New Mexico provides a distinctive fusion of Spanish influence, Native American customs, and contemporary charm. The state is renowned for its breathtaking vistas, lively culture, and extensive history.
New Mexico’s past and present are encapsulated in a network of quaint little villages that lay beyond the busy cities of Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
Come along as we explore these undiscovered treasures, where you can learn about the state’s striking natural beauty, lively culture, and rich history.
Cerrillos
Once a strong candidate for the capital of New Mexico, Cerrillos is now a sleepy village of just 100 people where tourists can easily unplug while exploring its dirt streets and experiencing the Old West vibe.
Visitors can view local antiquities and antiques that are indicative of the town’s previous mining boom at the Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum, which was formerly a significant mining hamlet.
Another historic treasure is Cerrillos Station, a renovated home that currently houses a mercantile and art gallery.
Chimayo
Chimayo, which is only 40 minutes from the state capital, is a fantastic day trip destination for residents of Santa Fe. Currently listed as a National Historic Landmark, El Santuario de Chimayó is one of Chimayo’s most notable landmarks.
It has an adobe chapel with a bell tower on either side. The shrine, which is thought to have unique healing and blessing abilities, receives about 300,000 visits annually.
Centinela Traditional Arts, a weaving gallery where visitors can purchase items, is one noteworthy destination.
A hungry tourist must pause for lunch at Rancho de Chimayo, which provides New Mexican cuisine prepared using generations-old traditions, after a hectic morning of touring the shrine and weaving businesses.
Read Also: Where to Find the Best Fall Vibes in Tennessee’s Towns This 2024
Mesilla
Mesilla has actively maintained its adobe-style architecture in spite of changing times and technology; today, the buildings in the center of downtown house shops, museums, restaurants, and art galleries.
Wandering through Mesilla Plaza will give visitors the impression that time has stopped. The famous Basilica of San Albino, which was constructed in 1855 and is still in use as a church that celebrates masses in both Spanish and English, is located downtown as well.
There are plenty of New Mexico artisan stores in the downtown area, like Del Sol, which offers ceramics, jewelry, home décor, and purses, for individuals who want to recall the town’s rich culture.
Read Also: Get Away From It All: Wisconsin’s Secluded Towns
Tucumcari
Diverse attractions allow tourists to discover and experience Tucumcari’s history, which includes Mesozoic-era dinosaur remains, 13th-century Ancestral Puebloans, and, more recently, the introduction of Route 66 in 1926.
The town’s museums have maintained a large portion of its rich past. The Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum and Natural Sciences Laboratory displays both actual and replica fossils, while the Tucumcari Historical Museum, located in a 1903 school building, displays three floors of artifact collections.
Like many other Route 66 towns in the state, Tucumcari takes pride in maintaining its neon signage, which tourists can search for throughout the town.
Read Also: Top Adorable College Towns in North Carolina for Students and Visitors
Silver City
This culture is aptly represented in its downtown area, which strikes a balance between vibrant paintings and sculptures and historic frontier structures.
The “Big Ditch,” which was once Silver City’s main thoroughfare before being destroyed by flooding, is another place for tourists to visit within this historic neighborhood. Big Ditch is now a public park with a creek and trees.
A wonderful spot to visit is the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, which dates back hundreds of years.
The remains of cliff houses built by the Mogollon peoples, who inhabited the area between the 1280s and 1300s, can be seen in the center of the Gila National Forest.
Choosing a place to stay in Silver City can be a little intimidating because of its many varieties.
World Atlas: 7 Old-World Towns to Visit in New Mexico
Leave a Reply