Founded in 1607 and settled by 1610, Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the oldest state capital in the US.
Not everyone notices Santa Fe’s hip side amid its centuries-old earthen architecture and well-trodden paths to marquee museums. But the city is riding a lively wave of indie art installations, hip bars and hotels with a new groove. The “City Different” is truly earning its moniker again.
What to do
Take a trip into Meow Wolf’s multiverse
Santa Fe’s visual arts are already colourful, but a new generation of artists is making them fluorescent. Meow Wolf, a homegrown arts collective turned national entertainment powerhouse, has transformed an abandoned bowling alley into “The House of Eternal Return”. It’s a sprawling art funhouse that takes visitors into psychedelic realms. Slide through the dryer or step through the refrigerator of a Victorian home into fantastical realms like a larger-than-life fish tank, glowing ice cave with a resident mastodon skeleton, or an unearthly forest where you can play the plastic mushrooms like bongos. The trip through the multiverse costs $29.
Explore Santa Fe’s contemporary side
In a town flush with traditional arts, SITE Santa Fe stakes a claim in the contemporary. Notable exhibitions, avant-garde installations and mind-bending artist talks unfurl beyond the striking metal prow marking its entrance. Admission to see the ever-changing collection costs $10.
Native Americans made their homes in this region long before European settlers first arrived. The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts reminds visitors that native art isn’t all pottery making, rug weaving and silversmithing – and even when it is, today’s artists are pushing boundaries to create striking, socially conscious works. Follow the painted wooden pillars turned murals into the exhibitions for $15.
Visit the Jean Cocteau Cinema
In a city with no shortage of film creds, the top indie film house in town is the Jean Cocteau Cinema. Game of Thrones creator and Santa Fe resident George RR Martin rebooted this intimate venue – as the White Walker cocktail at the lobby bar attests. Jean Cocteau edges the Railyards Arts District, where coffee shops buzz with local creatives caffeinating over drafts of screenplays and monumental sculptures overflow onto the sidewalks from resident galleries.
Head to the mountains
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a southern range of the Rockies, lie just 15 minutes outside the city centre. Hiking trails lace the mountains, which are also home to a ski area. Guides like Outspire lead the way on concierge-like tours from $185, while YogiHiker guides asanas amid the aspens for $135. Go between late September and early October when the trees turn golden.
Where to stay
El Rey Court, a 1936 Route 66 motor court, cruised into its second-life in summer 2018. Each of the 86 rooms in the renovated boutique hotel are unique. It exudes a Georgia O’Keeffian southwest aesthetic, with white-washed walls and original art, including murals and a blown-up photo of hippies lounging in front of the original hotel in the 1970s. The hotel’s bar, La Reina, serves mescals and tequilas meant for sipping and a lime-splashed cocktail menu. Doubles from $189, room only.
On the city’s outskirts, Sunrise Springs Spa Resort nods to Santa Fe’s penchant for alternative healing. Since the days of El Camino Real (a historic trading route), travellers have soaked in the natural cold springs here. Today, the serene destination delivers a full menu of wellness activities, like art therapy, a sweat lodge and Japanese forest bathing. The best bit is playing with the puppies, who will grow up to be service animals, and hanging out in the Silkie chicken coop. Packages from $265.
Where to eat
Santa Feans love everything simmered, slathered and topped in chilli. Homely diners Tia Sophia’s and La Choza are local favourites for plates of chicken enchiladas, burritos or stuffed sopaipillas (puffs of fried dough) swimming in red or green sauce.
Restaurant Martin is a testament to Santa Feans’ love of fine dining. The James Beard Foundation Awards (the culinary Oscars) have given Chef Martin Rios a hat tip several times as a best chef southwest finalist for his progressive American cuisine. Only adventurous palates should come here.
Order a healthy(ish) breakfast while shopping for a garden trowel at modern general store turned breakfast go-to Modern General. Graze on a menu of savoury pancakes (dubbed modcakes), fresh pressed juices and house-made kolaches.
The green-house like Opuntia sells potted succulents alongside a menu of kale salads, loaded avocado toast and turmeric tisanes that will balance out all the chilli you’ll likely be eating the rest of your trip.
Cacao Santa Fe: The Art of Chocolate delivers a true chocolate fix with Meso-American inspired elixirs. Try the Zapoteca Tejate, with 100 per cent chocolate, water, blue corn atole, almonds and chilli.
Where to drink
New Mexico ranks 12th in the US for the most craft breweries per capita, and its mothership is Santa Fe Brewing. Grab a hop-heavy Happy Camper IPA or well-rounded Nut Brown at the laidback brewery on the city’s outskirts. Second Street Brewery is as well known for its bitters as its burgers.
Englishman Colin Keegan brought British distilling know-how to the southwest when he founded Santa Fe Spirits in 2010. The artisanal distillery infuses spirits with New Mexico-grown ingredients, from apples from Keegan’s own heritage orchards to juniper foraged from the Santa Fe foothills. Two easy-going tasting room locations keep the city well muddled.
Tucked down an unassuming side street between artist studios and industrial warehouses, Iconik Coffee is a caffeine-lover’s dream. It’s become a place to see and be seen, but the vibe is never pretentious. Beans are roasted in house, while espresso drinks and pour-over coffees can be paired with eclectic light bites including goat-cheese scones.
Where to shop
The Santa Fe Plaza counts as destination shopping thanks to its fleet of galleries and boutiques selling Native American and Spanish colonial art and clothing. The best of these is Shiprock Santa Fe, an Instagrammer’s dream. Just off the Plaza, Doodlets is a breath of fresh air for whimsical folk art you never knew you needed.
Near the Plaza, Santa Fe Dry Goods is a chic but unconventional women’s clothing boutique that redefines southwest style. There’s not a broomstick skirt in sight here.
The by-appointment-only Santa Fe Vintage caters to true collectors, but vintage shops near the Railyard and on the Southside take more of a come-one-come-all approach. Peruse the aisles of rambling Double Take for cowboy boots, leather jackets and even couture labels.
Architectural highlight
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is a basilica straight out of Bordeaux. French-born Archbishop Lamy oversaw its construction between 1869 and 1886. In the land of adobe (mud-brick) construction, this Romanesque Revival-style cathedral is a standout.
Nuts and bolts
What currency do I need?
US dollars (USD).
What language do they speak?
English. Spanish is New Mexico’s second language.
Should I tip?
Tipping is customary in the US, with 18-20 per cent standard in restaurants and bars. For tour guides, $10-20 is expected.
What’s the time difference?
Seven hours behind the UK.
What’s the average flight time from the UK?
Around 13 hours.
Public transport
The Rail Runner Express commuter train carries passengers from Albuquerque, home of the state’s major airport, to Santa Fe. Santa Fe Trails bus system provides travel through the city. However, travelling by public transport is unwieldy. Best to rent a car or take a ride-share.
Best view
The view from the rooftop bar, Bar Alto, at Drury Plaza Hotel Santa Fe is unmatched.
Insider tip
July to September is high season in Santa Fe. No wonder, since a series of renowned art markets for Native American, Spanish Colonial and folk art unfold over the season. The finale is Santa Fe Fiesta, billed as the oldest continuously held festival in the US, the first week of September. The fiesta begins with the Burning of Zozobra, when a 40ft-tall marionette also known as Old Man Gloom is burnt in effigy.
