arts and culture
Santa Fe and really the north central region in general, which includes the artist hotspot of Taos has a high concentration of artists and is a major destination for art collectors. The central tourist districts of Santa Fe and Taos are home to a huge number of extremely high-end art galleries as well as a number of excellent art museums. Outside of Santa Fe and Taos, one is still likely to come across galleries in the rural, smaller towns of the north central region, which often take on a more folk art characteristic with a still decidedly New Mexico twist. Albuquerque, though lacking Santa Fe's world-renowned image, has plenty of art institutions in its own right and offers a greater mix between the traditional arts which define Santa Fe and more contemporary work.
natural scenery
Being in the high desert, New Mexico is home to a great deal of natural beauty and a surprising variety of it; a few hours of driving can take you from red rock desert to alpine forests, or from flat grassland to sandy dunes. There's some gorgeous scenic beauty in every corner of the state, but there are some highlights.
The northwest region of the state perhaps most exemplifies the popular image of the American Southwest, with red rock mesas and stunning cliffs; really much of the same kind of scenery you can expect in Northern Arizona or Southern Utah. El Malpais National Monument, on the edge of this region, has the unusual mixture of sandstone and volcanic rock, where the remains of ancient lava flows run up against tall sandstone cliffs. The red rocks mostly vanish as one moves into the north central region although Abiquiu is notable for some stunning red rock features, replaced largely by alpine mountain ranges. The Valles Caldera National Preserve in the Jemez Mountains is the remnant of a huge volcanic caldera that now takes the form of a vast meadow in the middle of the range. The nearby Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the state's highest mountain range and perhaps its most spectacular, with several wilderness areas, ski areas, and alpine forests and meadows.
The elevation drops off as you move into the central part of the state, with alpine forests replaced by stands of piñon and juniper, although the spectacular Sandia Mountains above Albuquerque jut above the surrounding landscape and are the most easily accessible mountain range in the state, with an aerial tramway that rises from the foothills on the edge of the city straight up to the top of the crest. Within Albuquerque proper and stretching south is a scenic bosque cottonwood forest along the banks of the Rio Grande, a thin wetland which provides an important wildlife corridor for this part of the world. To the northeast, the scraggly piñon and juniper forests are replacing by wide, flat grasslands at the edge of the Great Plains.
The southwest portion of the state is home to some of the most remote wilderness areas in the state; where small mountain ranges mark the meeting point between the hot Chihuahuan Desert and the piñon-juniper forests of central New Mexico. The southeastern reaches of the state are where the elevation is at its lowest in the state, and are mostly a vast, featureless plain; although there are some scattered unusual geologic features, the most spectacular being Carlsbad Caverns, a collection of vast caves that are among the most stunning in the world. Near Alamogordo is White Sands National Monument, the world's largest gypsum sand dune field and a frequent sight in the state's tourist literature.
native americana
One of the primary attractions of New Mexico is its large and diverse collection of American Indian or, if you prefer, Native American -- both terms are used in the state pueblos, reservations, artwork, and of course, people. The north central and central regions have the greatest diversity of Native American centers, while Navajo Nation in the northwest region extending into the other Four Corners states is the largest Indian reservation/nation within the contiguous United States. There are a few points of interest in other regions, such as the Mescalero Apache reservation in the southeast region and outlying parts of Navajo Nation in the southwest. For detailed information on each of the pueblos, see New Mexico Pueblos.
Many, but by no means all, of the American Indian communities welcome visitors, usually with some restrictions. Following are some tips if you're planning to see the sights of these communities:
Check the regional articles for guidance on which pueblos/reservations are open to visitors; not all will be.
Please respect local regulations regarding photography and sketching! Most north-central and central pueblos require would-be photographers and artists to pay for permits issued by the pueblo administration, and some don't allow photography or sketching at all. If the restrictions seem draconian, remember that these are not museum exhibits or theme parks, they're towns and settlements where people live their daily lives. However, if you are on public property, pictures may be legally taken. It doesn't matter if you are photographing someone who doesn't want to be photographed, or a building that locals do not want photographed. As long as you are on public property, you are within your legal rights to photograph anything in sight, so make your own decision.
Most of the pueblos and reservations hold ceremonial dances, feasts and sings that welcome visitors, as well as some others of a more private, religious nature at which visitors are unwelcome if not forbidden. Many have succeeded in reconciling their historic religious practices with the dominant Christian particularly Catholic practice, and celebrations at Christmas in some cases extending through much of December, Easter, and the feast day of San Antonio June are generally open to visitors.
For many residents of some pueblos and reservations, not only is English not the primary daily language, it may not be spoken fluently or at all. Most residents in the "service" sector i.e., those you'll interact with first are as fluent in English as their Anglo colleagues in neighboring communities, and there is no reason to speak to them in a patronizing or condescending manner. However, if you venture far from the main tourist centers, you may run into language issues, although you're still odds-on to deal with English speakers. Patience and gestures will overcome many obstacles, but be aware that in certain areas notably Navajo Nation it is considered rude to point with extended fingers. A nod or tip of the head for indicating direction is considered more polite true among fluent English speakers as well.
ancestral puebloan ruins
Another primary attraction of the state is its collection of major archeological sites from the Ancestral Puebloans note that the term "Anasazi," which refers to the same group of people, has recently fallen out of favor, who are the descendants of many of the Native American tribes in the Southwest today and inhabited the area from roughly the 700s AD to the 1300s, when it is believed they migrated to more promising locales, such as along the banks of the Rio Grande. Although Mesa Verde, the most famous of such ruins, is just to the north in Colorado, New Mexico is home to many stunning collections of ruins in its own right, the most renowned of which being Chaco Canyon in the northwest section of the state, with remarkably well-preserved walls and pictographs that are easily accessed. Also in the northwest part of New Mexico is Aztec Ruins National Monument near the town of Farmington, home to more well-preserved walls and an impressive reconstructed kiva. Near Los Alamos in the north central section is Bandelier National Monument, with a superb collection of cliff dwellings situated in a scenic canyon. These are but just the most famous ruins; there are many other small ones open for viewing and in many parts of the state a hiker on public lands is likely to come across unexcavated ruins; in such a situation, remember not to disturb the site, do not remove any artifacts pottery shards being the most common, and don't walk or sit upon the remains of walls.