© Katie Chang / Stocksy United
New Mexico
Awarded Best in Travel 2023
About Best In Travel 2023The Land of Enchantment casts a bewitching spell. Whether it's sunlight and shadow playing out across juniper-speckled hills, the electric glow of gypsum dunes at sunset or the Rio Grande Gorge cracking across the Taos Plateau, the landscape is undeniably mesmerizing. And it's all easily explored by hiking, cycling or paddling. The history is fascinating too, evidenced in the ancient Indian pueblos, the homes and holding cells of trappers and outlaws, and the mud-bricked churches filled with sacred art. And we haven't even mentioned the chile-smothered enchiladas, the thriving microbreweries or Better Call Saul. As for Meow Wolf, you'll want get in line right now.
Perhaps New Mexico's charm is best expressed in the simple but iconic paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe. The artist herself exclaimed, on her very first visit: 'Well! Well! Well!… This is wonderful! No one told me it was like this.'
But seriously, how could they?
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout New Mexico.
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Carlsbad Caverns National Park
While a cave might not sound quite as sexy as redwoods, geysers or the Grand Canyon, there’s no question that this one measures up on the national parks’ jaw-droppingly ginormous scale: to simply reach the main chamber, you have to either take an elevator that drops the height of the Empire State Building or, more enjoyably, take a spooky 1.25-mile subterranean walk that goes down and down (and down) from the cave mouth into the yawning darkness. Either way, you’ll find yourself in the aptly named Big Room, an underground room 1800ft long (that’s the equivalent of 11 American football fields), 255ft high and over 800ft below the surface, where you’re free to walk an intricate loop trail (1.25 miles) past a pick of amazing sights, including the world’s largest stalagmite and the ever-popular Bottomless Pit. Wear a sweater: the temperature is 56°F (13°C) year-round. In addition to the self-guided tour, the park service runs a number of daily guided tours – advance reservations are essential. They are all excellent and highly informative, providing visitors with access to otherwise closed portions of the cavern, or real spelunking adventures in some of the backcountry caves like Slaughter Canyon. Plus, your guide will inevitably turn out the lights at some point – sitting hundreds of feet below ground in the pitch black is an experience you’re unlikely to forget. The cave's other claim to fame is the colony of approximately 400,000 Mexican free-tailed bats that roosts here from mid-April through October. Wait at the cave mouth at sunset to watch them cyclone out for an all-evening insect feast. A free Bat Flight ranger talk occurs nightly from late May. With 30 miles of passages and the largest subterranean chamber in the US, it’s hard to get your head around just how big Carlsbad really is. But consider this: Carlsbad is only one of 120 known caves within the park’s borders, and the largest, Lechuguilla, extends for some 136 miles, dropping to a depth of 1600ft. Unfortunately, it's only open to research and exploration teams, with special permission from the park. If you’d like to explore the Chihuahuan Desert above ground, pick up a permit (free) for a backpacking trip at the visitor center along with a topo map of the 50-plus miles of hiking trails. November to March is the best time for backpacking – summer temperatures are scorching, while the countless rattlesnakes should be sleeping in winter. The visitor center has a small cafeteria, where you can have a simple lunch. There's also an underground snack counter beside the Big Room, but no food or drinks are permitted in the cave beyond the small dining area. There are restrooms beside the Big Room too.
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Meow Wolf
If you've been hankering for a trip to another dimension but have yet to find a portal, the House of Eternal Return by Meow Wolf could be the place for you. The premise here is quite ingenious: visitors get to explore a recreated Victorian house for clues related to the disappearance of a Californian family, following a narrative that leads deeper into fragmented bits of a multiverse (often via secret passages), all of which are unique, interactive art installations. Created by the Santa Fe art collective Meow Wolf in an old bowling alley (donated by Game of Thrones author George RR Martin), the space is large enough that you could spend several hours here – or visits – trying to crack the code to the safe at the top of the stairs, reading every detail of Mom's diary or finding inspiration yourself in the makerspace at the entrance. Weekend nights see live-music shows at the heart of this compelling imaginary world. Crowds tend to disperse throughout the large facility, but if you'd like a bit more space to yourself visit during the week, and avoid summer and holidays. Pre-buy your ticket so you don't have to wait in the stand-by line.
