THE SANTE FE LIST
My ultimate guide to spending time in Santa Fe, NM
In the Spring of 2021, I was tired of living in my parents’ basement. Having moved home from university to shelter in place for a year, I was ready to go elsewhere. Restrictions were lifting and the world was opening up again. I opened up Google Maps and chose the first place that caught my eye as my home for the summer. I knew I wanted to be somewhere warm and preferably in the southwest as I have always felt a deep, yet inexplicable connection to the desert. Thus I spent the summer living and working in Santa Fe, NM.
Sante Fe quickly became one of my favorite places in America. The people are so welcoming and friendly. The nature of Northern New Mexico is breathtaking. The food is incredible. For a small town, the walkability is decent too.
Here is a curated list of all my favorite Santa Fe & Northern New Mexico places—from lodging and restaurants to nearby towns and hikes.
STAY
Hotels, resorts, & retreats
Japanese ryokan meets a New Mexican flare in what they call a ‘Japanese-adobe’ aesthetic. Offers hotel rooms, day passes for the spa, and spa treatments. The restaurant on the premises, Izanami, is excellent as well!
This acclaimed New Mexican resort offers Farm-to-table food, spring-fed thermal pools, and spa services.
Located between Santa Fe & Taos, the health spa/resort and sister property to Ojo Santa Fe offers soaking in mineral-rich hot springs and a variety of lodging types, including cottages, suites, and a historic inn.
A five-star southwestern experience.
Four Seasons Restort Rancho Encantado
Charming casitas against the backdrop of the Santa Fe Mountains.
Airbnbs/long-term rentals
Landscape architects, Solange and Adres, built The Trailhead Design Source, a design-centric compound, complete with Airbnb rentals, an architecture studio, and a lovely Argentine cafe, in Santa Fe’s railyard district.
Baca Railyard Apartment - short term
Baca Railyard Apartment - monthly rental
EAT
🎄 Tip: When the server asks if you want red or green, get it “Christmas” style 🎄
Bakeries/Cafes
Cafecito Santa Fe
coffee is great but the empanadas are the real stars here
Breab Shop Santa Fe
Place an order on Mon/Tues to pick up on weekends because they sell-out quick!🥵
The focaccia is a must!!
Iconik Coffee roasters
yummy coffee & bread-y things
Whoos Donuts
get breakfast burritos here!!! I still dream about them years later…
Casual Dining
Dolina Bakery & Cafe
Cute Eastern European cafe with great brunch & pastries!
Andale! Food Truck
Cuisine: Mexican & New Mexican
Vibe: casual; order at the counter, side outside
Highlights: the tacos😍
Tomasita’s restaurant
Cuisine: New Mexican
Vibe: Casual spot, always has a line, great for post-hike burritos or enchiladas
meals are served with pozole & sopapillas! vegetarian pozole available!!!
Root 66 Vegan Cafe
Great for plant-based travelers & locals alike!
Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen
Cuisine: not one set cuisine, globally-inspired “health foods”
Vibe: casual cafe
diverse menu, great grain & veggie bowls
Highlights: the tempeh bowl and the (amazing) banana cream pie!
Chocolate Maven Bakery
Great brunch spot!
Highlights: the breakfast burritos
Lotus Dumpling House
Cuisine: Dumplings & noodles!
Vibe: very casual
Fine dining
Paloma Restaurant
Cuisine: Oaxacan
Vibe: nice, but not super fancy, perfect for a date night or birthday, will likely need a reservation
Highlights: the mezcal selection, the mole 👌
The Pink Adobe
Cuisine: New Mexican
Vibe: nice casual
Highlights: consciously-sourced, local ingredients
Ten Thousand Waves Izanami
Cuisine: Japanese food
Vibe: fancy, good for a nice date night or anniversary
pricey but yummy
SHOP
Boutiques, home goods, & more
High Noon General Store
Big Star Books & Music
The Good Stuff - Cafe Vinyl
Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse
Second hand & vintage
Double Take (a two-level used & vintage clothing shop)
Vintage on Canyon
Railyard Artisan Market (lots of interesting vendors selling everything from rugs and art to vintage cowboy hats)
SEE
Museums, parks, religious sites, experiences, & galleries
Meow Wolf Santa Fe (cool art experience)
El Museo Cultural De Santa Fe (learn about Santa Fe history & culture)
IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA)
Loretto Chapel
Santa Fe Railyard Park (go to the farmers market here!)
OUTDOORS
Hiking trails in Santa Fe
Dale Balls Trail
Easy, several different loops you can take
Great spot for an easy sunset hike
https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/new-mexico/dale-ball-trails
Atalaya Peak
6.2 miles, out-and-back
moderate, pretty steep towards the top
it may not look difficult but don’t underestimate the hot afternoon sun here as there is very little tree cover
Pretty cool how this hike is practically in downtown Santa Fe😮
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-mexico/atalaya-mountain-trail
Hiking trails within an hour's drive
Nambe Lake Trail
📍Santa Fe Mountains
7ish miles, out-and-back
Moderate; The Later half of the hike up is pretty rocky & not well marked as you get closer to the lake
gorgeous!!! the waterfalls, lakes, and meadows are picturesque chefs kiss
Nambé Badlands
📍Nambe Pueblo (be respectful of the local Nambe people who steward this land and generously make their trails available to visitors 🙏)
Easy, loop
Distance depending which path you take
Great spot to watch the sunset, beautiful views, vert desert-y
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-mexico/nambe-badlands
Borego Bear Trail
📍Santa Fe mountains
4 miles, loop
Easy to moderate
Gorgeous!! looks like an enchanted forest once you get to the aspen meadow area
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-mexico/borrego-150-windsor-254-and-bear-wallow-182-trail-loop
Deception Peak and Lake Peak
6-7ish miles, Out-and-back
The trail up to Deception Peak is Moderate, but the path from Deception to Lake Peak is a scramble, totally worth it though
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-mexico/deception-peak
1+ hour drive from Santa Fe
Wheeler Peak (via Williams Lake Trail)
📍Taos Ski Village, Sangre de Cristo Mountains
11ish miles, out and back from the parking lot
Moderate to difficult, depending on the season
13,161 ft about sea level, tallest point in NM
Park near the Bavarian, hike up to Williams Lake and stop for a picnic, and continue up to Wheeler before the afternoon storms set in
TRAVEL
Day trips
Taos, NM
for families, hikers/backpackers, and winter sports enthusiasts
Bandelier NM
for history buffs, families, and hikers alike
Los Alamos
for history buffs
Albuquerque, NM
Great Sand Dunes NP
for families & hikers/backpackers
Weekend trips
White Sands NP
for families & hikers/backpackers
Denver, CO & Boulder, CO
for families, hikers/backpackers, and winter sports enthusiasts
Colorado Springs, CO
for families, hikers/backpackers, and winter sports enthusiasts
Sedona, AZ
for families, hikers/backpackers, spa lovers
