Santa Fe Road Trip – Plaza and Downtown Walking Tour

Last Updated on September 12, 2023 by

A Brief History

The name “Santa Fe” means ‘Holy Faith’ in Spanish, and the city’s full name as founded remains La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís (‘The Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi’). Santa Fe is truly the story of America. Originally inhabited by Native Americans sometime between 1050 and 1150, most archaeologists agree the land was abandoned fully 200 years before the arrival of Spanish Conquistadors.
A small contingent of Spanish arrived in 1607, but it was truly settled with the arrival of Conquistador Don Pedro de Peralta in 1609. That same year, he moved the capital of the ‘Kingdom of New Mexico’ from San Juan Pueblo to Santa Fe making it the oldest capital city in America. It is also home to the oldest public building in America, the Palace of the Governors, making Santa Fe an established European community a full thirteen years before the arrival of the Pilgrims to Plymouth, MA.

Walking Tour

Our walking tour is about three miles and will take you in and around the downtown area. It specifically skips Canyon Road and the Railroad Arts District as we left those for a full separate day of shopping and walking. Unsurprisingly, the Spanish influence provides many religious landmarks along the way with a few contemporary and historic buildings. The route is nearly flat with the exception of the long winding path up the hill to the Cross of the Martyrs.

Santa Fe Plaza

In the tradition of most Spanish-American colonial cities, the plaza is the heart of the town, not to mention the financial and social center. The perfect starting place for this tour, you will likely find some sort of cultural event happening in or around the Plaza from craft fairs, to street artists, to my personal favorite the Holiday Lighting Event on the Plaza. Every year the Plaza gets decked out in lights with the town turning out for the lighting event. Music plays, food vendors abound, Girl Scouts provide hot chocolate, and Santa and Mrs. Claus may even put in an appearance via vintage fire truck. Magical. In September, the Plaza hosts the Fiesta de Santa Fe, the longest running festival in the country. The festival was established in 1712 to celebrate the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico following the Pueblo revolt in 1680. Today, the festival has seen many revisions to the original, but it still includes historical reenactments, Catholic mass services, arts, crafts, food booths, and lots of live music and dancing.

The center of the Plaza contains an obelisk designating the entire Plaza a National Historic Landmark, befitting its 400 year history. It has seen immigration via the three trade routes established in the 17th and 18th centuries, followed by rail, then by Route 66, and finally by interstate. The streets of ‘The City Different’ certainly have many tales to tell.

The hearty shopper could easily spend weeks here doing nothing else other than window shopping. Window shopping. Pshaw! I can’t say I have the same zest as the ladies, but the stroll outside in absolutely perfect weather with the promise of a cerveza at the end of the day makes the trek manageable. It’s just so gorgeous here. All the adobe architecture, all the history, all the nature and a riot of color even though we’re in the desert – I love it! We were walking on the same road as those were a generation ago on the Historic Santa Fe Trail from Kansas City to Santa Fe circa 1822. Amazing! Not to be dismissed under any circumstance is the incredible food we’ve had here. We’ve eaten out more in the last two weeks than the last 4 months combined and have yet to be disappointed.

Green chile is a national past time here and you can get it in/on just about anything imaginable. A lot of that eating out was precipitated by a ton of walking around so that we were just too lazy to cook. Certainly we earned our food on those days. And nice to finally be back in civilization where we can get some world class chefs. ‘Christmas’ is definitely the way to go – an even blend of both red and green chiles – and there’s some chance you won’t be mistaken for a tourist if you go that route.

Palace of the Governors

Currently the site of the New Mexico History Museum, the Palace was constructed in 1610 and is the longest building in continuous use by European settlers in the country. The building has seen Sana Fe transition as the capital for the Spanish “Kingdom of New Mexico,” to the Mexican province of Nuevo Mejico, to the American territory of New Mexico (which contained what is today Arizona and New Mexico) and finally, in 1912 the state of New Mexico. It has also known defeat in war. During the Mexican-American War Santa Fe was the first foreign capital captured by the United States in 1846 by General Stephen Watts Kearny.

