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Santa Fe may be New Mexico's capital city but in this thriving arts center it's more about culture than it is politics, more galleries than government.

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18 Best Places to Visit in New Mexico, According to Locals

Come to see historic small towns, scenic hiking trails, the "Grand Canyon of New Mexico," and more.

For a true taste of the American Southwest, consider a trip to New Mexico. Spanning approximately 121,000 square miles, the state is famous for its rich Indigenous history, vast landscapes (from towering dunes to subterranean caves), amazing archaeological sites, national landmarks (cliff dwellings, well-preserved adobe buildings, and centuries-old churches, to name a few), and an incredible arts and culture scene. It’s no surprise, then, that New Mexico is nicknamed the Land of Enchantment.

To narrow down the state’s best attractions, we reached out to local experts for their top recommendations. Without further ado, here are the best places to visit in New Mexico, from sprawling national parks to tiny towns and everything in between.

White Sands National Park

Mary Robnett/Travel + Leisure

Spanning 275 square miles, White Sands National Park is the world’s largest gypsum dune field, and it looks and feels like an entirely different planet . The wave-like, powder-white sand dunes resemble mounds of snow, and visitors can hike or sled down them any time of year. It’s also worth noting the park is home to a handful of white-hued animals — which have changed to a lighter color over time to adapt to the environment — including mice, lizards, crickets, spiders, and moths. 

Couse-Sharp Historic Site

Visit New Mexico

Angelisa Murray, CEO of guided tour operator Heritage Inspirations in Taos, describes the Couse-Sharp Historic Site as a “true gem” and “one of [her] favorite museums.” Here, you’ll find the former homes and art studios of Taos Society of Artists (TSA) founding members Joseph Sharp and E.I. Couse. “Our guests can see the actual moccasins and pottery that Couse painted in his paintings ... and journey back in time to get a real feel of Taos in the early 1900s,” says Murray.

“ Abiquiú is one of my favorite small towns to take our guests,” says Murray. The town, which was settled by the Spanish in the mid-18th century, looks and feels like it was plucked out of a classic Western, and visitors may even recognize it from fan-favorite flicks like Indiana Jones . However, it’s also famous for being the home of renowned American artist Georgia O'Keeffe. Don’t leave without visiting the O’Keeffe Home and Studio and Ghost Ranch (the artist’s summer home, about 20 minutes northwest). Murray also recommends popping into the state’s first general store, Bodes , which “offers an otherworldly experience for the intrepid traveler,” according to Murray.

Bandelier National Monument

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Known for its magnificent mesas, canyons, and ancestral Pueblo dwellings, this national monument spans more than 33,000 acres of rugged landscape, making it a must-visit for history buffs and nature lovers alike. The 1.4-mile Pueblo Loop Trail winds through various archaeological sites and is a popular hike. If you’re looking for more thrills, hop on one of the ladders along the route to climb into small human-carved alcoves. Alternatively, experienced hikers may opt to tackle the challenging Frijoles Canyon and Rim Trail (eight miles one way). Keep in mind those who wish to visit Frijoles Canyon and the Pueblo Loop Trail will be required to take a shuttle, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily (mid-June through mid-October).

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

The Washington Post via Getty Images

For a first-hand look at Pueblo culture, head to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Spanning more than 80 acres, the center is owned and operated by the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico. On-site offerings include a museum, exhibition galleries, murals from Pueblo artists, and the Indian Pueblo Kitchen , which serves freshly prepared Native American cuisine. Don’t leave without stocking up on some souvenirs, including Native American artwork and a wide selection of traditional and contemporary crafts, jewelry, pottery, rugs, and more. Pro tip: Check the events calendar for a schedule of the latest programming.

