I love that Santa Fe's Historical District restrictions allow the Plaza to retain its old world charm and wide accessibility for the community. The rest of metro Santa Fe might be their version of suburbia, but the heart that anchors Santa Fe is right here. Yes, the shopping on the adjacent streets is a bit high end, but the classy charm of the plaza and the Tribal merchants across the street at the Inn of the Governors grounds the experience. Besides the interesting mix of people at the Plaza, I note 2 interesting experiences: 1. The Classic Car show on Friday night that circled the entire Plaza on the outside, accented by "Low Riders" occasionally circling. Our friend Laurie even found the model of car that her family drove around during her childhood. 2. The Santa Fe Plaza Obelisk, historically known as the Soldiers' Monument, was toppled by protestors in 2020 and its pieces are slated for a museum. What will become of the Monument proper is in community committee hands, which will probably go round and round without much meaningful progress short term. read more

Founded in 1609 by the Spanish, this plaza is the main heart of Santa Fe with a lot of shops and restaurants accessible from here. This was where El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the royal road of the interior, ended, having begun in Mexico City. This is where the Santa Fe Trail ended its 900-mile-long journey from Independence, Missouri. There are markers in the plaza commemorating both. The best part of the plaza is the Native American street vendors that sell arts and crafts on the street. Many of them have their ID card and we loved meeting Paul and buying some of the hand painted see pots him and his wife made with hummingbirds on them. We asked him what the bird meant and he said "the beauty of life" and it made it a must buy. We saw other vendors selling jewlery, turquoise, paintings, and sandstone art but this was the tail end of our trip and we had no space anymore. This is an idea/tip but we asked around for fry bread or other Native American foods and nobody knew anywhere close by that served it. A nice Native American food truck or small stand would make a killing in this area! read more

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The Santa Fe Plaza is an adobe structure built in the Territorial style of Pueblo architecture. Nowadays you will find a host of Native Americans selling their homemade jewelry. Expect to see silver inlaid with turquoise and coral, earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Metered street and lot parking. read more

Santa Fe Plaza - Plaza with Native American vendors - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Santa Fe Plaza is a must see for visitors. It's surrounded by beautiful buildings, museums, restaurants, churches, shopping. It's a beautiful city to visit. I enjoyed visiting and definitely can't wait to visit again . read more

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I love the plaza and I love the events that Santa Fe hosts here. Especially the ones by the Kiwanis club, which include the pancake breakfast on the Fourth of July, and day of the dead. I hope they get the obelisk situation sorted. It's a little embarrassing that that's still going on. But it's a essential place to visit if you come to Santa Fe. read more

Here's what you need to know about the Santa Fe Plaza: 1) It can get very crowded around the plaza with lots of pedestrians and cars. 2) Street parking is a challenge and spaces near the plaza are hard to come by. Several parking facilities are located near the Santa Fe Plaza. The Water Street Municipal Lot at 100 East Water Street is a popular surface lot with 156 spaces, including four accessible spots, open 24 hours daily with a rate of $2 per hour, capped at $12 per day. The Sandoval Municipal Garage at 216 West San Francisco Street is another highly used facility with 382 spaces, including 15 accessible spots, open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., with rates of $1 for the first hour, $2 for the second hour, and $12 maximum per day. The Santa Fe Community Convention Center Municipal Garage at 119 South Federal Place, located a few blocks from the plaza, features 489 spaces, including 13 accessible spots, open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the same rate structure as the other two facilities. Parking is free for individuals with a valid placard or accessible registration plate, and the City has designated 60 on-street and 41 off-street accessible parking spaces throughout downtown. the City of Santa Fe offers a ParkMobile app, which allows users to pay for parking by entering the zone number found on meter signs, extend parking sessions remotely, and receive notifications. 3) FOCUS!! WATCH FOR PEDESTRIANS IN THE AREA AROUND THE PLAZA. Drive very slowly and watch for vehicles unloading or loading. 4) Public restrooms are available. There is a very well-maintained public restroom and visitor center next to the municipal parking lot located at 100 East Water Street. read more

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Beautiful historic plaza, lots of art, jewelry, cafes, restaurants, churches, museums, hotels, and specialty shops. Worth a visit. read more

