8 things you’ll never forget doing in New Mexico

They don’t call it the Land of Enchantment for nothing.

New Mexico does indeed entice, thanks to otherworldly desertscapes, weird rock formations and more wonders of nature you’ll find only here. Yet it’s perhaps the state’s unique culture – visible in the adobe architecture everywhere, quirky frontier towns, container loads of chile pepper and an abundance of preserved Indigenous history – that truly etch the 47th state into visitors’ memories.

No matter what time of year you visit, here are eight ways to begin getting to know this marvelous place.

1. Roam countless natural wonders

Few states have as many natural wonders as New Mexico. Cactuses sprout from its many hot, arid, wide-open deserts. Badlands like the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area are filled with peculiar-shaped hoodoos, formed over millions of years of erosion. Dormant volcanoes such as the Capulin Volcano National Monument have craters you can walk around, while mountain areas offer shimmering lakes, emerald green forests and ski resorts. Fans of the outdoors can explore more than a dozen national parks and state monuments, and over 30 state parks.

We recommend two above all: Carlsbad Caverns National Park has a 30-mile cavern open to visitors, revealing an astonishing display of perfectly preserved, skyscraper-sized stalactites and stalagmites. The 275-square-mile (714-sq-km) dune field of White Sands National Park transports visitors to Sahara-like vastness. Grab a board and zoom down one of its 60ft-tall (18m-tall) crescent-shaped piles. 

2. Soak up the unique Southwestern culture

New Mexico’s varied and fascinating history makes it different from anywhere else in the USA. This is immediately apparent in the state capital of Santa Fe, established by Spanish settlers in 1610 in a region that had been home to Indigenous populations for centuries. The city’s low-slung, earth-colored buildings made of adobe bricks, European-style pedestrianized plazas, small streets and Romanesque Revival churches characterize the city’s sui generis look and layout. Hordes of visitors come to roam boutiques filled with Southwestern clothing, from cowboy hats and boots to geometric patterned shirts, plus folk art galore.

Indeed, New Mexico’s spirit has always drawn artists and artisans, everyone from abstract painter Agnes Martin to feminist artist Judy Chicago to legendary transplant Georgia O'Keeffe, whose paintings made the state’s landscapes internationally famous. Since New Mexico remains a breeding ground for raw talent, almost every small town has a gallery of some sort to peruse.

3. Check out archeological traces of the past

Outside of New Mexico’s modern cities, it’s possible to view ancient remnants that tribes and travelers of the past have left behind. A short drive from Albuquerque, Petroglyph National Park is one of the largest collections of these images pecked in stone ever found, with short trails leading visitors to view hundreds of them. And in a vast rocky canyon to the west of Santa Fe, Bandelier National Monument is the ancestral land of 23 tribal nations. Hundreds of ancient cave dwellings and human settlements – some dating back 11,000 years – can be explored via wooden step ladders.

4. Set out on an epic road trip 

Get off the highway, and prepare for the ultimate four-wheel-drive adventure. Close to major population centers in New Mexico, you’ll find miles of empty roads through pine-scented mountains or across vast deserts – and a road trip you’ll never forget. Expect goose-pimple-inducing views, where jagged ranges appear to be stenciled into the sky and dusty-pink, pinch-yourself sunsets appear on the horizon.

New Mexico’s “Mother Road” is of course iconic Route 66, scattered with retro vintage charm and kitsch ’50s- and ’60s-style diners, motels and attractions. If you’re short on time, stick to the state’s eight designated scenic byways, which are packed with beautiful scenery and little towns full of character.

The 50-mile Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway takes you through the former mining “ghost town” of Los Cerrillos, whose highlights include the terrific art boutique Cerrillos Station, and the Black Bird Saloon, housed inside an adobe building built in 1885. Next, shop for a piece of art at one of the dozens of colorful and quirky art galleries in Madrid, where you can also pick up a handmade road snack at Shugarman's Little Chocolate Shop.

For an entirely different feel, the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway winds through volcanic cliffs, past rushing waters and into the forest to Valles Caldera National Preserve, a 13¾-mile-wide (22km-wide) volcanic caldera with excellent wildlife-spotting opportunities. Don’t forget to stop off at Jemez Hot Springs for a refreshing mineral water dip, and grab lunch at Southwestern saloon Los Ojos, decorated with animal hides and heads. Finish up with a hike on the easy yet ridiculously beautiful Las Conchas Trail, with its big canyon walls and several bridges crossing the east fork of the Jemez River.

5. Eat lots of chile

Generating some 320,000 metric tons each year, New Mexico is the largest producer of chili peppers in the US. (Only here, it’s spelled “chile”– with apologies to the Southwestern meat stew.) The fiery fruit has become not only New Mexico’s culinary calling card – you’ll find it on pizzas, in burgers and burritos, and even flavoring ice cream – but a key part of the state’s culture overall (it even appears on the state’s license plates). If you’re a fan of heat, be sure to make a pilgrimage to Hatch, a small town whose large number of chile producers has earned it the nickname “chile capital of the world.” Every business in town seems to sell chile in some form, from jars of the stuff to touristy gifts, and everywhere you’ll see ristras, strung bunches of dried red chiles. When they’re roasted, the town fills with the sweet smell of the fruit.

Insider tip: When buying chiles in the state, look out for the New Mexico Certified Chile seal, which means you’ll be getting the real deal.

6. Travel through space and time

New Mexico has a long history of space-related endeavors. It’s here that the first astronauts trained for their otherworldly journeys. Where rockets have been launched beyond earth’s atmosphere. Where the Very Large Array observatory continues to teach us about the universe. And where one town, Roswell, has become world-famous for its extraterrestrial-adjacent happenings. Those with enough cash can even book a trip out of this world, leaving just north of Las Cruces from Spaceport America, the world’s first commercial spaceport.

The best places to learn all about New Mexico’s relationship with outer space are two terrific museums: the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, for easily digestible science; and the International UFO Museum, where you can go deep on strange sightings and supposed alien encounters. 

7. Gaze up at dark skies

The state’s clear skies and high altitudes also make it an excellent place for studying the skies yourself. Folks have been doing this in New Mexico for thousands of years: the Pueblo people are believed to have observed the skies and charted cosmological patterns at Chaco Canyon. Today, the Cosmic Campground in the Gila Wilderness is an ideal spot for this: campers can set up their own telescopes in an area free of light pollution. To further understand what you’re seeing in the void above, join a night-sky tour around the state, such as those run by Astronomy Adventures and Night Sky Adventures.

8. Float above it all

Thanks to its year-round good weather and low winds, the city of Albuquerque is a major destination for aficionados of hot-air balloons. While you can take to the air all year long here (try Rainbow Ryders), you should count on visiting at least once for the world’s largest balloon event, when the skies become thronged with balloons in every color and shape imaginable one October morning each year. Don’t forget your camera.