Santuario de Chimayo

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Marama Nengel, chef concierge at Bishop’s Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection , recommends taking an afternoon trip to Santuario de Chimayó , about 27 miles from Santa Fe. According to Nengel, thousands visit this picturesque adobe church — now a National Historic Landmark — each year. It’s best known for its holy dirt, which is believed to have healing properties. Per Nengel, no trip here is complete without a visit to the Centinela Traditional Arts gallery to see eight generations of Trujillo weavers. Finally, when hunger calls, tuck into some Southwestern fare at Rancho de Chimayó .

Puye Cliff Dwellings

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Located in Los Alamos, this National Historic Landmark was once home to 1,500 Pueblo Indians. It’s no surprise, then, that the site boasts some stunning Pueblo architecture and well-preserved cliff and cave dwellings. The panoramic valley views are an incredible added bonus. It’s worth noting that guided tours are available Monday to Thursday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Santa Fe Plaza

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Santa Fe Plaza is both a beloved tourist attraction and a popular gathering place for locals. This National Historic Landmark, established by the Spanish in the early 17th century, is renowned for its Spanish Pueblo architecture. The bustling location hosts a slew of events throughout the year, including the Traditional Spanish Market in the summer months. Come holiday season, the square gets decked out in twinkling lights, making it even more magical. In recent years, the area surrounding the Plaza has evolved into a buzzy hot spot with dozens of eclectic restaurants, shops, museums, and hotels.

El Rancho de Las Golondrinas

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El Rancho de Las Golondrinas (“The Ranch of the Swallows”) is a historic ranch-turned-living history museum near downtown Santa Fe, though its rural surroundings make it feel worlds away, What’s more, a visit to this 200-acre site, which is dotted with striking adobe buildings, feels like a step back in time to New Mexico in the 1800s. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the ranch served as an official rest stop for travelers on El Camino Real, which stretched from Mexico City to Santa Fe. Note the site is closed for general admission between November and March.

Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway

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The 65-mile Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway — named for the precious stone the Pueblo mined here centuries earlier — links Santa Fe and Albuquerque. As such, it makes for an excellent day trip from either city. The historic route winds through old mining and ghost towns such as Madrid , Golden , and Los Cerrillos . Carve out some time to stop at Casa Grande Trading Post , Cowgirl Red , and Tinkertown Museum , as well as Sandia Peak Tramway to soak up the postcard-worthy views from up high.

Sangre de Cristo Mountains

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According to Hans Loehr, adventure center architect at the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe , the Sangre de Cristo Mountains offer something for everyone, including scenic trails for hikers of all experience levels. Additionally, he tells Travel + Leisure , "Guests can enjoy exploring forests of aspen, ponderosa, and pinyon-juniper and meadows filled with colorful wildflowers, relaxing near alpine lakes, bagging some high mountain peaks, and pausing to take in breathtaking views from ridgetops and mountain summits.”

Rio Grande Gorge

Stretching nearly 50 miles, the magnificent, 800-foot-deep Rio Grande Gorge is considered the Grand Canyon of New Mexico. Soak in sweeping views of the rugged landscape from the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge , which, at 650 feet above the ground, is one of the country’s highest bridges. It’s also a popular spot for hiking.

Courtesy of Meow Wolf

Sontanna Sanchez, a concierge at the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe, recommends visiting Meow Wolf for a unique and immersive art experience. The kaleidoscopic “House of Eternal Return” features “more than 70 rooms, taking participants on a macrocosmic adventure only found in Santa Fe,” says Sanchez. All in all, the playful exhibit is sure to delight art lovers of all ages.

San Miguel Chapel

Michael Warren/Getty Images

Located along the Old Santa Fe Trail in Santa Fe’s Barrio de Analco Historic District , this Spanish colonial mission church is considered the oldest in the United States. While initially constructed in 1610, it has since been rebuilt twice (most recently in 1710). In terms of design, prepare to be dazzled by the adobe architecture; the interiors are equally spectacular with centuries-old wooden beams and the 750-plus-pound San Jose bell, which has its own fascinating history.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

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This national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in the Chihuahuan Desert in the southern part of the state. The enchanting attraction is home to nearly 120 caves. Travelers can easily spend the entire day exploring these captivating caverns, admiring the mystical stalagmites and stalactites, and spotting wildlife like bats and cougars. Don’t miss the Big Room, North America’s largest single cave chamber by volume. The 1.25-mile trail is a relatively easy 90-minute trek.

