Santa Fe Plaza — Attraction in Santa Fe

Do you enjoy history? Do you enjoy shops that offer unique works of art and jewelry crafted by Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo artists and craftsmen? Do you like a wide choice of fun restaurants? Well, if your answer is " yes" to any of these questions...Santa Fe Plaza is a place you should visit. We enjoy all these things, so the plaza was a truly enjoyable place to experience.

What a person would like the best there is certainly subjective; for us it was the history and the ample opportunities to browse and shop in one of a kind shops. In terms of history, the Palace of the Governors, the oldest continuously occupied government building in the United States, was truly impressive. The structure was built by the Spanish governors of the territory of Nuevo Mexico in the early 1600s and has stood the many political changes in the decades and centuries since. It's mind blowing to consider all the stories those walls could tell.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi is another must see site for lovers of history ( or folks who appreciate religion or architecture). The basilica dates back to the 1800s and is a truly majestic structure. The evening we were there, it was enlivened by a large, joyous, family celebrating what appeared to be a Quinceanara. It was a reminder that the basilica, while brimming with history, is very much a living house of worship.

The shops and galleries in the plaza were loaded with dazzling artistic creations. We left with a new perspective and appreciation for Native American, Spanish, and Mexican culture.

Santa Fe Plaza, in our experience, is simply a unique and wonderful place. If you have the chance...visit. You won't be...

Part of the old time, small town charm of Santa Fe New Mexico I feel is best described without adjectives or descriptions. Is it best described by the scene that is normally found downtown at the Santa Fe plaza, especially on the weekends.

On the evening of June 27th, the pics show what Santa Fe was doing during the presidential debates. Enough said?

People gather here during the day, sometimes with indigenous people's drumming or local indigenous artists, and in the evenings all types enjoy a relaxed and family oriented music gathering.

(In the pics the weather broke just in time the headliner to perform! ) The Land of Enchantment is also a land of spiritual vibrations.

Anyone who lives or has visited the beautiful adobe, downtown City of Santa Fe know's that not only is it a great place to view weather patterns forming and reacting, but also knows the weather can change in a heartbeat.

If you haven't visited downtown Santa Fe you're missing out on walking around in great weather amongst a relaxed environment!

I have visited and lived in some of the most beautiful places in one of the most beautiful States of which is New Mexico and Santa Fe does not disappoint.

As one of the most historic places in the United States, the capital of New Mexico has some of the most beautiful trails, camping, and skiing very close to town...

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. 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...