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Santa Fe is the proper base for exploring the remainder of New Mexico so I’d extremely advocate you lease a automotive when you’re there. Popular day journeys from Santa Fe embrace Bandelier National Monument, Jemez Springs/Spence Springs, the Turquoise Trail and naturally Taos Pueblo. We took the Santa Fe to Taos High Road, stopping at a vineyard and in addition the attractive El Santuario de Chimayó church on the way in which.
There are two roads you possibly can take from Santa Fe to Taos; there’s the High Road, which takes you thru the gorgeous Sangre de Cristo mountains, and the Low Road, which travels alongside the Rio Grande River and is mostly a lot faster.
I’d counsel taking the High Road to Taos on the way in which there, and the Low Road in your method again to Santa Fe. After a day of sightseeing you’ll be drained and can in all probability simply need to get again to your resort.
Here’s every part you should plan your excellent Santa Fe to Taos day journey itinerary.
How Long Does it Take to Drive from Santa Fe to Taos?
Taos is situated about 70 miles northeast of Santa Fe. The drive takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours relying on visitors and which street you’re taking. Obviously it can take longer when you cease at gasoline stations or in among the small cities alongside the way in which.
As I discussed earlier than, we took the High Road there and the Low Road again. We made a few stops on the way in which there after which drove with out stopping on our return.
Our journey there took about 3.5-4 hours. We spent about half an hour on the El Santuario de Chimayó church after which about 1.5 hours stress-free on the vineyard. It will take longer when you add in additional stops.
Try to depart early within the morning so you could have loads of time to make stops and revel in Taos. Check the sundown time as effectively so that you can provide your self sufficient time to drive again earlier than dusk. I don’t find out about you however I actually don’t like driving at night time!
How Long is the High Road to Taos?
The Taos High Road is a scenic byway that stretches for 56 miles via New Mexico’s lovely desert panorama. It takes you previous varied small cities and historic stays of Old Spain. After spending 3 days in Santa Fe, my pal and I had been itching to get outdoors town and discover the New Mexico panorama, so we selected to go to Taos for our day journey.
Santa Fe to Taos High Road Directions & Route
Starting in Santa Fe, Head north on US 84/285 and switch proper on NM 503 the place the High Road to Taos begins. Take NM 503 to NM 76 and cease in Chimayó, then proceed on NM 76 via the cities of Cordova, Truchas, Ojo Sarco and Las Trampas.
Join NM 518 at Peñasco and drive via the Carson National Forest to US 68 at Ranchos de Taos. Eventually you’ll attain Taos, which is house to a lot of eating places, retailers, and naturally, Taos Pueblo.
Stops On the Santa Fe to Taos High Road
Since we had been solely doing a day journey to Taos, we didn’t cease at that many locations alongside the way in which. We selected to cease on the Santuario de Chimayó church and Vivac Winery. If you could have extra time otherwise you plan to remain in a single day in Taos then you possibly can cease at a number of cities and buildings alongside the way in which.
Start your day by grabbing espresso and breakfast at Dolina Cafe in Santa Fe. This cafe and bakery has each indoor and out of doors seating and serves fashionable American brunch with an japanese European twist. It additionally affords freshly baked pies, do-it-yourself soups, ready meals and scrumptious espresso and occasional.
Chimayo
Your first cease on the Santa Fe to Taos High Road will likely be Chimayo, which is a conventional weaving village with galleries showcasing creations by highly-skilled weavers. The village is house to the Plaza del Cerro, which is the final surviving Spanish fortified plaza within the southwest.
The principal spotlight of Chimayo is Santuario de Chimayó church, which attracts round 300,000 pilgrims every year and has been dubbed the “Lourdes of America”.
This lovely adobe church options two bell towers on both facet and chic doorways that had been carved by the Nineteenth-century carpenter Pedro Domínguez. Inside the church is a small prayer room referred to as el pocito, which accommodates a spherical gap crammed with “holy dirt” that’s thought to have therapeutic powers.
Santuario de Mayo is open day by day from 9am to 5pm, with mass going down at 11am. I introduced my canine alongside on the street journey and by chance the church is pet pleasant. There’s additionally a present store and a restaurant on web site, must you need to seize a espresso or snack.