Old Town Albuquerque

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With its narrow winding streets and adobe architecture, Old Town Albuquerque oozes small-town charm. While lots has changed since its 1706 establishment, this dynamic destination has remained the city's heart. Despite its tiny 10-block radius, Old Town is packed with more than 150 independent restaurants and boutiques. It also hosts more than 40 events annually, including a car show, live music performances, and the world-famous Balloon Fiesta Week .

Taos Downtown Historic District

Despite its small size, Taos packs in plenty of charm and character. What’s more, this storied mountain town is renowned for its many galleries , scenic hiking trails, and, in the winter, world-class skiing. At the center of town is the Downtown Historic District , where you’ll find the 1796-era Taos Plaza. Here, locals and visitors alike gather to listen to live music and attend farmers markets and other events, including dozens of art-forward programming. An abundance of shops and galleries can also be found within easy walking distance. When it's time to refuel, head to one of the nearby cafes and restaurants . 

Taos Pueblo

Kathleen Messmer/Travel + Leisure

About three miles northwest of Taos Plaza lies the Taos Pueblo , which is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. The Pueblo has been inhabited for more than a millennium, and many of the adobe structures appear the same as when the Spanish first arrived in New Mexico in the 1500s. Hlauuma (north house) and Hlaukwima (south house) are the location's most famous buildings, and they’re considered the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the country.

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Best places to visit in new mexico.

New Mexico offers visitors an authentic taste of the American Southwest. With its melting pot of cultures, archaeological sites and stunning landscapes , New Mexico has more than earned its Land of Enchantment moniker. To help you decide where you should go on vacation in this diverse state, U.S. News compiled a list of the best places to visit in New Mexico using factors like culture, accessibility and attractions. Have a favorite destination? Vote for your top spot below to help determine next year's ranking.

Albuquerque

Gila cliff dwellings national monument, white sands national park, carlsbad caverns national park, silver city, petroglyph national monument.

Known as "The City Different," Santa Fe showcases a mix of Hispanic, Anglo and Native American cultures. This artistic capital city features 250-plus art galleries, more than 100 of which you'll find lining Canyon Road. Additionally, Santa Fe is home to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, where you can see hundreds of the renowned artist's works, and the New Mexico Museum of Art, which was the state's first building dedicated to art. When you need to satiate your appetite, get a taste of Santa Fe's fantastic food, including international bites and dishes made with red and green chiles, a New Mexico trademark.

Taos' "Soul of the Southwest" nickname can be attributed to the town's rich cultural heritage. Taos Pueblo embodies Taos' early history with 1,000-year-old adobe homes, while various museums in town reflect its Spanish influence and arts scene. With its location at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Taos also offers ample opportunities to enjoy summer activities like rock climbing, ballooning and even llama trekking. Meanwhile, winter is when Taos' highly regarded ski destinations – Taos Ski Valley, Angel Fire Resort, Red River Ski & Summer Area and Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort – welcome skiers in droves.

Albuquerque's proximity to the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande make it a popular base for outdoorsy weekend getaways . Bike the Paseo del Bosque Trail, or hike La Luz Trail to the top of Sandia Peak before riding the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway back down to the city. After breaking a sweat, learn more about the city's culture and history at Old Town Albuquerque institutions like the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and Albuquerque Museum. For an extra memorable New Mexico experience, arrive in early October to see hundreds of colorful balloons take flight during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in southwest New Mexico offers a glimpse into the lives and culture of the Mogollon people, who made their homes in its caves in the late 1200s. During your visit, you can tour the cliff dwellings and learn more about the site's former residents at its visitor center. You can also go hiking, bird-watching and fishing in the surrounding Gila National Forest. The area is home to several hot springs, so remember to bring a bathing suit with you. Keep in mind, this region does not have cell phone reception, so prepare to go off the grid.

