Tourism is a major aspect of
the Santa Fe economy, with visitors attracted year-round
by the climate and related outdoor activities (such as
skiing in years of adequate snowfall; hiking in other
seasons) plus cultural activities of the city and the
region. The city of Santa Fe provides information on
tourism via
SantaFe.org and
Santa Fe Chamber of
Commerce.
Most tourist activity takes place in the historic
downtown, especially on and around the Plaza, a
one-block square adjacent to the Palace of the
Governors, the original seat of New Mexico's territorial
government since the time of Spanish colonization. Other
areas include ?Museum Hill?, the site of the major art
museums of the city, and the Canyon Road arts area with
its galleries.
Some visitors find Santa Fe particularly attractive
around the second week of September when the aspens in
the Sangre de Cristo Mountains turn yellow and the skies
are clear and blue. This is also the time of the annual
Fiestas de Santa Fe, celebrating the "reconquering" of
Santa Fe by Don Diego de Vargas, a highlight of which is
the burning Zozobra, a fifty-foot marionette also called
"Old Man Gloom".
Within easy striking distance for day-trips is the town
of Taos, about 70 miles (113 km) North and the historic
Bandelier National Monument about 30 miles (48 km) away.
Santa Fe's ski area, Ski Santa Fe, is about 16 miles (26
km) north of the city.
Smokers should be aware that the City Council passed a
strict anti-smoking ordinance in the summer of 2006 that
bans smoking in all businesses and public places in the
city. Bars are no longer allowed to set aside a smoking
area.
Architectural highlights
-
New Mexico State Capitol
-
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis
of Assisi
-
Loretto Chapel
-
Palace of the Governors
-
San Miguel Mission
- Santuario de Guadalupe