Did you Know?
Today, it is not uncommon for the portal facing the Plaza to be filled with artisans selling handmade jewelry and crafts. Blue-green turquoise is ever present in Native American jewelry as it is linked to both sky and water. Turquoise is particularly linked to Navajo culture, associating it with healing and protection, but many other Native American tribes also have close ties to turquoise. For example, the Zuni believe that turquoise is a manifestation of the sun’s life-giving power, while the Apache believe turquoise is the rain found at the end of a rainbow

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

Missing an opportunity to visit the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum was a great regret of ours. We were overcome by COVID restrictions, tour times, and logistics. If you want to visit this museum, tour tickets become available 30 days in advance and we highly recommend giving yourself at least a 3 or 4 day window.

O’Keeffe is one of the most famous Sant Fe artists, often referred to as the ‘Mother of American modernism’. Gaining fame in the early 1920’s, she is best known for her watercolor paintings of flowers and Southwest themes. The museum has over 3000 of her works.

If you are unable to get tickets here, and want to road trip, the Georgia O’Keeffe Home and Studio is located about 25 miles north in Abiquiú, NM.

Santuario de Guadalupe (Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe)

The shrine was built in the 1770s and is the oldest shrine in the United States dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. It was built near the Santa Fe Plaza near the terminus of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro from Mexico City. The ‘Royal Road of the Interior’ is the earliest Euro-American trade route in the United States.
According to Catholic historical accounts, the Virgin Mary appeared before Juan Diego, a Mexican farmer, on a hill five separate times in 1531. She told him to seek out the archbishop and build a church in her honor. The archbishop was suspicious and asked Diego to go back to the hill and ask Mary for proof. Juan Diego complied and found non-native Castillian roses blooming on the barren hills of Tepeyac. The archbishop was appropriately convinced and construction of the shrine begun.

New Mexico State Capitol

Also known as the Roundhouse, it is the only round capitol building in the country. When viewed from above, it is designed to resemble the Zia sun symbol found on the state flag.

By Jim Bowen – https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamiedfw/8462968923/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113088973

The Roundhouse includes a central interior rotunda rising 60 feet through the top three stories. The ceiling skylight of stained glass is patterned after a Native American basket weave symbolizing the sky and the earth.
The Clay Buchanan Memorial Gardens comprise 6.5 acres on the grounds of the capital. It displays sequoias, Russian olive trees, roses and more than 100 other kinds of New Mexico flora as well as abstract and figurative sculptures from the Capitol Art Collection. You can take a self-guided tour Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

San Miguel Mission

The area across the river from the Plaza is known as the Barrio de Analca and was settled by the merchant class in the early 1600’s. San Miguel Chapel is the center of the neighborhood and the oldest church in the continental United States. Possibly built in synchrony with the Plaza around 1610, archaeologists must rely on oral history for the completion date because written records were all sent to Spain and subsequently lost to history. Although there are portions of the original church still standing, it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, so the true extent of the original building is unknown. The buttresses were added in 1887 to provide support, but the church itself remains on the original foundation.

In addition to its historical significance, the church has some beautiful altar screens dating to around 1798 as well as the original bell that hung in the tower before 1872 (even if the bell is engraved 1356).

Oldest House Museum

Across from the San Miguel mission lies the ‘Oldest’ house. The actual date is unknown, but portions of the basement walls are constructed of puddled adobe, a technique that predates the arrival of the Spanish. At just two rooms and a gift shop, it may be the smallest museum you ever enter, but admission is free. Since you’re here already, stop in to get a feel for what 1700’s Santa Fe was like.

Loretto Chapel

Currently a museum and wedding venue, this church was initially commissioned by the Sisters of Loretto for use by their girls school. It is built in the Gothic revival style, modeled after Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, and has the spires, buttresses, and stained glass so readily identifiable with the period. While certainly standing out among the adobe construction elsewhere in the city, the interior is what really grabs the attention of the visitor.

