When it comes to beautiful and exciting vacation destinations to discover, travelers will find Santa Fe to be a city brimming over with endless possibilities for fun. “The City Different” certainly stands out in a crowd thanks to its rich culture, history, architecture, cuisine, and access to outdoor adventure. Close to lush national forests and boasting a downtown filled with fantastic attractions, Santa Fe is a place where travelers with interests and hobbies of all kinds can find a place to embrace them all. Whether you’re looking to enjoy a getaway with the entire family, have a fun trip planned as a couple or you can’t wait to make the most of a solo adventure enjoying the city at your pace, Santa Fe should most definitely be your next vacation destination. The following are 10 reasons why you’ll want to set your travel sights here and take a Santa Fe trip.
1. You’re Going to Love All the Sunshine
If you happen to be a traveler who can’t wait to explore sunny and bright destinations, you’ll be thrilled with the fact that Santa Fe boasts more than 320 days of sunshine annually. That’s a pretty impressive number compared to the national average of 205 days of sunshine each year. For those with a passion for the great outdoors, this means you won’t have to worry about much seasonal weather getting in the way of your plans. The bright skies overhead set an optimistic scene for visitors and provide endless inspiration to get out and explore. Santa Fe hosts a semi-arid climate so you can also pair that fantastic sunshine with low humidity year-round. Between the clean air and sun, there’s a good chance your trip to Santa Fe will leave you feeling refreshed and revitalized on many fronts.
2. There’s Rich Native American Representation to Discover
A vacation to Santa Fe is a must for those who are looking to dig further into Native American culture. Here, you don’t have to go far to find opportunities to learn more about tribes that inhabited the local lands long before settlers arrived. A great place to start is the Native American Artisans Portal Program that’s hosted in the city between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm daily over at the Palace of the Governors on the Plaza. Here, you can purchase art from local vendors that hail from no less than 23 federally recognized tribes and nations. You’ll find textiles, pottery, and handmade jewelry on display utilizing locally sourced materials like coral, turquoise, and silver. In total, more than 1,500 artisans participate in this event which pairs meaningful cultural symbols with opportunities for others to connect with local tribes.
3. You’ll Have Access to Terrific Hiking
While the city-center fun in Santa Fe is always a delight, a vacation here is also a chance to get out and explore mesmerizing hiking trails. When you’re ready to lace up your boots and adventure in good company, Santa Fe hosts more than 300 miles of trails that run through the Rio Grande Valley to the south and west, the Jemez Mountains, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountain to the east. Trails here are easy to reach and beautiful views are practically guaranteed at every turn.
If you’re looking for a relatively easy trail to trek, begin with the Ancestral Sites Trail which spans 1.25 miles. This path enjoys a gentle elevation gain of around 80 feet and the trailhead is just 17 miles southeast of the city center. This trail provides hikers with a short walk through the Pecos National Historic Park and offers up a chance to observe one of the largest Indian pueblos in the Southwest at the end. If you want to expand your journey into history further, this is a great trail to pair with a ranger-guided tour.
For a bit more of a challenge, consider exploring the Picacho Peak Trail which spans 3.9 miles and enjoys an elevation gain of 1,329 feet total. This is a must for photo seekers since the views are the reward for all of your efforts. This trail is a small portion of the 25-mile Dale Ball Trail network and takes you up Santa Fe’s hills for amazing bird’s eye views.
If you’re looking to put your skills to the test, the Nambe Lake Trail is made just for you. This 6.8-mile route enjoys an elevation gain of 2,093 feet through the alpine terrain of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The route ends at the lake and along the way, you can view animals like pikas and marmots.
4. There Are Amazing Neighborhoods to Discover
You’re more than welcome to bring your car to Santa Fe, but visitors are often delighted to find that this scenic city is wonderfully walkable and there are plenty of neighborhoods to explore on foot. Every neighborhood has its own distinct personality and collection of attractions to check out giving guests time to discover the areas that they connect with best. Over in the Railyard District, you can enjoy a stroll that will take you by craft breweries, many museums, lofts, art galleries and a 10-acre park to enjoy when you need a rest.
If you’re looking for an area that’s packed with even more exciting shops, colorful art galleries, and restaurants to drop by, you’re going to want to focus some of your Santa Fe getaway on walking through the Canyon Road neighborhood. The Historic District is home to the charming Plaza as well as some of the city’s most iconic museums. The Guadalupe District is a testament to contemporary design and an area where you can access great local performing arts. Where the Southside neighborhood leans towards a more quiet and residential feel, places like Midtown are buzzing with vibrant energy and is a great place to find technology and art hubs as well.