Vivac Winery
Our second cease on this Santa Fe to Taos day journey was Vivac Winery, which sits at 6,000 ft, making it one of many highest altitude wineries on the planet. The vineyard is situated on freeway 68, about 25 minutes south of Taos.
The adobe tasting room was created by the winemakers themselves and is embellished with artwork work from modern New Mexico artists. Visitors should purchase tasting flights, wines by the glass and 14 beers on faucet, in addition to cheeses, meats and different picnic objects. Chocolates, do-it-yourself Wine Nefertiti pasta and honey from the property’s bees are additionally obtainable for buy.
The Wine Nefertiti pasta is made with wine from VivácWinery and is created with love and care by Maddox Padberg, who began making pasta at age 8. Chocolates are constituted of 73.5% Venezuelan caca and equipped by Ek.chuah, a chocolatier situated in New Mexico.
The surroundings right here is totally gorgeous so we ended up spending a great hour and a half right here simply chilling and having fun with the view.
Standard wine tastings value $12 and the vineyard is open day by day from Mon-Sun 10-6pm.
Summer hours are Mon-Fri 10-7pm, Sat 10 – 8pm, Sun 10-7pm.
If you could have extra time, you possibly can add within the following stops:
Cordova
Cordova is a city identified for its wooden carvers and takes its title from the surname of Matías Córdova, one of many inhabitants of Pueblo Quemado situated right here. A spotlight of Cordova is the San Antonio de Padua Church, which accommodates a big altar display screen painted by Rafael Aragon. The church is simply open for companies, but when the timing’s proper, it’s possible you’ll get to peek inside.
Truchas
The city of Truchase was constructed on a mesa under 13,101-foot Truchas Peak – the second-highest mountain in New Mexico. Here you possibly can see Nuestra Señora del Rosario, which was constructed within the early 1800s and has many well-preserved outdated santos (small carved, painted statues of holy figures).
Las Trampas
In Las Trampas pay a go to to San Jose de Gracia, which was constructed within the cruciform fashion with two towers. The church has been round for over 225 years and is certainly one of New Mexico’s best-preserved examples of Spanish Colonial structure.
Rancho de Taos
The final main cease on the High Road to Taos is Rancho de Taos, a conventional agricultural neighborhood with a historic plaza surrounded by galleries and retailers. The principal attraction right here is San Francisco de Asis Church, which options giant adobe buttresses, excessive ceilings with vigas and hand-carved corbels. It additionally options the most important altar display screen in New Mexico and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Many artists have photographed and painted this church, together with Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams – two of America’s most well-known artists.
Things to Do On Your Taos Day Trip
Once you arrive in Taos you’ll drive alongside the principle avenue, which is lined with retailers, eating places and cafes. Taos Pueblo UNESCO World Heritage Site is the principle attraction, however there are additionally a number of museums and galleries to discover.
Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo is a Native American neighborhood consisting of multi-storied adobe buildings which were repeatedly inhabited for over 1000 years. The pueblo lies 1 mile north of Taos and is taken into account to be one of many oldest repeatedly inhabited communities within the United States.
Since it’s a dwelling tribal neighborhood guests are requested to respect the privateness of the individuals who dwell there. You can enter the pueblo and take images, however it’s essential to not take photos of tribal members with out permission. Visitors might solely enter properties which are marked as enterprise with clear signage and should at all times abide by the “Restricted Area” indicators. The river and the cemetery are off limits.
Within the pueblo you should purchase mica-flecked pottery, silver jewellery, moccasins, boots and drums made by native artisans, in addition to modern artworks created by the Pueblo’s nice artists.
Taos Pueblo is open Thursday- Monday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Entry prices $16 for adults, $14 for seniors and college students. Kids underneath 10 can enter without cost.
Taos Plaza
Located within the coronary heart of the downtown space, Taos Historic Plaza is a well-liked gathering place with timber, benches and a gazebo. The plaza is lined with retailers and galleries, and infrequently hosts farmers markets and dwell music. It dates again to the 18th century, when the King of Spain gave the Don Fernando de Taos Land Grant to 63 households within the Taos space.