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The plaza is the best spot to be in Santa Fe. Classic restaurants. Great shopping. Very friendly vendors. We heard a drum circle one day. It's a super cool area to check out. Parking around the outskirts was easy and convenient too. It's all extremely walkable. read more

Santa Fe Plaza - Prepping for beautiful spring grass - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Authentic Good buys. Great place to relax and enjoy food and culture. People were very friendly and helpful. read more

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If there was one unique place that a visitor with just a few hours in Santa Fe would need to visit, I would tell them the Santa Fe Plaza. It's in Downtown Santa Fe. Historical area. Plenty of indoor/outdoor shopping. Eateries. Adobe architecture. The only trouble you might have would be behind the wheel of a car. The lanes and parking spots are always narrow in Santa Fe. Parking sucks year-round. Lol. Just be patient & watch out for pedestrians! Oh, and it's fairly expensive. Everything in Santa Fe tends to be expensive. My family & I have been going here since my birth. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for all things New Mexico. read more

We stayed 2 nights as there is so much to see and do! The shops that can keep you busy all day going in and out! Also the food which is southwest style with the famous hatch chilis. Red or green one is hotter than the other! Get them both which is called Christmas! I ask for them on the side so I can use them to my taste! read more

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Absolutely loved walking around the Santa Fe Plaza. There were so many galleries , boutiques and shops to explore. There were several gardens , stores and restaurants in hidden alley ways. There were several Native Americans selling their crafts. There was also an art fair going on with several unique artists. It is easy to spend several hours walking leisurely through the area. Parking is a bit of a challenge, but we decided to park in a public garage a few blocks away. It was very reasonably priced. read more

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This area is central to old Santa Fe with lots of trees and benches. At midday we enjoyed a fresh limeade from a vendor and relaxed a bit. It's flanked by the Palace of the Governors, which was constructed in 1610 and is the oldest public building in continuous use constructed by European settlers in the contiguous states. On the porch of the Palace was the Indian market, where artists sold pottery, jewelry, sand art, textile craft, and other creations. There's a lottery for these spots and not all vendors get in every day. The area is surrounded by shops and restaurants as well as several hotels so it's a good starting place when planning a trip in Santa Fe read more

Beautiful plaza. Lots of restaurants and shops. Quite a few of the shops are higher end - not just the junky stuff you see in most tourist areas (although they had those, too). We were there in early May, and the plaza was green and in bloom. On a Sunday afternoon, there were all types of people sitting and walking about. It was a pleasant walk. Not to be missed are the local, indigenous artisans that sit outside of the Palace of the Governors. I didn't but anything, but I did see some things that looked nice. Definitely worth a 'walkabout'. read more

Beautiful location in the heart of downtown Santa Fe. We found a parking lot with a flat rate of $15 which may seem like much but it was right across the O'Keeffe museum and not far from the two other nearby museums plus the plaza. And if you want to take your time seeing all of the stores that are available or even getting a bite to eat then it's definitely worth it vs doing the parked meters that only go up for about 2 hours. Would highly recommend taking your time and finding the hidden gems inside and near the plaza! read more

