48 hours in Santa Fe

May 4, 2011 5:03:07 PM

Becca Blond
Lonely Planet Author

Note: Javascript is disabled in your browser.
To see the gallery in all its glory, you'll need to enable Javascript.

View gallery

Why Go

Bewitching, all-adobe Santa Fe dates back to 1610, and is one classy old gal. Home to world-class galleries, dining, museums and even opera, Santa Fe wins most people over on the first go-round. But just in case, we’ve created a 48-hour insider itinerary sure to grab even the hardest hearts.

Welcome to Santa Fe, a city that makes its own rules, yet never forgets its long and storied past. The country’s oldest state capital is a bewitching place where centuries-old umber adobes are set against a dramatic Sangre de Cristo mountains backdrop. From art to opera, hot green chile to fiery red ristras, ornate churches and world-class resorts, everything part of this sage-scented all adobe oasis in the high desert is saturated with creative flair.

Day 1

Begin at the historic Plaza. Santa Fe’s heartbeat, it dates back to the city’s beginning. Native Americans sell their jewelry and pottery along the wall outside the Palace of the Governors. Arrive early for the best selection. Each piece is unique, so have a long stroll. We’d suggest browsing the entire length of the portale (awning) before making a purchase – there is so much variety. Whatever your choice, the jewelry sold outside the Palace of Governors is guaranteed to be innovative, original and hand-crafted by Native Americans in New Mexico. After you’ve found that turquoise bear fetish you’ve been searching for, head inside the Palace of Governors to check out the museum. Built in 1610 by Spanish officials, it is one of the oldest public buildings in the USA. Today it’s a museum, with more than 17,000 historical objects reflecting Santa Fe’s Indian, Spanish, Mexican and American heritage. Next door, the Museum of Fine Arts features a collection on par with heavy-hitters like New York City’s Met and Paris’ Louvre. There are more than 20,000 pieces in the collection, including a great section by regional artists.

You’ll be good and hungry after museum-hopping, so pay a visit to the French Pastry Shop. Order the divine crepes, filled with everything from ham and cheese to strawberries and cream, or a cup of the best French Onion soup in town. After lunch, grab the M Line bus from the Plaza or hop in your car and drive 3 miles southwest to Santa Fe’s other main museum district, renowned Museum Hill. Our favorite museum in Santa Fe is located here. The Museum of International Folk Art houses more than 100,000 objects from more than 100 countries. The exhibits aren’t simplistically arranged behind glass cases; the historical and cultural information is concise and thorough; and a festive feel permeates the rooms.

With your museum requirements fulfilled, after lunch go shopping for a little art. Head to Santa Fe’s Rodeo Drive, Canyon Road, for a little million-dollar painting browsing. Once a footpath used by Pueblo Indians, then the main street through a Spanish farming community, Santa Fe’s most famous art avenue began its current incarnation in the 1920s, when artists led by Los Cincos Pintores moved in to take advantage of the cheap rent. Today more than 90 of Santa Fe’s 300 galleries are found here. From rare Indian antiquities to Santa Fe School masterpieces to wild contemporary work, it’s all for sale. Gallery hopping here can seem a bit overwhelming, so we’d suggest not worrying and just wandering. Make sure to stop in at the Pushkin Gallery. Owned by the family of poet Alexander Pushkin, this gallery shows Russian masters including Nikolai Timkov and Vasily Golubev as well as more modern work.

In the heart of the Canyon Road chaos is one of the city’s best dinner joints, El Farol. The ambiance is rustic adobe, the steaks are plump and chef James Campbell Caruso’s tapas are nothing short of delectable. If you are in town on a Wednesday night, there is a wonderful flamenco dinner show ($60). After eating, it’s time for dancing at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. The famous watering hole boasts Western-style feminist flair, an outside patio and live music after 9pm. Try the unique smoky tasting Mescal margarita on the rocks.

Check into one of Santa Fe’s classiest hotels for two nights. Just steps from the plaza, the Inn & Spa at Loretto offers super spacious rooms done up in modern Southwest style. Have a good-night cocktail at the lobby bar and look up at the ceiling. Each panel is hand-painted.

Day 2

Don’t sleep in, you’ll want to get to a Tia Sophia’s for breakfast before the line gets to out of control. This is the city’s favorite morning eating option, and you’ll find celebs and locals alike stuffing their mouths with delicious green chile–soaked egg, cheese and meat burritos.

The St Francis Cathedral is your next stop. Construction on the cathedral began in 1869, when Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy was sent to Santa Fe by the Pope with orders to tame the wild western outpost town through culture and religion. Visit the small chapel inside, where the oldest Madonna statue in North America is housed. Constructed between 1873 and 1878, the nearby Loretto Chapel is modeled on St Chapelle in Paris and home of the city’s most photographed site – the Miraculous Staircase. Legend has it the staircase came to be after the chapel’s nuns prayed for help in building a circular stairwell. Shortly after, a traveling carpenter, believed afterward to be St Joseph, arrived, constructed a wooden spiral staircase with two complete 360-degree turns and no central or visible support and left without charging for his labors.

Have a fast fuel-up lunch at Del Churro Saloon, which serves pub grub so good even former Gov. Richardson eats it. Then spend the afternoon mountain biking some of the state’s best intermediate single track. You can rent a bike from Melo Velo Bicycles. Follow Upper Canyon Rd north to the well-signed parking lot at Cerro Gordo Rd and ride the South Dale Ball Trails. It’s a challenging course, starting with a super long, hard and rocky uphill climb, followed by a series of harrowing switchbacks. But you’ll be reward with supreme isolation and outstanding views. Get back in time for sunset and a margarita at the Belltower Bar. During the summer months, this rooftop bar at the La Fonda Hotel is the premier spot to catch the setting sun. If you’re in the mood for tequila, try the Ore House, which has more than 40 types of margaritas. Plus the heated second story patio offers great Plaza people-watching. The family-run, James Beard Award-winning, restaurant, The Shed, has been serving New Mexican fare in a atmospheric 1692 adobe since 1953 and is where to head for dinner. Afterward, cap off your 48 hours in Santa Fe with a Black Dragon margarita inside a 300-year-old adobe building at the Dragon Room Bar. It is a consistent top favorite of locals and Hollywood visitors alike.

For more itineraries in Santa Fe and the Southwest, see Lonely Planet’s Arizona, New Mexico & the Grand Canyon Trips.