As legend would have it, the architect of the chapel died before completion, leaving access to the second story unfinished and without design plans. The Sisters prayed a nine day novena to Saint Joseph, patron Saint of carpenters. Due to the small size of the chapel, traditional stairs were impractical and another solution was required. Enter a mysterious carpenter who arrives on the final day of prayer with nothing more than a hammer and a carpenters square. The carpenter completes the circular staircase of two complete turns with a rare wood unknown to the southwest at the time with nothing more than glue and pegs. He departs without payment or thanks and the ‘Miraculous Staircase’ is born. The stairs have no support structure or center pole and are studied by skilled craftsmen who marvel at the work accomplished by someone without a tenth of the tools or technology available today. In fact, in the late 20th century, engineers decided the staircase needed to be secured to the wall to provide support but discovered they were actually causing more harm than good by preventing it from moving naturally as designed. Over the years, a railing has been added, and the area below the stairs has was filled in with a horse hair and lime mixture painted to look like wood.

The small chapel is impeccably designed and decorated, small wonder it is a popular wedding venue, and the ‘Miraculous Staircase’ only adds to the charm and appeal.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi receives honorable mention among the probably thousands of churches I have visited in my lifetime, especially considering the general lack of construction material availability. It is well worth the visit and will likely only take an hour or so to meander through the entire building. Of all the spots on this tour to stop and visit, this Cathedral is worthy of the largest percentage of your time.

The church definitely deserves an ‘honorable mention’ at the least. Outside the church is a ‘pocket’ park with a magnificent bronze commemorating Santa Fe’s Spanish colonial history. It consists of 360 degree views of all of the different peoples that make up the region standing atop the agricultural plenty of fruit and vegetables of the area which are sitting atop livestock. There are informational plaques around the park telling of Santa Fe’s History and a statue of Don Diego de Vargas who led the Spanish back to Santa Fe after the 1680 pueblo revolt.

In front of the church are statues to St. Francis of Assisi – the patron saint of Santa Fe, Saint Kateria Tekakwitha – the first Native American Saint, and Archbishop Lamy – the first archbishop of Santa Fe. There’s also a prayer garden with life size sculptures depicting the stations of the cross. We missed that because we didn’t realize the prayer garden was there on our visit. Guess we’ll just have to go back. Aw Shucks. (That’s Shawn and Mum up there perusing Saint Kateria behind Saint Francis.

The grounds are stunning and then you take notice of the church itself. The building is made of yellow limestone quarried from nearby. The bronze front doors are reminiscent of ‘the Gates of Paradise’ – gilded bronze doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti on the Baptistry of San Giovanni in Florence. (We visited there when we were stationed in Germany. Our daughter’s first trip to a different country – age 3 months.) The rose window in the front and twelve stained glass windows of the twelve Apostles around the sides were imported from France. There is another stained glass window (outside) above the rose window that was added in 2005 after the church became a basilica and is a replica of the translucent alabaster window designed in the 17th century by the Italian artist Bernini for St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Then, you step inside and it’s, I don’t know even how to describe it. You can’t help but just sit in reverence trying to take it all in physically and spiritually. Definitely worth the trip.

St. Francis Cathedral was officially elevated to minor basilica status by the Roman church in 2005 and is the mother church for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The first church built on this site in 1626 was destroyed in the Pueblo revolt of 1680 (more on this later in the Pecos post). The current cathedral was built around the second version of the church which was rebuilt in 1714 when the Spaniards made it back to Santa Fe. (Thus the Don Diego de Vargas statue in the park outside). There is a small chapel inside on the north side of the cathedral that is the only existing part of this second version of the church. It’s pretty spectacular to see with the original adobe, carved wood (you’ve got to zoom in on the pictures above), original folk art/renaissance art, and, the stained glass. Of course, the entire cathedral is pretty impressive. This north chapel holds La Conquistadora (for the history on her, open the picture below and read), relics, and the remains of Venerable Fr. Ascencio Zarate which were removed from the ruins of the church of San Lorenzo of Picuris in 1759 and placed here.

The rest of the square is beset by the odd museum, aforementioned shops and restaurants. We visited the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts right across the street from the church. Bonus – it was free for Veteran’s – and they let us all in for free in return for Shawn’s service. Love the west. The front columns are done by artist Yatika Starr Fields (Cherokee/Creek/Osage) who is known for energetic and vividly colored abstract paintings and murals inspired by graffiti culture and the forms and movement found in the natural world. Inside, on the second floor, is an entire exhibit dedicated to the native artists that went through the Institute of American Indian Arts. All the art there is from when they were in school learning their techniques. This museum also has several outside areas to sit and contemplate the art, or the day, or the meaning of life. Whatever your choice, they are great areas to enjoy the beauty that is Santa Fe. The mural (below right) is a contemporary reference to fighting against the Spanish Entrada – an armed expedition by Spanish colonizers into the indigenous territories in America. So much history here.

