Why It's Worth It

With centuries of blended Native American and Spanish culture, unique adobe architecture, adventurous chile-based cuisine, art of all genres, kaleidoscope sunsets, and the forested Sangre de Cristo Mountains calling for year-round exploration, Santa Fe offers its visitors everything from cozy romance to alpine adventure. Established by the Spanish in 1607, it’s the nation’s oldest capital, though Pueblo peoples have called the area home since well before then. Its early 1900s roots as an American art colony make Santa Fe one of the top three art markets in the nation. —Steve Larese