White Sands may be one of America's newest national parks, but it has drawn travelers for decades with its otherworldly landscape. Nestled in the Tularosa Basin, the park features more than 73,000 acres of white gypsum sand, making it the world's largest gypsum dune field. Visitors can sled down the wave-like dunes or explore the park on foot, by horse, by bike or by car. Note that Dunes Drive (the park's scenic thoroughfare) occasionally closes when missile tests occur at the park's missile range.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park's network of 100-plus caves delights visitors with its fascinating rock formations. Travelers can take their time exploring this UNESCO World Heritage Site's caves via two self-guided trails or discover other areas on a ranger-led tour. To observe this southern New Mexico park's resident bats, visit between May and October to watch them exit the cavern during the free evening Bat Flight Program. The warmer months are also an excellent time to stargaze during a night hike or ranger-guided night sky program. (Note: Due to flood damage sustained in 2022, several roads and trails are closed.)

Named for its prior life as a silver mining town, Silver City still retains some of its former charm in its central Historic District, which features Victorian-, Queen Anne- and Italianate-style buildings. Here, history buffs can learn about the town's ties to legendary 19th-century figures like Billy the Kid and Geronimo at the Silver City Museum, and art lovers can pop into galleries or admire Silver City's 50-plus murals. Meanwhile, outdoorsy types can hike part of the Continental Divide Trail and trek the paths in boulder-filled City of Rocks State Park 33 miles southeast.

With the peaks of the Organ Mountains looming in the background, Las Cruces' Main Street charms visitors with its coffee shops, bookstores, local restaurants and nostalgic theaters. Attractions like the Museum of Nature & Science and the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum appeal to culture hounds, while shoppers can peruse stalls at the renowned Farmers & Crafts Market of Las Cruces. Beyond the city center, this southern New Mexico city's desert-meets-mountain landscape and ample sunshine allow for year-round outdoor activities, including hiking and biking, horseback riding and excursions to nearby White Sands National Park.

Outdoor adventures top the list of things to do in Farmington. Situated in the Four Corners region (where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet), Farmington is a confluence for three rivers and is surrounded by wide-open spaces for fly-fishing, golfing, kayaking, mountain biking and driving off-road vehicles. What's more, the town is just more than an hour's drive from must-visit wonders like the Chaco Culture National Historical Park and the badlands of the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area. In town, visitors can partake in local festivals and learn more about the Native American tribes that have long called the area home.

Petroglyph National Monument contains more than 25,000 carved images from the area's early Pueblo people and Spanish settlers, making it one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America. Because the property offers so much to see, start your visit at the information center to learn more about the monument and its available activities. Then, take a short drive to one of three areas – Boca Negra Canyon, Rinconada Canyon or Piedras Marcadas Canyon – to hike to various petroglyphs. Be careful where you step, though, as the monument is home to several kinds of snakes, including venomous rattlesnakes.

Located on historic Route 66, the small town of Gallup attracts visitors seeking authentic cultural exploration and natural splendor. With trading posts selling jewelry, art, dolls and clothing made by Native American artisans; events like the Summer Indigenous Dance & Arts; and exhibits at the Gallup Culture Center, Gallup prides itself as being the "Gateway to Native America." Red Rock Park, a 640-acre park featuring awe-inspiring sandstone cliffs, is another reason to visit. Beyond its trails and scenic views, the park is also home to a rodeo arena, a museum with Native American artifacts and a balloon rally held every December.

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Bandelier National Monument

Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness

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New Mexico Travel Guide

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Settled in turn by Native Americans, Spaniards, Mexicans and Yankees, NEW MEXICO remains hugely diverse. Each successive group has built upon the legacy of its predecessors; their histories and achievements are intertwined, rather than simply dominated by the white American latecomers.

The Ancestral Puebloans

The rio grande pueblos, route 66 in the southwest.