Cross of the Martyrs

This next stop will require a little exertion (but just a little). The monument is dedicated to the twenty-one Franciscan friars and approximately 380 Spanish colonists killed during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. There are ten sets of stairs along the way, with plenty of spots to rest and read up on your history. While the monument may be dedicated to the Spanish side of the story, the Cross also reminds travelers of the long and complicated histories between those early Spanish settlers and the local Native tribes.

Holy Faith Episcopal Church

Established in 1863, many of the congregation were Anglo soldiers stationed here during the Civil War. The first church building was completed in 1882 in a style known as “folk gothic” following the architectural design of many English cathedrals of the 13th century. The building was also one of the first dressed-stone buildings in Santa Fe at the time.

Scottish Rite Masonic Temple

Everything about this building says ‘out of place’. In the 1850’s, the Scottish Rite, a division of the Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons organization came to New Mexico with members of the US Army. Fifty years later membership was large enough to warrant expansion and the organization selected the Los Angeles architectural firm of Hunand Burns, known for their designs in the California Spanish Mission Revival architecture style. What Santa Fe got was something completely different in the form of a Moorish Revival style structure based loosely on one of the gatehouses to the Court of the Lions at the Alhambra in Spain and some obvious similarities with the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles, another Hunt and Burns design. Shortly thereafter, the Masons were run out of town and the City of Santa Fe passed ordinances limiting building design to Pueblo Style, Territorial or Northern New Mexico style. Except for the ordinances, that last may not be true, but it feels right.

On an unrelated note to just how out of place it is, the movie Whiskey Tango Foxtrot with Tina Fey was filmed here in 2016. The central action of the movie occurs in Afghanistan. Just saying.

Return to the Plaza

Don’t miss out on a late lunch or dinner at the Coyote Cafe. While it may be a Santa Fe institution, they are definitely not resting on their laurels. We had Christmas dinner there two years ago when we were initially heading out west and since we couldn’t find a place for late lunch (Nana wanted a big bowl of soup), we decided to try it again because our dinner was so spectacular. Lunch was actually on the roof top and didn’t disappoint. It’s reminiscent of a small, 40 foot shipping container with large rolling garage doors on one side. Here you really get a grasp of the ‘riot of color’ I was mentioning earlier. It’s painted inside in a South West graffiti style. Love it. Look at Shawn down there trying to duck out of the way. Ha! Hide little man, hide.

We were also told Cafe Pasqual’s has exceptional desserts. Alas, it was closed while we were in the city, but have high hopes to add it to a future post. We “settled” for Kakawa Chocolate Shop for dessert and man, were we pleasantly surprised. So much so that we have gone back once a week for treats, truffles and drinking chocolate since. There are two different locations here in Santa Fe run by a local couple. And, interestingly enough, they are native New Yorkers and opened up a shop in 2020 in Salem, Mass. For all our family back home, it’s worth the trip. They have ridiculous hot chocolate, particularly the version with some chili pepper added. Add to it some truffles or other decadent chocolate themed dessert and life just gets a little more cheery. In our case, that’s tough to do given our already heightened sense of Zen. I prefer the lemon pistachio macaroon as a complement to the drinking chocolate, but you can’t go wrong with anything there. And we’ve tried it all over the past month we’ve been here. Their place is small – the owner was bussing tables in between making chocolates for the next day and occasionally crashing the register to help out. Truly living up to ‘Head Chef and Chief Bottle Washer’ mentality so many small business owners embrace. While I love the local architecture, scenery, art and restaurants, I think I love the locals themselves more. They are all willing to stop everything to just talk to you. Face to face. In real life. I could live here.

I’m going to end with the stations of the cross from inside the Cathedral of St. Francis (15 here, not the typical 12). Even if you’re not Catholic (or religious like us), you can’t help but admire the paintings and the folk art feel of them. They are not only beautiful, but inspiring and helps to put all things into perspective.