The best city hikes and walks around Santa Fe

Santa Fe Plaza stands as the historic and cultural heart of Santa Fe. Founded in 1610, it’s one of the oldest continuously occupied public spaces in the United States. The Plaza was originally designed as the central square for the Spanish colonial Presidio, surrounded by residences, a chapel, and the seat of government. Over the centuries it evolved — welcoming trade caravans arriving along the historic Santa Fe Trail, serving as a gathering place for Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and later American communities, hosting centuries of civic, social, and cultural life. Today, the Plaza remains a lively public square ringed by adobe-style buildings, galleries, boutiques, and museums — including the Palace of the Governors, the oldest continuously occupied public building in the U.S. The plaza is also the official starting point for the Santa Fe to Taos thru-hike.

Stretching from Franklin, Missouri, to Santa Fe, the Old Santa Fe Trail was once a key 19th-century trade route linking the American frontier with Mexico. Its final miles descend into modern-day Santa Fe, where ruts and landmarks still echo its storied past. Following this historic path north offers a rare sense of continuity between New Mexico’s present-day wilderness and its frontier origins.

Today the chapel is a wedding venue and museum, which you can visit for $5. It features a highly unique spiral staircase, which was built without a center pole such that the weight of all the stairs rests on the base step, and the staircase springs up and down like an accordion when faced with heavy vibrations. For the first ten years, it didn't even have a railing.

Old Santa Fe is the historic downtown area. It's known for its mix of Naive Pueblo and Spanish Colonial styles of architecture and is an excellent mix of culture, history, shops, and views. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Nice town to spend a day Route 66

Capital of the US federal state of New Mexico, with many Pueblo style buildings.

The old town of Santa Fe is full of charm. It has kept its authenticity with its old center made of adobe houses. It is a city where you will find many art galleries, but also exceptional and unique museums like the Mocna (Museum of Contemporary Native Art) as well as many sculptures in the streets. This part of the original city revolves around the Santa Fe Plaza, where many artists sell their crafts on the ground. The Mocna is just opposite the church dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi. For more information see their website: https://iaia.edu/mocna/

Around the square there are shops on all four sides, especially chic jewelry stores, shoe stores and clothing shops. Sometimes even grouped together in small indoor malls, there is an incredible variety of mostly very expensive shopping opportunities. Especially those who like Indian jewelry and cowboy boots will get their money's worth at a very high price level. But there is also a jeweler with Breitling watches etc. Absolutely comparable to the chic malls and shops in Southern California. In addition, many nice little bars and restaurants as well as some very chic hotels, all in pueblo style and definitely worth a visit.