New Mexico travel guide

Float over Albuquerque in a sunrise balloon

Flights go up most mornings when the wind allows. I’d give mine 10 out of 10: the city right below the basket, near silence between blasts of the burner, then a landing in a car park. Here’s my Albuquerque hot air balloon ride in full.

Catch sunset from the Sandia Peak Tramway

In about 15 minutes, the tram lifts you from the desert to snowy peaks above 10,000 feet. I wasn’t dressed for the snow on top, but I stayed for a freezing, epic sunset, and you should definitely do this.

Play spot the petroglyph in Rinconada Canyon

My favourite walk in Albuquerque: a free 2.2-mile trail past around 300 carvings. Bring binoculars. More in my guide to Petroglyph National Monument.

Sledge the dunes at White Sands

I went sledging on a rainy, quiet February day (buy a sled at the gift shop), and the views from the Alkali Flat Trail were incredible, even if it was hard work. See things to do in White Sands.

Step through the fridge at Meow Wolf

Santa Fe’s immersive art maze is kind of bonkers: I slid through a washing-machine tunnel and walked into a fridge. Here’s my Meow Wolf guide.

Eat your way round Santa Fe

Start with a breakfast burrito smothered “Christmas” style, in red and green chile, at Tia Sophia’s, and book dinner at Radish & Rye. My Santa Fe restaurant guide has the rest.

Soak at Ten Thousand Waves or Ojo Caliente

The sauna at this Japanese-style mountain spa above Santa Fe was hotter than hell, and stepping out into the snow was just perfect. Ojo Caliente’s mineral pools, between Santa Fe and Taos, were another stop on my trip.

Head underground at Carlsbad Caverns

In the far south-east, walk down through the Natural Entrance into the Big Room, a vast limestone chamber of stalactites and stalagmites. Book timed entry ahead.

The New Mexico road trip

Seven days

Santa Fe, Taos, Albuquerque, Roswell, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands

My New Mexico road trip itinerary loops through the state’s highlights and finishes near El Paso.

A weekend in Santa Fe

Two days

Meow Wolf, the Plaza and its museums, Canyon Road, Loretto Chapel, Ten Thousand Waves

Two days of art, adobe and chile: see my Santa Fe weekend itinerary.

One day in Albuquerque

One day

A sunrise balloon flight, Rinconada Canyon, Old Town and Sawmill Market, sunset on the Sandia Peak Tramway

The day is mapped out in my one day in Albuquerque itinerary.

New Mexico in winter

About a week

White Sands, Albuquerque, Taos, Santa Fe

My February route, in from southern Arizona and on to Sedona. Pick up the Arizona half in my Arizona travel guide.

The High Road to Taos

A mountain route through old Spanish villages: the Santuario de Chimayó, the ridge-top village of Truchas and the colonial church at Las Trampas.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks

Cone-shaped hoodoos and a narrow slot canyon on Cochiti Pueblo land, between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Book a timed ticket and buy the Pueblo’s access pass.

Pecos National Historical Park

A great pueblo and a Spanish mission church in ruins, 30 minutes east of Santa Fe.

Dishes to try

• Red, green or “Christmas” chile: New Mexico’s state question; say “Christmas” for both.
• A breakfast burrito: Santa Fe claims to have invented it, and mine at Tia Sophia’s came Christmas style.
• Blue corn: in tortillas, pancakes and the blueberry and blue corn doughnut I had at Whoo’s Donuts.
• A green chile cheeseburger: a state classic, served at the Mine Shaft Tavern in Madrid.
• Biscochitos: the anise and cinnamon cookie that is New Mexico’s official state cookie.

Drinks to try

• A margarita: mine at Flora in Albuquerque’s Sawmill Market was enormous.
• Local craft beer: Albuquerque has around 30 breweries; Bow & Arrow, owned by a Native woman, pours pretty bang beer.
• Local spirits: whiskey, gin and apple brandy distilled in the state, at the Santa Fe Spirits tasting room near the Railyard.

Tia Sophia’s, Santa Fe

A family-run diner a block from the Plaza, serving breakfast burritos since 1975. It was the most epic breakfast; go early, as it closes at 2pm.

