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Albuquerque can easily be confused as “Albu-quirky.”
As the most notable city in the state of New Mexico, it’s not exactly Prince Charming when there are so many cooler little towns to visit.
New Mexico is a mix of historic sites, wide open spaces and charming cultural towns that are definitely worth a visit, but if we’re being honest, Albuquerque is Boresville, USA.
You might be excited to visit the state’s largest city in hopes of witnessing majestic mountains and catching a glimpse of New Mexico city life, but even the mountainous backdrop looks unamused, as if looking at the shouting high heaven: ‘Take us to Santa Claus’. Fe!”.
Apparently travelers agree, as New Mexico’s new hot spot is and now is just an hour’s drive from Albuquerque easier to reach than ever before.
Relaxed but never boring
Unless you like to twiddle your thumbs and wait to find something interesting, then Santa Fe is for you.
Okay, okay… Not Old Town Albuquerque That bad, but when you compare apples to apples or green chiles to green chiles, Santa Fe is well worth the hour-long trip.
The capital of New Mexico has much less than half the population of Albuquerque, but impresses with its nice small-town atmosphere and the beautiful nature surrounding the city.
There is something for all ages, there is something for everyone from the thriving art scene, there are plenty of outdoor activities and last but certainly not least: a ‘Margarita Path‘!
An airport overhaul with new direct flights
Getting here has never been difficult in itself. Just as they travel to New York City from Newark, most travelers had to fly to Albuquerque to reach Santa Fe.
But that is no longer the case. Santa Fe Regional Airport (SAF) has undergone extensive surgery make over.
Adding a brand new terminal will make this incredibly underrated city much more accessible to domestic travelers, hence the name ‘Regional’ in the airport’s title.
There are rumors that more routes are in the works, but these 3 cities officially offer them daily direct flights from American and United to SAF:
All three are major hubs that themselves are easy to reach should you need to connect.
Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago should be next in line, but there’s no official word yet.
More than just turquoise souvenirs
Not every capital city in the US is a winner – sorry, Albany!
This small city offers plenty to do and see.
Santa Fe is often seen as just an artsy city with turquoise souvenirs, antiques and art galleries.
While shopping here is certainly a plus, with some pretty cool deals to take home, there are some unsuspecting aspects to Santa Fe that you may not know about.
One of the most popular attractions right now is Meow Wolf, a unique art installation with rave reviews from tourists.
Although it is not currently in season, Santa Fe makes for a great ski trip. For now, travelers will have to settle for other epic outdoor adventures, such as hiking, biking, fishing or river rafting.
The bad news is that someone beat us all to Forrest Fenn’s treasure hunt!
Sante Fe is the new Albuquerque
Whether or not you agree that Albuquerque is a snoozer or not, there’s no denying that Santa Fe has taken over as the state’s travel hotspot.
And perhaps best of all, the city is surprisingly luxurious, with a mix of well-known stays and picturesque pueblos rent.
Not only are tourists already pouring in as the city has embraced an influx of tourists this year, Santa Fe can now serve as the same gateway to other cities as Albuquerque has served them.
New Mexico generally has all the ingredients for an epic road trip with countless beautiful small towns to visit.
Instead of flying into Albuquerque, travelers can now fly into Santa Fe and visit other cool cultural towns nearby like Taos, Chimayo, and Jemez Springs.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