5. You’ll Adore the Array of Museums and Galleries
When it comes to the art market, no place on the map does it better than Santa Fe. Anyone with a longing to embrace their creative side will find this city endlessly inspiring. Here, you can enjoy time adding more than 250 galleries to your must-visit list as well as over 20 museums and art markets that pop up across the city year-round as well. Many of the art markets are culturally focused and range from Native American and Spanish markets to International Folk Art events.
If you have a passion for museums, there’s no shortage of options to enjoy in Santa Fe. Places like the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum on Johnson Street typically top traveler lists while the Museum of International Folk Art on Camino Lejo is a must-visit as well. The Art Vault on South Guadalupe Street offers up innovative takes on art installations while the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts on Cathedral Place pairs the past and present seamlessly. The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art can be enjoyed Camino Lejo while a trip through the New Mexico Military Museum on Old Pecos Trail is an eye-opening experience.
6. It’s a Place Filled with Gorgeous Architecture
For travelers who can’t wait to set their sights on incredible and historic structures, the architecture found throughout Santa Fe is sure to please. Throughout the city, visitors will find themselves fully immersed in the Pueblo-Spanish architectural style that is linked back to designs the Pueblo Indians first implemented. This is done on purpose as part of an aesthetic commitment the city made back in 1912 when New Mexico became a state. A style preservation plan was put in place to not only honor the area’s cultural heritage but create surroundings that spoke to local aesthetics on a meaningful level too.
7. Santa Fe Is a City Filled with Flavor
When cravings come calling, Santa Fe is the place to be for fantastic and bold flavors. Here, Mexican and Southwest fare find routes to being relished seamlessly, but there are plenty of eateries inspired by far-flung destinations as well. From top-rated eateries to laid-back tasty retreats, visitors can find everything they want in the way of delicious moments. If you find yourself looking for a fine dining establishment where you can enjoy a cozy and robust meal on a Santa Fe trip, Geronimo has you covered. Here, the menu features pan-seared foie gras and elk tenderloin in a space adorned with studded leather chairs, exposed overhead beams, and antler chandeliers.
When you’re more in the mood for traditional New Mexico favorites, make time for a meal at The Shed. Situated downtown, this colorful stop is known for its mouthwatering enchiladas and house made margaritas too. Tia Sophia’s is a one-stop resource for authentic Mexican fare in town. When you’re craving stuffed sopapillas, chile rellenos, or burritos, you’ll find them all here topped in sizzling red and green chile sauce. For those who are thirsty for some bold flavor, following Santa Fe’s Margarita Trail might just be the highlight of your adventure. Along the way, you’ll enjoy tastes of more than 40 margaritas that are voted the best in the city.
8. You’ll Find Yourself in a Historic City Filled with Stories
As soon as you arrive in Santa Fe, you can enjoy knowing that you’ve stepped foot in the oldest capital city in all of North America. Here, history and culture combine to create a vibrant living testament to heritage, stories, and time. Hispanic, Mexican, Native American, and Anglo cultures collide in Santa Fe creating a melting pot of Southwest culture that’s truly one-of-a-kind. Many of these stories are told through local festivals and events celebrating the city’s dynamic past. Events like the Santa Fe Fiest, the Christmas Eve Canyon Road Farolito Walk, the Burning of Zozobra, and the Pueblo Feast Days are experiences that connect locals and visitors with the past while providing plenty of reasons to return to Santa Fe time and again.
9. It’s a Place with a Passion for Filmmaking
You might be drawn to Santa Fe in the name of culture, flavor, and outdoor fun, but if you have a love for cinema, you’ll end up staying for the filmmaking. Many visitors are pleasantly surprised to find that Santa Fe has deep roots in the film industry and has played host to no less than five Western sets and has a Netflix hub nearby. The film office hands out maps that pinpoint major film sites in town to check out on your own. If you happen to be here in February, you’ll be on time to enjoy the Santa Fe Film Festival while the Santa Fe International Film Festival comes to town in mid-October each year.
10. It’s a Really Convenient Place to Get To
Flying into Santa Fe is a breeze for travelers thanks to the conveniently located Santa Fe Regional Airport. This airport sits just minutes from downtown which means you won’t waste any time getting started on the fun as soon as you land. There are several flights a day into Santa Fe from Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth as well as Denver.
Book Your Santa Fe Experience Today
No matter when you decide to come and enjoy Santa Fe, booking your accommodations through All Seasons Resort Lodging means you’ll enjoy the luxury, comfort, and style standards you deserve as well as easy access to the best area entertainment. Our property options are suitable for traveling groups of all sizes and whether you go with a townhome or a suite, you can count on enjoying a stay that’s the epitome of luxury at every turn. We have rental options with amazing extras in place to elevate your experience such as pools and hot tubs as well as access to spas, cardio rooms, steam rooms, health clubs, and more.