New Mexico’s indigenous peoples – especially the Pueblo Indians, heirs to the Ancestral Puebloans – provide a sense of cultural continuity. After the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 forced a temporary Spanish withdrawal into Mexico, proselytizing padres co-opted the natives without destroying their traditional ways of life, as local deities and celebrations were incorporated into Catholic practice. Somewhat bizarrely to outsiders, grand churches still dominate many Pueblo communities, often adjacent to the underground ceremonial chambers known as kivas.

The Americans who arrived in 1848 saw New Mexico as a wasteland. Apart from a few mining booms and range wars – such as the Lincoln County War, which brought Billy the Kid to fame – New Mexico was relatively undisturbed until it became a state in 1912. Since World War II, when the secret Manhattan Project built the first atomic bomb here, it has been home to America’s premier weapons research outposts. By and large, people work close to the land, mining, farming and ranching.

The mountainous north is the New Mexico of popular imagination, with its pastel colours, vivid desert landscape and adobe architecture. Even Santa Fe, the one real city, is hardly metropolitan in scale and the narrow streets of its small historic centre retain the feel of bygone days. The amiable frontier town of Taos, 75 miles northeast, is remarkable chiefly for the stacked dwellings of neighbouring Taos Pueblo.

While most travellers simply race through central New Mexico, it does hold isolated pockets of interest. Dozens of small towns hang on to remnants of the winding old “Chicago-to-LA” Route 66, long since superseded by I-40. Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, sits dead centre. The area to the east, stretching toward Texas, is largely desolate, but the mountainous region west offers more – above all Ácoma Pueblo, the mesa-top “Sky City”.

In wild, wide-open southern New Mexico, deep Carlsbad Caverns and the desolate dunes of White Sands are the main attractions, and elsewhere you can still stumble upon mining and cattle-ranching towns barely changed since the end of the Wild West.

The single most defining feature of New Mexico is its adobe architecture, as seen on homes, churches and even shopping malls and motels. A sun-baked mixture of earth, sand, charcoal and chopped grass or straw, adobe bricks are set with a similar mortar, then plastered over with mud and straw. The soil used dictates the colour of the final building, so subtle variations are apparent everywhere. These days, most of what looks like adobe is actually painted cement or concrete, but even this looks attractive enough in its own semi-kitsch way, while hunting out such superb genuine adobes as the remote Santuario de Chimayó on the “High Road” between Taos and Santa Fe, the formidable church of San Francisco de Asis in Ranchos de Taos or the multitiered dwellings of Taos Pueblo, can provide the focus of an enjoyable New Mexico tour.

Few visitors to the Southwest are prepared for the awesome scale and beauty of the desert cities and cliff palaces left by the Ancestral Puebloans, as seen all over the high plateaus of the “Four Corners” region, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah now meet.

Although the earliest humans reached the Southwest around 10,000 BC, the Ancestral Puebloans first appeared as the Basketmakers, near the San Juan River, two thousand years ago. Named for their woven sandals and bowls, they lived in pits in the earth, roofed with logs and mud. Over time, the Ancestral Puebloans adopted an increasingly settled lifestyle, becoming expert farmers and potters. Their first freestanding houses on the plains were followed by multistoreyed pueblos, in which hundreds of families lived in complexes of contiguous “apartments”. The astonishing cliff dwellings, perched on precarious ledges high above remote canyons, which they began to build around 1100 AD, were the first Ancestral Puebloan settlements to show signs of defensive fortifications. Competition for scarce resources became even fiercer toward the end of the thirteenth century and it’s thought that warfare and even cannibalism played a role in their ultimate dispersal. Moving eastward, they joined forces with other displaced groups in a coming-together that eventually produced the modern Pueblo Indians. Hence the recent change of name, away from “Anasazi”, a Navajo word meaning “ancient enemies”, in favour of “Ancestral Puebloan”.

Among the most significant Ancestral Puebloan sites are:

Magnificent cliff palaces, high in the canyons of Colorado.