Santa Fe Plaza - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Plazas are important. Striving to be the cultural center, but often being the community living room, plazas are like the origin (0,0) of a coordinate grid, giving a sense of direction to the shops and services that surround it, the cultural cream filling to a commercial cupcake. For this reason, shops, restaurants, bars, and especially hotels will pride themselves in distance to Santa Fe Plaza, recognizing it as the hub of the capitol. In this case, the Plaza has historic significance, being a National Historic Landmark. Established in1610, as the Spanish colonized Mexico (NEW Mexico- get it?), Governor Peralta founded "La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis- the Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi," but since that didn't fit on a shot glass, they settled on Santa Fe. They built a walled fort to protect the village and its central plaza from the Pueblo Indians, who instead met at the plaza for trade. The Pueblo would eventually revolt in1680 (known as the Pueblo Revolt of 1680), pushing the 2500 colonists out of New Mexico. Historians say it was from their culture and religion being repressed, though I think it was the prices. "This shirt costs 700 Scalps?!". The Spanish re-conquered the area twelve years later, which was perfectly timed since the wait time for a table at The Shed was eleven years, eleven months. Because the Pueblo eventually surrendered peacefully at the Plaza, the park celebrates it by hosting La Fiesta de Santa Fe since 1712. In 1821, Mexico renamed it La Plaza de la Consitucion once they won independence from Spain after 11 years of revolution. They raised the Mexican flag above the Palace of the Governors (the oldest continuously publicly occupied building in the country) and then took a nap. A year later, the Santa Fe Trail was established as an international trade route that took a wagon 10 weeks to get from the plaza to Missouri, full of boarding houses and gambling halls. Nowadays the only gambling is buying an authentic Pueblo basket that may have been made in India. The U.S. invaded the area in 1846, with American General Kearney proclaiming New Mexico as a U.S. territory in the Plaza. Two years of fighting settled it. If you aren't sure who won, the Haagan Dazs selling $9 scoops of ice cream is your hint. We also got California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas as the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially established our country's borders, at which time the railroads made the Santa Fe trail less relevant and the plaza became a fenced-in area to grow alfalfa. To commemorate this placid time in which the plaza was under used to grow alfalfa, the park is frequented by a homeless person whose hair stands straight up. In 1912, New Mexico became a state, and now the park is a grassy public square with cottonwood trees, flagstone walkways, and historical stone markers for the start of the Santa Fe Trail, the Pueblo Revolt, Kearny's announcements of annexation and the end of the royal road of the interior (El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro) that leads to Mexico City. Santa Fe Plaza today is now a pleasant, grassy public square, lined with cottonwood trees and flagstone walkways with historical stone markers in the plaza include memorials that mark the start of the Santa Fe Trail and Kearny's announcement of annexation. Stroll by, through, around--- basically, any preposition will do. You may find authentic Pueblo telling their story through song and dance or you may find the Harley riders congregating. Whether you want a special event, some cultural street performances, or just a place to drink your $6 bottle of water, the Plaza is the spot for you. read more

Santa Fe Plaza is a nice area to walk around and explore art galleries, souvenir shops, restaurants, historic sites. The area has an adobe architectural design buildings. I like the the art galleries and learning about the history of Santa Fe. There is so much to discover and trying New Mexican dishes. This place has a unique cultural heritage. read more

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A witness to over four hundred years of New Mexico history and located at the center of the oldest European established capital city in the United States ,the Santa Fe Plaza is the heart of Santa Fe. It has everything one needs for a fun relaxed day in the city . The Plaza is the gathering spot for residents and tourists alike and offers so much - art galleries , restaurants , shops ,boutiques , street vendors and so much history! In addition to the chapel and the Palace of the Governors, there is also the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and Loretta church. Plenty of food options and restaurents range from new and trendy to old and fine dining -take your pick . Parking can be really challenging but there are paid garages and street parking , the only issue is finding one close to you . read more

Santa Fe Plaza - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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This is a cute artsy plaza with lots and lots of shops surrounding the area. We were in Santa Fe on the actual day of Halloween which was nice as the whole area was decorated for Halloween or the day of the died. Around the plaza you can also find individual people selling items that they have made. It is a lovely and unique place to walk around and it is the thing to do when in Santa Fe. The area is within walking distance from the train. Very walkable area. read more

It's a gorgeous heart of the town with plenty of stores, restaurants and local vendors with exquisite finds. It gets quite busy, so be patient looking for a parking or simply walk around. We enjoyed it quite a bit, but found it overcrowded at times, and decided to spend majority of our time in a natural attractions this area has to offer with occasional visits to the main plaza. read more

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I love a charming town with a nice Plaza, and this one in Santa Fe is one of the cutest, it reminded me of Mexico. You have the nice Gazebo, they do have bands playing in the weekends, but also during week time in the summer, so that's fun. There's a cute taco truck and they also sell lemonades if you get thirsty. Otherwise there are many restaurants around, ice-cream shops, galleries, stores, jewelry shops, a bit of everything, from touristy to more unique, from reasonably priced to very expensive. There's a church around, Saint Francis of Assisi with a cute garden, the Inn of the Governors, a wonderful historic building where they sell Native American goods, museums that stay open till 4 pm. During the weekend they also have street fairs, art fairs, the place is lively, full of people, walkable, the heart of Santa Fe. The Spanish style plaza is a must visit. It's always something going on. I saw it after a summer storm, emptier, I saw it many times bustling of people. It never gets boring and you will always end up here one way or another while in town! read more

