Santa Fe (“Holy Faith” in Spanish), the capital of New Mexico, was founded in 1607 by Spanish explorers and is the oldest capital city in America. Nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (the southern end of the Rocky Mountains) Santa Fe is also the highest capital city at 7,000 feet. Today it is an internationally known tourist destination renowned for its culture, art and traditions. It is consistently ranked among America’s top 10 tourist destinations with more than 5,700 hotel, spa and inn rooms, plus more than 200 restaurants and 250 art galleries.
Santa Fe is also admired by its visitors for its beautiful landscape, vibrant colors, and playful atmosphere. It is a city that takes hold of all the senses and immerses mind and body in its incredible ambiance. Santa Fe enjoys four distinct seasons, however, with 300 days of sunshine, there is no off-season for outdoor activities.
Santa Fe’s ambiance is unique and is a result of its long and rich history. It has been designated as an international UNESCO Creative City under the category of Crafts and Folk Art, and after one visit it is not difficult to see why. The Indian, Hispanic and Anglo tri-cultural base, the renowned unique earth-tone, pueblo-style Adobe architecture, and the many galleries and art venues make this city well-known and respected for its authentic creative style. Santa Fe is also the third largest art market in the country. More art is sold in Santa Fe than any other city in America except New York and Los Angeles.
Santa Fe’s tourism appeal is year round, with a seemingly endless stream of festivals and events in the summer, and the city’s year-round art, shopping, cultural and culinary attractions are enhanced by nearby skiing in the winter. The city hosts about 1.5 million tourists annually, with hundreds of thousands of additional uncounted day visitors from nearby cities like Albuquerque.
Santa Fe is centrally located in northern New Mexico. It is about 55 miles north of Albuquerque and 380 miles south of Denver and is connected to both by the I-25 interstate freeway. Santa Fe has a local airport, with non-stop flights from Denver, Dallas, and Los Angeles through United and American Airlines. Additionally, Albuquerque International Airport is one hour away.