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Taos Pueblo
The Pueblo is centered on twin five-story adobe complexes, set on either side of the Río Pueblo de Taos, against the stunning backdrop of the Sangre de Cristos mountains. The quintessential example of ancient Pueblo architecture, they’re thought to have been completed by around 1450 AD. Modern visitors are thus confronted by the same staggering spectacle as New Mexico’s earliest Spanish colonists, though a small and very picturesque Catholic mission church now stands nearby. The walking tour (by donation) is highly recommended. Led by residents and tribal members, these guided walking tours of the Pueblo explain the highlights of its unique history and culture. You'll also have the chance to buy fine jewelry, pottery and other arts and crafts, and sample flatbread baked in traditional beehive-shaped adobe ovens. Note that the Pueblo closes for 10 weeks February through mid-April, and at other times for ceremonies and events; call ahead or check the website for dates.
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Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
With 10 beautifully lit galleries in a rambling 20th-century adobe, this museum boasts the world's largest collection of O'Keeffe’s work. She’s best known for her luminous New Mexican landscapes, but the changing exhibitions here range through her entire career, from her early years through to her time at Ghost Ranch. Major museums worldwide own her most famous canvases, so you may not see familiar paintings, but you’re sure to be bowled over by the thick brushwork and transcendent colors on show. Audio guides are available ($7) or you can download the museum app (same content) for free. Visit the museum website to reserve a tour of O'Keeffe's former home, in the village of Abiquiú, 50 miles northwest of Santa Fe. Tours of her home meet at the O'Keeffe Welcome Center in Abiquiú.
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White Sands National Park
Undulating through the Tularosa Basin like something out of a dream, these ethereal dunes are a highlight of any trip to New Mexico, and a must on every landscape photographer's itinerary. Try to time a visit to White Sands with sunrise or sunset (or both), when the dazzlingly white sea of sand is at its most magical. From the visitor center drive the 16-mile scenic drive, which loops into the heart of the world's largest gypsum dune field, covering 275 sq miles. Along the way, get out of the car and romp around, or escape the crowds by hiking either the Alkali Flat, a 5-mile (round-trip) backcountry trail through the heart of the dunes, or the simple mile-loop nature trail. Don't forget your sunglasses – the sand’s as bright as snow. It’s a long, long way to the ocean from here, so don’t be surprised to find locals picnicking, playing, sunbathing and generally enjoying the full-on beach experience. Join them by springing for a $19 plastic saucer at the visitor center gift shop, and sledding the back dunes; you can sell it back for $5 at day's end (no rentals to avoid liability). Check the park calendar for sunset strolls and full-moon hikes. Backcountry campsites, with no water or toilet facilities, stand a mile from the scenic drive. Pick up a permit (adult/child under 16 years $3/1.50; first-come, first-served) in person at the visitor center at least one hour before sunset. Car campers should ask the rangers for a list of other nearby campsites. To reach the park, drive Hwy 70 either 50 miles northeast of Las Cruces or 16 miles southwest of Alamogordo – and bear in mind that the road occasionally closes at very short notice for up to three hours, during missile tests. Visitors must enter one hour before close.
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Albuquerque Museum
Formerly known as the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, this showpiece museum shouldn't be missed. With an engaging Albuquerque history gallery that's imaginative, interactive and easy to digest and a permanent New Mexico art collection that extends to 20th-century masterpieces from Taos, it's a great place to explore as part of any visit to Old Town. There’s free admission on Sunday mornings, and free guided walking tours of Old Town on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 11am (April through November). While here, grab a bite at the Slate at the Museum.
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Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Collectively run by New Mexico's 19 Pueblos, this cultural center is an essential stop-off during even the shortest Albuquerque visit. Revamped in 2016, the museum today holds fascinating displays sharing the stories of the Pueblos’ collective history and individual artistic traditions, while the galleries offer changing temporary exhibitions. They’re arrayed in a crescent around a plaza that’s regularly used for dances and crafts demonstrations. Pueblo Harvest Cafe is recommended and there’s also a large gift shop and retail gallery.
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Palace of the Governors & New Mexico History Museum
The oldest public building in the US, this low-slung adobe complex began as home to New Mexico’s first Spanish governor in 1610. It was occupied by Pueblo Indians following their revolt in 1680, and after 1846 became the seat of the US Territory’s earliest governors. During research the Palace was undergoing renovations; expect a new look after its scheduled 2020 reopening. The adjoining New Mexico History Museum engagingly tells the story of the state, beginning with the Spanish arrival in the 1500s. The Palace entrance is located in the History Museum.
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Aztec Ruins National Monument
This prehistoric pueblo was built around AD 1100, and connected with the larger settlement at Chaco via a road that ran due south. Its central feature, a huge great kiva, has been reconstructed to give an impression of how such places must have looked in use a thousand years ago. Another unique feature is the intact original roof in several rooms. The attached museum is particularly informative; if you can't make it down to Chaco, don't miss this site. A walking trail, the 1.5-mile Old Spanish Trail, links downtown Aztec with the national monument.
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