georgia O’Keeffe museum on repeat. I appreciate museums that aren’t too overwhelmingly big and this one is just right. And it’s a well-curated representation of her life, so much so that while the audio tour is a nice-to-have, it isn’t necessary.
Gruet Tasting Room | If you enjoy sparkling wine, you’ll want to have a flight at Gruet. Opt for outside seating, if possible.
Hiking | There are countless hiking options in Santa Fe, all of varying degrees of difficulty. I suggest utilizing the (free) All Trails app to choose what works best for you. I’m a hobby hiker at best and prefer easy to moderate hikes. Some of the Santa Fe hikes I’ve enjoyed include the North Bell Loop in the Dale Ball Trails network, St. John’s Trail, Two Mile Pond Loop, Arroyo Hondo Open Space Trail and the Dorothy Stewart Trail. All of these trails have been manageable for our daughter to hike with us (since she’s been about seven years old) so I’d consider them family-friendly.
Loretto Chapel | Known for its famed “miraculous staircase,” the chapel is worth a visit and is just down the street from the cathedral.
Meow Wolf | I don’t think I’m hip or cool enough for Meow Wolf, but a lot of people enjoy it! I have no shame in admitting that the experience was lost on me.
Paseo Pottery | Making our own pottery was a highlight of one of our trips to Santa Fe, even if I wasn’t very good at it. Our daughter was eight years old when we went and she was able to sit at the wheel but if memory serves, she was right at the age to be allowed to do so or we may have gotten special permission. In any case, it’s something that an older child could handle but look into the details first if you’re considering it.
Santa Fe Children’s Museum | It’s been over five years since we last visited the Children’s Museum but it made for a happy child on a cold, rainy afternoon. At the time, it wasn’t overwhelmingly large (not sure if that’s still the case) but just right size-wise.
Santa Fe Farmers Market | The farmers market is always a must for me when I’m in Santa Fe. Some of my most treasured jewelry and artwork are finds from the market.
Ten Thousand Waves | Next on my list is staying overnight at Ten Thousand Waves. It is so beautiful and peaceful. We booked one of the hot tub suites (with cold plunge) for a recent girls’ trip and it was such a treat.
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