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Cool area of Historic Santa Fe! A plethora of shops and restaurants are on the street surrounding the plaza. To the one side during the day, Native Americans, bring their hand made crafts to sell. Really good bargains here on silver jewelry. There are multiple street performers around the plaza. There is ample seating around the plaza and much of it has shade on those intense sun days. It is easy to spend hours here. The surrounding shops have everything from sheepskin coats to Lucchese boots to your usual t-shirt shops. There's even a roof top bar! Great people watching, too! read more

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We loved La Plaza in Santa Fe! Visiting family from Nevada this past week and this was our first stop at night and our first stop the next morning. Lots to see and do. Shops, crafts, food, desserts, bars! I mean, they have everything! My favorite is the live music and the historical feel. So much history and culture that you will not want to miss. Lots of picture opportunities as well. We can't to be back soon! read more

Santa Fe Plaza - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Same experience a recent reviewer had with a skin care store but worse. I was foolish enough to take them up on a free treatment - my face is still burning three days later. The city needs to crack down on these predatory businesses. Rest of Plaza is a great place to stroll and shop. Agree with other reviews that pricey but very professional, attentive and honest. As a frequent traveler, I've experienced high pressure tactics and efforts of sales people standing outside of store and coaxing you in only to keep you there and sell and upsell. I expect it. I'm polite and keep walking. But I didn't expect in Santa Fe so I stopped, went into store and trusted that they were a reputable Santa Fe business. I was wrong. We've visited every year for past eight years and will return for the Opera, but will avoid the Plaza. The hotels, restaurants and a few other businesses will lose our patronage as I've lost confidence in the Plaza. If it condones this type of business, I fear there is more to come. read more

Always fun to walk around the plaza. Parking can be tough. There is metered parking and some garages. Lots of streets are blocked so you might have to circle around. Also watch for all the tourist crossing the street. Lots of shops and stuff to see and buy. Also shaded benches to rest and people watch. read more

PLAZA listen this isn't your hustle bustle plaza like you see in Europe. It's Santa Fe smaller town style plaza. People setup tables and sell souvenir Native American themed items. Stores alongside sell turquoise jewelry and pretty much they all sell similar stuff. With that said, I still gave this higher than a ok four stars because I think it's worth checking out considering Santa Fe isn't a huge city. Check out the Loretta church and take some photos. Check out the mural columns and use it as a photo op. read more

Santa Fe Plaza - Photo op - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

I don't know if it's the geographic center of Santa Fe, but it's certainly the gravitational center. It doesn't matter where you stay in or around the city, everybody has been finding their way here sooner rather than later since 1610. It's no wonder as many of the top attractions are located within spitting distance of the plaza, but for Don Pedro's sake, don't spit. It's only two acres after all, so that saliva will likely end up on somebody. Buskers, benchwarmers, breakdancers, and Bermuda short-wearing tourists populate the square - and where else can you gorge on your Frito pie from the Five and Dime without judgment? RELATED - Do you know the way to Santa Fe? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: bit.ly/2I4mWdq read more

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Cool shopping area loaded with galleries of local art, sculptures, jewelry, crystals, you name it. Large chapels, museums, bars, a nice bookstore/coffee shop, and live music in the central square and also in some of the restaurants. Parking along the nearby streets and also in the parking garage on the opposite end of the chapel. The shops are expensive, the galleries house rare, handmade, high ticket art pieces. If you're lucky you may catch a sculptor in the act of creating a new piece. Definitely a lovely part of the city to stroll through, do some shopping, catch a museum exhibit and grab a proper bit to eat. The museums last call is usually in the 4oclock hour so be sure to come early so you don't miss the chance to get into one of the museums. Enjoy! read more

High end tourist trap. It's a fun visit, and you'll get a bunch of cool pictures but don't expect too much. Parking can be a bit tough and most meters limit you to two hours. It's a touristy thing to come here and it's a walking /shopping experience. Lunch is also a popular option. Beat Bets for affordable shopping - Yipee Yi Yo (affordable tourist shopping in this Plaza) - The Santa Fe Arcade sells mostly cheaper import items - Five and Dime sells very cheap tourist souvineers read more

