Santa Fe, Taos and Mesa Verde



Santa Fe, Taos and Mesa Verde

A New Mexico Road Trip – Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon

All distances and times are indicative and do not include stops.

Total mileage; 670 round trip

Total drive time; 13 hours 30 minutes round trip

How long do I need? This trip can be done at a pleasant pace in 10 days. Two weeks would allow more time to stop and enjoy the atmosphere and the art in Santa Fe.

This New Mexico road trip combines the vibrant cultural and art centres of Albuquerque and Santa Fe with an exploration of modern Pueblo life in Taos and life for the Ancestral Pueblo at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon.

Fly into Albuquerque and check out the adobe Old Town with plenty of shops and galleries as well as museums and an aerial tramway. Take the short drive to Santa Fe. This is a great town, very lively with a fabulous choice of eating and drinking establishments, shops, galleries and museums. My favourite is the Georgia O’Keefe Museum.

Taos Pueblo, New Mexico

Taos Pueblo, New Mexico

Head out of Santa Fe on the High Road to Taos. This starts at the beautiful adobe church of El Santuario de Chimayo and continues through several historic villages. Taos is another great stopping point with plenty of galleries and small independent shops along with a good choice of restaurants and hotels. Two miles out of town is Taos Pueblo. This is an incredible place – home to approximately 150 permanent residents who live without electricity or running water in the massive adobe structure. Visitors are welcome in the Pueblo and there are several small shops selling traditional items.

Ancestral Puebloan building, Chaco Canyon, new mexico

Ancestral Puebloan building, Chaco Canyon, new mexico

From Taos the road goes through some beautiful scenery as it crosses into Colorado and the wonderful cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. These were created by the Ancestral Puebloans, sometime around 1200 and they are beautifully preserved. Guided walks are available to view some of the larger structures, others you can just wander into as you please. From Mesa Verde you can drop down back into New Mexico and if conditions permit (the road is dirt and sometimes closed due to heavy rain) you can visit Chaco Canyon to see more Ancestral Puebloan sites. There are (short, easy) guided walks to explain the site and the archaeological findings. From here head back to Albuquerque and your flight home.

 

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Getting there…

 

 
To get the best deals on flights to Albuquerque, and accommodation once you’re there, we recommend 1 Plus 2 Travel. They search the consolidators for you so you don’t have to!
 

 
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Otherwise, we like Skyscanner for a good listing of all the operators running flights.

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We recommend Holiday Autos or Easycar for car hire. Check out our car hire info for ways to save money. You may want to cover your excess and increase your liability cover with a policy like that from Worldwide Insure or Insurance4carhire.com.

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Where to Stay…

 

Our favourite hotel in Albuquerque is the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa. We love it for the amazing views, the spacious rooms and the two fabulous swimming pools – especially the peaceful adult only one.

In Santa Fe we like the The Hacienda & Spa at Hotel Santa Fe. It is a little way away from the Plaza which makes everything feel very peaceful. It is an easy walk but there is a free shuttle service if you would prefer. The pool area is lovely and we rooms are a nice mix of modern with a Santa Fe feel. They also mix a mean margarita.

In Taos, our favourite hotel is the El Monte Sagrado. It is an easy walk to the centre of Taos in a fabulous setting with a great restaurant. The rooms are spacious with fireplaces and the pool and spa area is lovely.

The nearest settlement to Mesa Verde is a small town called Cortez. It is a short drive into the Park from there. We have stayed in the Best Western Turquoise Inn & Suites which was fine. It was in a good location within easy walking distance of the shops and restaurants of Cortez and the rooms are very spacious.