Bandelier National Monument

Large riverside pueblos and cave-like homes hollowed from volcanic rock.

Chaco Canyon

The largest and most sophisticated freestanding pueblos, far out in the desert.

Canyon de Chelly

Superbly dramatic cliff dwellings in a glowing sandstone canyon now owned and farmed by the Navajo.

Enigmatic towers poised above a canyon.

Several small pueblo communities near the edge of the Painted Desert, built by assorted groups after an eleventh-century volcanic eruption.

Walnut Canyon

Numerous homes set into the canyon walls above lush Walnut Creek, just east of Flagstaff.

Canyon-side community set in a vast rocky alcove in Navajo National Monument; visible from afar, or close-up on guided hikes.

The first Spaniards to explore what’s now New Mexico encountered 100,000 so-called Pueblo Indians, living in a hundred villages and towns (pueblo is Spanish for “village”). Resenting the imposition of Catholicism and their virtual enslavement, the various tribes banded together in the 1680 Pueblo Revolt and ousted the entire colonial regime, killing scores of priests and soldiers and sending hundreds more south to Mexico. After the Spanish returned in 1693, the Pueblos showed little further resistance and they have coexisted ever since, accepting aspects of Catholicism without giving up their traditional beliefs and practices. New Mexico is now home to around forty thousand Pueblo Indians; each of its nineteen autonomous pueblos has its own laws and system of government.

The Pueblos celebrate Saints’ days, major Catholic holidays such as Easter and the Epiphany and even the Fourth of July with a combination of Native American traditions and Catholic rituals, featuring elaborately costumed dances and massive communal feasts. The spectacle of hundreds of costumed, body-painted tribal members of all ages, performing elaborate dances in such timeless surroundings, is hugely impressive.

However, few pueblos are quite the tourist attractions they’re touted to be. While the best known, Taos and Ácoma, retain their ancient defensive architecture, the rest tend to be dusty adobe hamlets scattered around a windblown plaza. Unless you arrive on a feast day or are a knowledgeable shopper in search of Pueblo crafts, visits are liable to prove disappointing. In addition, you’ll be made very unwelcome if you fail to behave respectfully – don’t “explore” places that are off-limits to outsiders, such as shrines, kivas or private homes.

Fifteen of the pueblos are concentrated along the Rio Grande north of Albuquerque, with a long-standing division between the seven southern pueblos, south of Santa Fe, most of which speak Keresan and the group to the north, which mostly speak Tewa (pronounced tay-wah). Visitors to each are required to register at a visitor centre; some charge an admission fee of $3–10 and those that permit such activities typically charge additional fees of $5 for still photography, $10–15 for video cameras and up to $100 for sketching. There’s no extra charge for feast days or dances, but photography is usually forbidden on special occasions.

If you do ever plan to motor west, there’s still one definitive highway that’s the best. Eighty-five years since it was first completed, 75 since John Steinbeck called it “the mother road, the road of flight” in The Grapes of Wrath and 65 since songwriter Bobby Troup set it all down in rhyme, what better reason to visit the Southwest could there be than to get hip to this timely tip and get your kicks on Route 66?

The heyday of Route 66 as the nation’s premier cross-country route – winding from Chicago to LA – lasted barely twenty years, from its being paved in 1937 until it began to be superseded by freeways in 1957. It was officially rendered defunct in 1984, when Williams, Arizona, became the last town to be bypassed. Nonetheless, substantial stretches of the original Route 66 survive, complete with the motels and drive-ins that became icons of vernacular American architecture. Restored 1950s roadsters and the latest Harley Davidsons alike flock to cruise along the atmospheric, neon-lit frontages of towns such as Albuquerque and Flagstaff, or through such empty desertscapes as those between Grants and Gallup in New Mexico or Seligman and Kingman in Arizona.