Santa Fe Plaza - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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The central area to shop, eat, drink, and check out some of the historical buildings around in Santa Fe. I've visited during summer, spring, and fall. All seasons are the perfect time to visit. Such beautiful buildings and landscaping. I could just walk around here taking it all in. This is quintessential Santa Fe. The adobe buildings and the chile ristras hanging from them are the best. Restaurants in the plaza range from hole in the wall spots to higher end restaurants. We haven't found a bad one yet. It's hard to go wrong with green chiles. One of the bar style restaurants has a rooftop patio that's lovely for enjoying food and drink with a view. Shopping for the most part is overpriced. There are a few affordable shops with clothing, jewelry, and handmade goods. Most of the shopping is high end art and house décor. Even if it isn't affordable it's still fun to look and enjoy the unique nature of what they have to offer. In between all of the shopping and restaurants is plenty of history. All of the old buildings and churches. Santa Fe even has the oldest church in America. Special events line the grassy area in the middle on weekends. During one visit we found a market with Native American Tribes selling handmade goods. During our most recent visit there was an interesting car show. Even when something isn't happening it's a lively, happy place to be. read more

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"Someone asked me if I missed you. I didn't answer. I just closed my eyes, walked away, sighed deeply, and whispered 'so much'." - It's Saturday night, and I'm sitting on a park bench alone at Santa Fe Plaza. The temperature dropped this evening, and a refreshing, cool breeze is playing with the brittle leaves, sweeping them here and there and everywhere. That's what plaza's are for, for whimsy, for slowing down, for finding a state of mindfulness, for romance, and for those sorts of things. Sitting there at the Plaza, I was missing my love, like every moment of my life, and I wanted to be holding her close. So I paid this fine gentleman to play love songs for me. He played: -My Love by Paul McCarthy -Something by The Beatles -Till There Was You by The Beatles -Longer by Dan Fogelberg -And more..... "...and, suddenly, out of nowhere, all of the art the poetry all of the love songs were all about you." Yes, all the art, all the poetry, all the love songs are about her, and that's why I asked the fine gentleman to play love songs for me at Santa Fe Plaza this breezy Fall evening. As I sat there on a park bench alone.... read more

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Several establishments offer many southwest apparel, decor, and art. You have native Americans that sell their beautiful jewelry on outside area walk ways, which offer the best prices, and hospitality is unmatched compared to most but not all of the people who work in the stores. It would be nice to find a store owned by just them in this area other than art. Aye Dios! Back the the nice church here to light a candle, and pray for them! read more

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When visiting Santa Fe a must is the plaza. With all its history and culture. There are some great places of different pricing to eat downtown. When it comes to shopping you have lots of choices. For some quiet time the benches in the plaza afford you that quiet time. read more

Santa Fe Plaza - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Santa Fe is a beautiful town. The plaza in Santa Fe is also a beautiful place. At least, aesthetically. However, I quickly grew to find it ugly in a way I have rarely experienced. I think the Santa Fe plaza can best be summed up in the following encounter I had in one of its shops. My husband and I had been walking around for a few hours, and we were thirsty. We stopped in one of the boutiques (and that's all the plaza essentially is, a bunch of jewelry and clothing boutiques) that had a refrigerator with various bottled beverages. I grabbed two one-liter bottles of Fiji water, figuring that, while they generally cost around $2.50 each at Target, they would probably cost upwards of $4 each at this shop, given the prices we'd seen on everything else in the area. The cashier rang us up, then said (if I remember the change portion correctly), "$32.66." Figuring he was joking, I grinned and chuckled as I pulled out my wallet. Me: "How much do I owe you?" Him, keeping a straight face: "$32.66." Me, starting to lose my sense of amusement: "How much are they really?" Him, clearly being serious at this point: "$32.66." Me, as I turned around to leave the shop with my husband: "Absolutely not." This is now my go-to response to anyone who asks me if they should visit Santa Fe. Absolutely not. read more

The Plaza has been around for four centuries and is now full of extremely expensive and chic art galleries, restaurants, and jewelry shops. The Georgia O'Keefe Museum and the New Mexico Museum of Art are both worth checking out. Even the street artists, who sell their turquoise and copper jewelry on the sidewalk just outside the historic Governors Palace, have crazy high prices. You can haggle some but they won't budge by much. If you're looking for turquoise jewelry bargains, then head to the street sellers in Old Town in Albuquerque. Santa Fe caters to the tourist with lots and lots of the green stuff (and I don't mean turquoise). Did I have fun anyway? Yes. Browsing jewelry and museum-hopping can be fun. read more