Radish & Rye, Santa Fe

Seasonal, farm-led dinners near the Railyard. Book ahead, and order the rib-eye if it’s on: it might be the best steak I’ve ever had.

Bumble Bee’s Baja Grill, Santa Fe

A counter-serve Mexican spot I found off the cuff. Order the chicken tostada at the counter, and they bring it over. I cannot recommend it enough.

Campo at Los Poblanos, Albuquerque

Contemporary Southwestern dinners on an organic farm in Los Ranchos. My braised lamb birria was ridiculously indulgent.

Sawmill Market, Albuquerque

A food hall in an old lumber warehouse near Old Town, where I fell in love with ABQ. My picks: Notorious P.O.K.E and a margarita at Flora.

The Coffee Apothecary, Taos

Speciality coffee on Taos’s main street, south of the Plaza; I stopped in for a cortado.

Hotels and meals are good value outside Santa Fe, but fees add up.

• America the Beautiful pass: $80 (US residents) or $250 (everyone else)
• White Sands and Bandelier: $25 per vehicle for seven days
• Carlsbad Caverns: $15 per person aged 16 and over, plus a $1 timed-entry reservation
• Meow Wolf: timed tickets from about $33 for adults
• Sandia Peak Tramway: $35 return for adults
• Sunrise balloon flight: from about $189 per adult

Safety

The main risks are natural: monsoon flash floods, snow and ice on mountain roads in winter and long stretches with no phone signal, so download offline maps and fill up when you can. Take the usual big-city care in Albuquerque at night.

Health

Plan for the altitude: Santa Fe and Taos are about 7,000 feet up and Sandia Peak over 10,000, so drink lots of water and take your first day slowly. Wear sunscreen all year, and in summer, hike early and keep out of canyons and arroyos when storms are forecast.

Tipping

Tip 18% to 22% in sit-down restaurants, US$1 to US$2 a drink at the bar and 15% to 20% for guides, drivers and balloon crews.

Tips for travelling

• Hire a car: the sights are hours apart, and public transport barely reaches them.
• Reserve ahead for Meow Wolf, balloon flights, Ten Thousand Waves, Carlsbad Caverns and Tent Rocks.
• Look up closures before you set off: White Sands shuts Dunes Drive for missile tests, Taos Pueblo closes for weeks at a time (it was closed when I visited in February), and Chaco’s dirt roads can be impassable.
• At the Pueblos, follow the posted rules and always ask before photographing anyone.
• UK and other Visa Waiver visitors need an approved ESTA (US$40.27) before flying.

How to see the best for free

Plenty of the best moments cost nothing. Petroglyph National Monument’s Rinconada Canyon Trail and Pecos are both free. In Santa Fe, browse the Native jewellery and pottery laid out along the Palace of the Governors, wander Canyon Road’s galleries or tour the State Capitol on a weekday. Old Town in Albuquerque and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos cost nothing either.

An America the Beautiful pass covers White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns and Bandelier, but not Pueblo sites such as Taos Pueblo or Acoma.

Packing

Packing for New Mexico? Don’t forget…

• A big water bottle: the air is thin and dry, and you’ll get through more water than you expect.
• Warm layers, a hat and gloves: up on Sandia Peak in February, I was not quite prepared for the snow.
• Sunscreen and sunglasses: the sun is strong at altitude, even in winter.
• Binoculars: many petroglyphs sit high up on the boulders.
• Shoes with grip: for sandy dunes, rocky trails and icy pavements.

Travel insurance

Healthcare in the US is very expensive, so choose a policy with generous medical cover for the USA, plus any hiking, skiing, ballooning or rafting you have planned. Compare policies with AXA Travel Insurance.

Suggested guidebooks

• Moon New Mexico
• Lonely Planet Southwest USA

Interesting facts

• New Mexico became the 47th state in January 1912.
• Santa Fe, founded in 1610, is the oldest state capital in the US and, at about 7,000 feet, the highest.
• White Sands is the world’s largest gypsum dunefield.
• The state has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Taos Pueblo, Chaco Culture and Carlsbad Caverns.

Time zone

Mountain Time: UTC-7, or UTC-6 from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Unlike most of Arizona, New Mexico changes its clocks, so it’s usually seven hours behind the UK.

Electricity and adapters

Type A and B plugs, at 120V and 60Hz.