Still home to one of the longest-established Native American populations in the USA, though transformed by becoming first a Spanish colonial outpost and more recently a hangout for bohemian artists, Hollywood exiles and New Age dropouts, TAOS (which rhymes with “mouse”) is famous out of all proportion to its size. Not quite six thousand people live in its three component parts: Taos itself, around the plaza; sprawling Ranchos de Taos, three miles to the south; and the Native American community of Taos Pueblo, two miles north.

Beyond the usual unsightly highway sprawl, Taos is a delight to visit. Besides museums, galleries and stores, it still offers an unhurried pace and charm and the sense of a meeting place between Pueblo, Hispanic and American cultures. Its reputation as an artists’ colony began at the end of the nineteenth century, and new generations of artists and writers have “discovered” Taos ever since. English novelist D.H. Lawrence visited in the 1920s, while Georgia O’Keeffe stayed for a few years soon afterwards.

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These 9 New Mexico destinations capture the best of the Land of Enchantment

Dec 5, 2021 • 6 min read

A woman stands at the entrance to New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns © Westend61 / Getty Images

New Mexico earns its "Land of Enchantment" nickname with unsurpassed vistas, history-soaked towns and multi-faceted culture. Often underestimated, the state rewards travelers with family-friendly getaways and bucket-list-worthy adventures around every turn.     

The most famous area is northern New Mexico, with Santa Fe's desertscapes and storied buildings as its centerpiece. However, the southern part of the state has a few marvels stashed in its back pocket, too.

The sovereign lands of 19 Pueblo tribes, two Apache reservations, and the Navajo Nation dot every corner of New Mexico, where the elevation climbs from the banks of the sinuous Rio Grande to the forested peaks of the southernmost ranges of the Rocky Mountains.

Here are the best places to go.

Best for art

It’s hard not to feel like you’re time-traveling in Santa Fe , where 400-year-old burro trails became streets around The Plaza and a grand European-style cathedral towers over low-slung adobe inheritances from the 1600s.

Pull up a barstool in this town and you could be doing so next to an artist who fills local venues rivaling those in New York and Los Angeles. Collectors can spend days perusing the highbrow galleries bookending Canyon Road and the assemblage in the Railyard Arts District . The city also offers a quartet of museums at Museum Hil, including the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art and Museum of International Folk Art , as well as the neon glow of  Meow Wolf ’s House of Eternal Return , a mindbending interactive art installation.

Best for outdoor recreation 

Summiting the tallest peak in the state, rambling with llamas and kayaking the wild and scenic Rio Grande are all in a day’s travel in Taos . Taos Ski Valley offers steep-and-deep skiing and North America’s tallest lift-served run in winter and high-alpine trekking terrain in summer. Outdoorsy folks will revel in the Rio Grande Gorge ’s triple threat of recreation: climbing, rafting, and hiking.  

San Francisco’s counterculture has nothing on Taos, where the local radio station is solar-powered and communes are a contemporary way of life. Sustainable homes known as Earthships sail on the sagebrush mesa northwest of town and curious visitors can bunk inside the packed-tire and glass bottle walls for the night.

Albuquerque

Best for nightlife and culture.

A third of the state’s population lives in the greater Albuquerque area and is supplied with superb bars, concert venues and restaurants. New Mexico overflows with suds, but the Duke City has a corner on the craft beer scene with more than 40 breweries including award-winners such as  Marble Brewery and trendsetters  Bow & Arrow Brewing Co . Oenophiles will find plenty to sip in the city's numerous tasting rooms — don’t miss Gruet Winery ’s sparkling wines.

You might also like: Finding sanctuary in one of America’s few Native-owned breweries

Revelry turns upscale at the KiMo Theatre , where live music and indie flicks get equal billing on the marquees. Meanwhile, two nationally acclaimed cultural attractions tout the state’s founding cultures. Within a tortilla’s toss from downtown, the National Hispanic Culture Center raises the curtain on flamenco, opera, and symphony performances. Meanwhile, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center unfurls the story of the region’s Indigenous peoples through exhibitions, traditional dance performances and a pre-contact–meets–contemporary menu at Indian Pueblo Kitchen .  