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Many towns, if not most, have a central plaza or Main Street. Santa Fe plaza is as good as any you have been to. I grew up in the area so admittedly, I am a little biased. But by that same history, I can tell you it has changed so very little. It's still quant, it's still has the vendors from different pueblos that line a couple sides of the square. They display their wares on blankets that are laid out. There are good restaurants, activities in the square, and many galleries. You won't find up in the way of a discounted store, but then again that isn't Santa Fe. You can find Great art pieces all around but they are high end. You could spend all day in and around the plaza, and I would suggest you do if you have the time. read more

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Prepare yourself before you walk the streets around the Plaza, particularly if you are a woman and middle-aged. You are a target for some of the most aggressive sales people around. They try to slow you down with a "free sample" of a mysterious skin care product - my suspicion is that it is hemorrhoid cream to tighten wrinkles and under-eye bags temporarily. They hail you with loud "friendly" patter to get you to go into their shop with them for further inspection of your facial flaws and a very high pressure sales pitch. If they get you off the street, you are trapped like a bug on a glue trap. They have been around for several years now, but their number - and desperate aggressiveness - has grown. Last week, I was approached four times on one walk between El Dorado and La Fonda. You may have experienced something similar at a mall kiosk, but this is on another, more serious level. The nice shops around the Plaza have gradually disappeared, leaving these sales ghouls to stalk the unsuspecting. Try to avoid the Plaza altogether, but if you can't: Walk fast, don't make eye contact, don't let anyone hand you anything. Now isn't that how you want to spend your vacation? read more

The buildings & museums surrounding the square are great & worth a visit don't get me wrong! But the square itself is anti-climactic. Though not as bad as a San Fran or Hollywood, you still get the unsavory character or two in this downtown & the expected dog poop. Glad to notice there was no graffiti though. Other then grabbing lunch and seeing the tourist spots there isn't anything to do in this square. The shops are crazy expensive & the items sold would make no sense to buy unless your idea of a souvenir is a 100 lb statue of a bird of prey or those fancy decorative stones. Don't make a point to stop here; if you happen to cross through on your way to do other things, consider it checked off your list. read more

The Old Focal Point of Santa Fe. Yes, shopping is available until you drop into a well kept and safe park bench. This is where you begin to take in the true experience. Have a water, coffee, or Power drink handy. Grab a bench either in the sun, shade or both - the sun here is very comforting anytime of year. Now, begin to observe every minute detail: The architecture, the landscape, trees, grass, historic monuments, pigeons being safely chased by little ones, tours and locals of every description doing the same or passing by. Many with a dog or two and just as many descriptions if not more. The Plaza is slow to start in the morning and early to quiet down; as with much of Santa Fe, but who's complaining? During peak hours, say 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Native American vendors set up and sell their beautiful crafts. Vending carts, twin seat Rickshaw bicycle taxi's, and vehicles line and pass by the Plaza. Restaurants and Cafes are in plan site and tucked down side streets, alleys, and through a building to a courtyard. This is fun to explore and for me after nearly a week here, I'm still discovering. read more

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Ya gotta visit the Santa Fe Plaza when you're in town! Yes, it's where all the tourists flock, but it sure is a pretty space to walk around in, shop, eat, drink and be merry. We made sure our hotel was walking distance to the Santa Fe Plaza, as this is where every visitor must go. Being from the Pacific Northwest, we're not used to the adobe-style architecture, which I find fascinating. All of the buildings around the Plaza resembles that, so it's especially cool to stroll through and look at such a regional type of design. I especially loved seeing the historic buildings here, which there are quite a few of. I must say, the shops were way better than most tourists hot spots. They actually have fine art here, peeps! Santa Fe is such an artistic and bohemian place, and you're reminded of that by all the artwork you see in the shops and in the street vendors. It's definitely worth checking out. There was definitely a good selection of food, including some restaurants with New Mexican cuisines that we claimed as our favorites the entire time in New Mexico. Expect a lot of rooftop patios, too, and take advantage of the views of the entire plaza area and sunset. Santa Fe Plaza is a must for any visitor of this beautiful city. read more