Wellness Guide To Sante Fe, New Mexico
Oh my gosh, Sante Fe is such a charming Southwestern town. Hands down my favorite thing about Sante Fe = the incredible Pueblo-style architecture! The earthy tones of all the building made out of adobe brick paired with the desert landscape just never got old. I also loved the art that was could be found everywhere… in fact: there are 250+ art galleries in Santa Fe alone!
Santa Fe has a very vibrant outdoor community… seemingly especially popular for retirees [which is not what I expected!]. It makes sense though — the weather is great year round, everything is so walkable, it’s quiet + peaceful + laid-back, has great food + culture, + lots of outdoor adventures! After visiting, Isaac + I were both like, “Yep! Santa Fe would be an amazing place to retire!”
Read: Santa Fe chosen as one of the world’s most desirable places to retire
Eats
- Collected Works Bookstore + Coffeehouse — *MUST. Love this bookstore with great coffee
- Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen — *MUST. Our favorite spot for brunch!
- El Chile Toreado — *MUST. One of the best burritos I’ve ever had… so good
- Santafamous Street Eats — Tacos, burritos, + green chile cheeseburgers!
- Modern General Feed + Seed — Super cute coffee shop + cafe
- Clafoutis — French bakery with great pastries, quiches, + crepes
- Kakawara Chocolate House — Drinking chocolate + truffles!
- Vinaigrette — Bistro focused on salads open for lunch + dinner
- The Love Apple — Regional + organic home cooking open Wednesday-Sunday for dinner only
- Paper Dosa — South Indian restaurant
- Cafe Pasqual’s — Very popular Southwestern restaurant known for it’s enchiladas
- Izanami — Japanese restaurant located at Ten Thousand Waves
- Geronimo — Fine dining, many consider this the “best restaurant” in Santa Fe [$$$$]
- Gruet Winery Tasting Room — Cute little tasting room with a gorgeous patio… go if you like sparkling wines!
Wellness + To Explore
#1] Spa day at Ten Thousand Waves — *MUST. Oh my gosh, this Japanese-style spa is gorgeous. Hot springs, bodywork, + a Japanese restaurant. There’s also lodging here for 12 guests!
#2] Go hiking! Check out these hikes in the Santa Fe National Forest
#3] Go mountain biking! I’m way too scared to mountain bike, but if you’re into mountain biking, check out: 11 best mountain biking trails in Santa Fe
#4] Take a yoga class: Check out Body of Santa Fe + Sante Fe Thrive
#5] Wander around Santa Fe’s Plaza + Downtown — Restaurants, museums, art galleries, turquoise silver jewelry, pottery, antiques, cow skulls, + more! Pop into whatever speaks to you. One of my favorite purchases ever is my turquoise cow skull from Sante Fe!
#6] Canyon Road Galleries — Half mile stretch of art galleries including “contemporary, abstract, modern, expressionistic, digital, figurative, photorealistic, traditional, western, + Native American.” Check out the galleries here!
#7] Visit San Miguel Chapel — It’s the oldest Catholic Church in the USA with its original walls still standing. It’s absolutely gorgeous! We went to Easter Mass here + it was so special.
#8] Santa Fe Farmer’s Market — Saturdays from 8am-1pm all year long
#9] Walk up the Cross of the Martyrs — One of the best views of the city to see sunset!
Stay
We stayed at El Ray — which was so cute + such a vibe. Our room had a fireplace + small kitchen in it! El Ray has an attached mezcal + tequila-focused bar with live music Wednesdays + Sundays… as well as a “swim club.” If you’re visiting Santa Fe, definitely stay here!
Pro-Tips
- How many days? 2–3 days is perfect
- Best time to visit? Spring or fall!
- Wear lots of sunscreen!
- Check out events, tours, markets, + other activites going on in Santa Fe here
Did I miss any of your favorite Sante Fe spots?! Let me know!
Love,
Elisabeth