What to do in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico is the underrated capital of New Mexico that is filled with so much history that includes good food, interesting traditions, and a beautiful landscape. It is yo girl emilia and today I am here to give you a travel guide of what to do and eat in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Enjoy!

Where to Eat in Santa Fe, New Mexico

↦Famous Plaza Cafe

54 Lincoln Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501 

This restaurant is located in the Santa Fe Main Plaza and it is a quick walk from all sorts of shops, and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. The decor of the place is very retro and makes you feel like you are about to get a chocolate milkshake in the '50s, I especially liked the lights. With lots of windows, the restaurant has lots of beautiful natural light and a view of the Plaza.  

The food is quite good, it is not that heavy and they have a variety of choices that range from New Mexico- Mexican food, to American burgers. My personal favorite of the dinning in Santa Fe are the Sopaipillas. These are appetizers that are served at most restaurants in the city, and let me tell you, they are delicious. Sopaipillas are pieces of fluffy bread that are delicious with flavor and oh my gosh, so savory. 

↦The Shed

113 1/2 E Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501

The Shed is a restaurant that wins best ambiance in my opinion. This place is a restaurant located within a courtyard, a very common thing in Santa Fe. You will be walking on a sidewalk with doors of jewelry shops, then all of a sudden, a huge, colorful sign made of wood with "THE SHED" in turquoise blue, draws your eyes to a little purple door, where the entrance of the restaurant is located. The Shed includes an indoor and outdoor seating area that are both appealing, but it just depends on the weather. 

The food is also pretty good, they know how to use their spices to give a kick in the food, and the food is not that expensive either. I highly recommend this place, my family was day dreaming over the food days later. 

↦Sage Bakehouse

113 1/2 E Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Sage Bakehouse is a bakery/cafe that is so unique and refreshing. They display a huge rack of freshly baked bread, all sorts of different kinds for you to purchase from. They also have clear cabinets filled with other baked goodies, like croissants and sandwiches.

The cafe has lots of natural light where people like to spend their quiet mornings reading the newspaper and having some good food. I personally enjoy their panini's, which have yummy mozzarella and whichever other fillings you choose.

Where to Go in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe Plaza

The heart of the city. This plaza is the best place to walk around, look for

restaurants, and shop around the town with New Mexican architecture. In the plaza, there are all sorts of beautiful Christmas lights in the winter time, and they even have a Menorah for Hanukkah that they light each night.

During the day, the Governors Palace is filled with Native Americans, and Spanish people selling traditional jewelry that involve beautiful craftsmanship of sterling silver, copper, and so many stones and jewels. This is where you can get the prettiest pieces of turquoise and negotiate for a reasonable price. Every single time I have been there, there are always displays of huge chunks of turquoise, traditional sand paintings, jewelry, pottery, all sorts of other beautiful products that you can purchase and bring back to your lovely home.

Ski Santa Fe

Whether if you are in Santa Fe for skiing or not, you should drive up to Ski Santa Fe because it is beautiful! The drive is not that long up, but there are lots of national parks for you to stop, get out, and walk around to see the pretty nature. You don't even need to drive all the way up if you don't want to, my only recommendation is to stop and walk around at one of the many stops. 

My family and I don't go to Santa Fe to ski, but when we do drive up, there was this one spot that was covered in snow and had a little river. My siblings ran around throwing snow at each other and my Mom and I walked further along the trail, looking at the pretty aspen trees. 

The Oldest Buildings in America

Santa Fe is a city that was constantly taken over by different rulings. First with the Native Americans, Spanish, and then the Mexican, and then finally as a American state capital. That means that this city is rich with history and it also has some of the oldest buildings in America. In fact, New Mexico has the 4 oldest buildings in America that are still in use, and 2 are in Santa Fe! 

The Governor's Palace and the San Miguel Mission were both built around 1610 in Spanish rule. The Governor's Palace was a government building and now serves as the marketplace where you can purchase lots of jewelry, as mentioned before. The San Miguel Mission is a Catholic church with interesting architecture that still serves mass today! You can visit both and get a taste of history in this old, Spanish colonial town.

Thank you for reading this post! I hope you enjoy your trip to Santa Fe, happy travels!

Love,
yo girl emilia

MY OTHER TRAVEL GUIDES:
Venice, California:
https://yogirlemilia.blogspot.com/2018/03/travel-guide-los-angles-2-venice.html
Chicago, Illinois:
https://yogirlemilia.blogspot.com/2017/10/flying-to-chicago-and-what-to-do-there_10.html
Los Angeles, California:
https://yogirlemilia.blogspot.com/2017/09/flying-to-los-angeles-and-what-to-do.html


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