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Santa Fe, New Mexico has long been a spot where travellers come to experience its unique blend of multiculturalism, natural beauty and fascinating history. In fact, it's such an unusual place that its nickname is "The City Different." A tour of Santa Fe promises an experience that mingles fascinating history, wonderful cuisine with a flourishing art scene and a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
A little bit of Santa Fe history
Santa Fe is the second oldest city in the United States. Founded by European colonists in 1610 on the site of the old Pueblo villages, Santa Fe had a long history of conquest and frontier violence before New Mexico became a state in 1912.
Over its 400 year history, it has always served as a place of culture and commerce where goods and services were made, sold and traded. Today the city is considered one of the most interesting urban areas in the United States, and it has worked hard to preserve its historic Spanish-Pueblo style buildings. To that end, any new construction must follow this style of architecture based on the adobe and wood construction of the past which preserves the essential character.
The people of Santa Fe
Passing by the adobe buildings whilst walking the crooked streets, you will witness an incredibly diverse population of mainly Hispanic, Anglo and Native American people who have all brought the best of their respective cultures to the community. This mingling of cultures has created something that is indeed befitting the title "The City Different"-since the people are so diverse, it's not surprising that all other aspects of this special city follow suit.
What to eat in Santa Fe
Wear your stretchy pants! The food in Santa Fe offers an unexpected amalgamation of influences from Native American, Mexican, Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine. It's still the United States, so you'll always be able to find yourself a cheeseburger, but step outside of your comfort zone and try the tamales (seasoned meat wrapped in cornmeal dough and steamed in corn husks), chiles rellenos (stuffed and roasted chilli peppers), posole (a hearty comforting stew with lime and corn), calabacitas (a vegetable dish of roasted green chile, summer squash and corn) and sopapilla (deep fried dough puffed up like pillows), and you won't be disappointed.
The Santa Fe art scene
It's impossible to talk about Santa Fe without mentioning the city's burgeoning art scene. It's always been a place where you can find wonderful turquoise jewellery, painting and sculptures, but Santa Fe also stands as a beacon for nontraditional art. You'll find collections of contemporary art, botanical gardens, sculpture gardens and more that signal a departure from the expected traditional Southwestern art and a bold leap into something novel that pushes the boundaries. Watch out New York and LA… Santa Fe is hot on your heels!
