What Makes Santa Fe Special
Santa Fe is known as the City Different. At 7,000’ elevation and located at the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains (locally known as the Sangre de Cristo Mountains), Santa Fe has a population of only 84,000. In our small city with pristine air quality that enjoys 320 sunny days each year on average, we punch well above our weight. With approximately 400 restaurants and nearly 300 art galleries, we are viewed by the world as one of the most special places to be.
Recent Accolades
#1 Destination of the Year – Travel & Leisure Reader’s Choice
#2 Best Cities in the US – Travel & Leisure
#5 World’s Best Cities for Arts & Culture – Conde Nast Traveler
One of America’s Most Artistic Towns – Expedia
Three of the Top Ten Hotel Spas in the US – USA Today
One of the 20 Best Mountain Biking Towns – NatGeo
How to Spend 48 Hours in Santa Fe
There are so many other reasons to love Santa Fe. Common favorites include little traffic, easy access to many different outdoor activities and the enriching mix of Anglo, Indian and Hispanic cultures. Not to mention the amazing Santa Fe Opera where the open air experience is unlike any other theater in the world. Come to Santa Fe, the USA’s oldest capital city and you’ll immediately know why all the buzz.
Santa Fe is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. Nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at 7,000 feet, it is the highest capital in the U.S. The skies are incredibly blue and clear, the air crisp and pure, and the landscapes are breathtaking. The high desert location keeps Santa Fe’s climate temperate and the humidity low.
We enjoy four distinct seasons with gorgeous and colorful springs and falls. Summer evenings can be cool and winter brings occasional snowfall, but there is so much sunshine (320 days per year on average) that it rarely stays long on the ground. People come to Santa Fe from around the globe to enjoy our unique setting, cultural diversity, and many other attractions. With a population of approximately 70,000 (primarily Hispanic, Anglo and Native American people), Santa Fe, is New Mexico’s fourth largest city.
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Its unique offerings of art, culture and ancient traditions make it a world-class tourist destination, drawing more than 1 million visitors each year. In 2005, Santa Fe became the first U.S. city to be chosen by UNESCO as a Creative City, now one of 180 cities in the world to hold this designation. Santa Fe enjoys dramatic views of five mountain ranges – Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, Sandia, Ortiz, and Manzano Mountains. For skiers and snowboarders, Ski Santa Fe is typically open from Thanksgiving through Easter. Ski Santa Fe is nestled high in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains just 16 miles from the heart of Santa Fe. With a base area elevation of 10,350 feet, Ski Santa Fe is among the highest ski areas in the continental U.S. and offers some of the southwest’s finest skiing. Santa Fean’s also enjoy the ability to hike and bike year- round. Just a few minutes away from bustling downtown, acres of pristine wilderness offer miles of excellent trails to explore that range from easy to challenging. Santa Fe also has the great in-city Dale Ball trail system that has over 22 miles of hiking and biking trails. Santa Fe has long been a center for arts and culture and now ranks as the country’s third largest art market with nearly 300 galleries and art dealers. There also are more than a dozen major museums showcasing an array of art, culture, history and traditions, as well the world-class Santa Fe Opera. Santa Fe has also earned a reputation with food-lovers. Our official state question is “Red or Green?” and refers to the kind of chile you’d like served over enchiladas, chile rellenos or other staples of New Mexican fare. If you answer “Christmas” you’ll get both! Santa Fe offers innovative Southwestern fare created by award- winning chefs and hearty New Mexico staples such as breakfast burritos and green chile stew. You will also find creative contemporary cuisine, Asian, French, Italian, Indian, Middle Eastern cuisine, and many others. Santa Fe has a distinctive architectural style all its own, which is one of the reasons for the immense popularity of this capital city. One can explore the meandering streets of the Eastside and discover hundreds of historic adobe homes, built primarily in the Spanish Pueblo and Territorial styles. These architectural styles are rooted in ancient history and city laws ensure that historic buildings are protected and new construction fits in with the old. In addition to adobe style homes, there are also examples of Victorian, Italianate,California Mission Revival styles and, in more recent years, architects have begun to blend historic styles with contemporary design, creating a more modern but still very unique look for 21st century Santa Fe. Santa Fe is located an hour’s drive north of Albuquerque. The Albuquerque International Sunport is an excellent and generally stress-free airport. It is serviced by most of the major U.S. airlines. The Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF) is open to private aircraft and a few commercial carriers, offering flights directly to and from Dallas, Phoenix and Denver.