Santa Fe Neighborhoods, Locations and Districts

(Santa Fe, New Mexico - NM, USA)

The state capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe is a delightful city set on a plateau at the foot of the soaring Sangre de Cristo range. With a number of charming neighborhoods and districts, adobe architecture is iconic of Santa Fe and neighboring Taos. The city of Santa Fe is almost one large purpose-built tourist attraction.

Santa Fe is a maze of narrow winding streets and lanes that are difficult to navigate by car, but perfect for exploring on foot.

Downtown District

Santa Fe's downtown district is a tourist's haven, with dozens of stores selling all kinds of western goods, Native American handicrafts, and unique souvenir and gift items that are hard to come by outside of New Mexico. Among these interesting stores are the usual clothing outlets and modern shopping malls.

Downtown Santa Fe is also the dining and nightlife hub of the city, with distinctive New Mexican fare being a highlight. Santa Fe also boasts its own special cuisine, a tasteful combination of New Mexican food with ingredients from many of the world's most famous cooking styles. Asian and Italian restaurants are also well represented in the downtown Santa Fe district.

Sena Plaza

A lovely little oasis away from the heat and crowds, Santa Fe's Sena Plaza is hidden away off Palace Avenue. The small square has some unobtrusive specialty stores lining it and there are plenty of trees and benches surrounding the central fountain. The architecture fronting the plaza is historic and sublime, with most buildings dating from the 18th century.

Pojoaque Pueblo

A great place in which to become acquainted with Pojoaque Native American culture and traditions, Pojoaque Pueblo is an extremely popular tourist destination, close to central Santa Fe. The traditional and modern facilities here are superb and the town has a justifiably famous arts scene. There are many stores selling both traditional Native American crafts and contemporary artworks, including photographs, paintings, pottery, sculptures and jewelry.

Within easy reach of Santa Fe, open air exhibitions and traditional dances are common from late spring to early fall. There are some fairly strict rules for visitors to the town, so take the time to familiarize yourself with the customs of the Pojoaque, to avoid inadvertently offending anyone.

Ski Santa Fe

One of the best ski resorts in New Mexico, Ski Santa Fe has enviable facilities for all types of snow sports, including skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, sledding and snow shoeing. Unlike the skiers-only Taos Ski Valley, everyone is welcome at Ski Santa Fe. The stunning mountain views are a real bonus to skiing at this fabulous resort and Santa Fe's ski village has plenty of cafés, restaurants and bars.