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
Standing 650 toes above the river, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge is the fifth highest bridge within the United States and the second highest on the US freeway system. Constructed within the Sixties, this lovely metal bridge spans a really deep gorge and has been featured in varied Hollywood motion pictures, together with Paul, Natural Born Killers, Terminator Salvation, Wild Hogs, and White Sands. It is usually dubbed “The Bridge to Nowhere” as a result of funding didn’t exist to proceed the street on the opposite facet.
Park your automobile within the parking zone on the west facet of the bridge and observe the strolling path alongside the rim of the gorge to seize some unbelievable images!
Taos Art Museum and Kit Carson & Home Museum
Driving in New Mexico: Tips
We rented a automotive from Albuquerque Sunport (airport) at some stage in our Santa Fe journey. Pick up and drop off was a reasonably seamless expertise and there are quite a few automotive rental firms there, together with Enterprise, ACE, Thrifty. To discover the very best automotive rental costs I normally use Discover Cars or Rentalcars.com.
Santa Fe additionally has its personal airport however it’s a lot smaller than Albuquerque and primarily accommodates non-public plane and only a handful of airways. Airfare to Santa Fe Regional Airport tends to be dearer, so it’s usually cheaper to fly to Albuquerque and lease a automotive from there.
The roads in New Mexico had been usually fairly empty once we visited. I dwell in New Jersey the place I’m used to busy roads and many visitors. Driving in New Mexico was a breeze, nonetheless we noticed a lot of police on the roads in New Mexico. Make positive you observe the velocity restrict to keep away from getting pulled over. The velocity restrict is 75 mph on rural interstates and normally 55 mph on different roads.
On the final couple of days of our journey there have been forest fires out close to Jemez Springs and Valles Caldera National Preserve, so a number of roads had been closed. Always examine Google Maps in addition to the native information for street closures, particularly within the sizzling summer season months.
FAQ About Driving the High Road from Santa Fe to Taos
Which is best, the excessive street or low street to Taos?
The excessive street is probably the most scenic route you possibly can take to Taos. You’ll be capable of see lovely views of the Carson National Forest and the mountains within the distance.
Is the drive from Santa Fe to Taos fairly?
Yes, it’s very fairly. It’s some of the scenic drives within the US and positively value your time. As you drive alongside the hilly excessive street, you’ll be met with gorgeous views of the encircling mountains and desert panorama.
How far aside are Santa Fe and Taos?
Santa Fe and Taos are about 70 miles other than one another.
Is Taos value visiting?
Taos is value visiting because it’s house to Taos Pueblo, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The pueblo is made up of multi-storied adobe buildings and is among the oldest repeatedly inhabited communities within the United States.
Is Taos a day journey from Santa Fe?
You can positively do Taos as a day journey, for the reason that drive time is round 1.5-2 hours. However, if you wish to cease at a number of cities alongside the way in which, it’s possible you’ll need to contemplate stopping the night time in Taos and driving again the next day.
Is it higher to remain in Santa Fe or Taos?
It’s higher to remain in Santa Fe as a result of there’s much more to see and do there than in Taos. Plan to spend round 3 days exploring Santa Fe after which you possibly can both do a day journey to Taos or drive up there and keep the night time.
Where ought to I cease between Santa Fe and Taos?
Between Santa Fe and Taos there are many cities to find with some well-preserved examples of Spanish Colonial structure. Popular stops alongside the way in which embrace Chimayo, Cordova, Truchas, Las Trampas and Rancho de Taos.
What is there to do on the High Road from Santa Fe to Taos?
There are quite a few issues to see on the High Road from Santa Fe to Taos. Stop on the Santuario de Chimayó church, a preferred pilgrimage web site, and the well-known San Francisco de Asis Church, which is situated at Rancho de Taos.
A Final Word…
The Santa Fe to Taos High Road is among the most scenic drives I’ve ever taken. We actually didn’t do a lot analysis concerning the High Road so I had no concept what to anticipate. It’s positively value renting a automotive to your Santa Fe journey so you possibly can drive this route and go to Taos Pueblo. Another route value taking is the Turquoise Trail, which is a scenic byway between Santa Fe and Albuquerque that passes via varied mining cities.