Welcome to 'the city different,' a place that makes its own rules without ever forgetting its long and storied past. Walking through its historic neighborhoods, or around the busy Plaza that remains its core, there's no denying that Santa Fe has a timeless, earthy soul. Founded around 1610, Santa Fe is the second-oldest city and the oldest state capital in the US, and is all but unique in having not only preserved many of its seductive original adobe buildings, but also insisted that all new downtown structures follow the same architectural style. And yet, despite being home to the country’s oldest public building and throwing its oldest annual party, Fiesta, Santa Fe is also synonymous with contemporary chic, thanks to its thriving art market, gourmet restaurants, great museums, upscale spas and world-class opera.
At over 7000ft above sea level, Santa Fe is also the nation’s highest state capital. Sitting at the foot of the glowing Sangre de Cristo range, it makes a fantastic base for hiking, mountain biking, backpacking and skiing. When you come off the trails, you can indulge in chile-smothered local cuisine, buy turquoise and silver directly from Native American jewelers in the Plaza, visit remarkable churches, or simply wander along centuries-old, cottonwood-shaded lanes and daydream about some day moving here.
Santa Fe’s mind-boggling assortment of characters include traditional and avant-garde artists, New Age hippy transplants, Spanish families that have called the city home for centuries, Mexican immigrants, retirees from both coasts, and more than a few Hollywood producers and movie stars. Most are drawn above all by the relaxed attitude, the sense of space, the unbeatable climate and that certain something that gives Santa Fe a singularly alluring essence.