Best for families

This mountain hamlet is a perennial vacation spot for families who return each year for its quaint downtown, hearty restaurants, and laidback outdoors scene. Ruidoso is ensconced in the 1.1 million-acre Lincoln National Forest . Two hundred miles of trails carve Sacramento Mountain peaks and wildflower meadows. Be sure to pay your respects at the grave of Smokey Bear , the real-life inspiration for the anti-forest fire mascot, who hails from these hills and is buried in them.

Truth or Consequences

Best for space travel.

This humble haven, aka T or C, was previously best known as an affordable getaway for soaking in geothermal hot springs . Today it’s a billionaire hotspot thanks to two destinations. Spaceport America , the world’s first purpose-built spaceport, is home to Virgin Galactic’s headquarters and was the launch point for Richard Branson’s historic spaceflight in 2021. People who can’t afford a ticket into orbit can stay on the ground with a tour that includes views of the Virgin Galactic fleet and riding a G-force simulator. Travelers also line up for tours of media mogul-turned-conservationist Ted Turner’s reserves . His national-park-sized Ladder and Armendaris Ranches protect majestic landscapes, bison herds and endangered species.  

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Best for spelunking.

Cathedral-sized rooms, double-decker pillars and cascading rock curtains all lie below the surface of the Chihuahuan Desert in southeastern New Mexico. With 119 caves and counting, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is home to one of the world’s most extensive cave systems, which earned the karst landscape a nod as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Most visitors stay on the main trail, riding the elevator down to the Big Room to wander a football field’s worth of stalagmites and stalactites. The 1.25-mile Natural Entrance trail is well worth taking to see named formations like Devil’s Spring and Whale’s Mouth, even if the return trip requires a thigh-burning 75-story ascent. Intrepid and claustrophobia-immune travelers can venture into remote caves on ranger-guided spelunks.

White Sands National Park

Best for natural splendor.

One of New Mexico’s iconic national parks, the glistening dunes of White Sands National Park sprawl across 275 square miles of deserts. Get started by following Dunes Drive on a 16-mile round trip into the heart of the sugary drifts. But don’t stay in the car. Pack a plastic saucer or buy one from the visitor’s center to sled the 60ft-tall banks. The Alkali Flat Trail travels five miles into the backcountry to the dunes’ birthplace at Lake Otero, a sandy slog that rewards hikers with unspoiled views of the otherworldly gypsum expanse that’s played backdrop to films and music videos.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Best for heritage.

An often-overlooked center of the ancient world, the great houses at Chaco sheltered thousands of people 1200 years ago. The stacked-stone buildings stand as proof of the Ancestral Puebloans’ ancient feats of engineering. Most travelers follow the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive to sites like Pueblo Bonito , where visitors stoop through doorways and follow age-old passages. Four backcountry trails pass petroglyph sites to reveal vistas of outlying great houses and roads that still carve the mesas of what is now western New Mexico. Come nighttime, the International Dark Sky Park reveals clear views of the Milky Way and sparkling constellations spilling through the midnight sky.

Best for eating chile

No trip to New Mexico is complete without tasting – or gorging yourself on – the state’s signature chile-laden cuisine. You’ll be tripping over chile in Las Cruces as it’s served in everything from enchiladas, beer, wine to waffles. But there are two can’t-miss spots to appreciate the pepper. In town, the New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute is the only place in the world dedicated solely to researching capsicum, or chile pepper. Many of the state’s favorite peppers were cultivated here and are grown in the teaching garden. A tour will give you encyclopedic knowledge of the spicy fruit.

Forty miles north, Hatch , the self-proclaimed chile capital of the world, grows so much chile that the town’s name has become synonymous with it. Stop in Sparkys Burgers & BBQ for a green-chile cheeseburger or chile milkshake with enough heat that you’ll remember the meal long after you’ve left.

You might also like: The best day trips from Albuquerque See the Southwest USA's most iconic landscapes on this epic road trip The Southwest USA's 7 best hiking trails

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