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Santa Fe (New Mexico)

Santa Fe, founded in 1607, is the capital of the state of New Mexico and its principal tourist destination, renowned for its confluence of scenic beauty, long history (at least by American standards), cultural diversity, and extraordinary concentration of arts, music and fine dining. With an elevation of, it is not only the United States' oldest state capital but its highest, sitting at the foot of the spectacular Sangre de Cristo Mountains. And with a population of about 85,000 (2019), it's not the most populous capital, but that's part of its charm. This is not a capital that bustles with politicians but one that bustles with tourists, who flood the narrow streets around the town's plaza in the summer months to take in the beautiful adobe architecture, the unique cultural heritage, and the spectacular art that make Santa Fe one of the world's top travel destinations.

History
Santa Fe was once the capital of Spain's, and then Mexico's, territories north of the Rio Grande, but its visible history extends far beyond the arrival of the Spanish; it is thought to have been the site of Puebloan villages that had already been long abandoned by the time the Spanish arrived in 1607. It became the state capital when the territory of New Mexico achieved statehood in 1912.

In the early 20th century, the area attracted a number of artists, such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz. The region remains important on America's art scene. The arrival of Igor Stravinsky and the founding of the Santa Fe Opera, one of the world's leading opera companies, had a similarly invigorating and enduring influence on the musical community. Many people go to Santa Fe for spiritual gatherings and to practice meditative arts at the many spas and resorts that are in and around Santa Fe.

Santa Fe is rooted in paradoxes. On the one hand, it is one of the United States' oldest cities (by some reckonings the oldest), and many residents can trace their roots and property holdings in town back to the 17th century. On the other hand, it has also been the target of a teeming influx of wealthy immigrants since the mid-1970s that has spurred a great deal of new construction and created inflated prices for real estate—and drastically elevated taxes on old family properties, many of which are owned by families that can't afford the taxes. The tension between new and old, rich and poor, etc., is a persistent undercurrent in the community. These and other factors (not the least of which is a well-deserved reputation as a haven for flamboyant characters) contribute to Santa Fe's uniqueness.

Climate
Much of the city's attractiveness, from both scenic and cultural perspectives, arises from its setting in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This location produces a mild continental climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are pleasant, with day-time highs usually in the 40s °F (5–10 °C), often "feeling" warmer due to the sunny conditions. Snow varies wildly from year to year; some winters see almost no snow, while others will have several individual storms dropping a foot or more each. (The sun and high altitude mean that roads usually aren't clogged too badly, even by the big storms, for more than a day or two, as the snow melts rapidly.) Spring, usually dry and moderate in temperature, is still probably the least pleasant time to visit from a weather perspective, because of strong winds. Early summer (June, early July) is hot and dry, with highs around, but gives way around mid-July to a truly delightful climate as summer, monsoonal thunderstorms peel off the mountains and cool the afternoons down. Bring rainwear if visiting in July or August. The monsoons typically die out in early September leading to a fall with dry, sunny days and clear, crisp evenings; first frost is usually in October, with snow starting to stick in the mountains at about that time.

One caution: the elevation is high enough to challenge the lungs of the visitor freshly up from sea level. It's wise to spend your first day on relatively sedentary activities (museums, walking the downtown area) and move to more active things after you've had some time to acclimatize.

Tourist information

 * Santa Fe Tourism website

By plane

If you enter New Mexico via the larger Albuquerque airport, rent a car and drive, as there is no commuter air service connecting the two airports. Alternatively, you can also take the Rail Runner commuter train (see below) or one of the shuttle buses such as Groome Transportation, which will pick you up at the Albuquerque airport and drop you off at one of a handful of locations in Santa Fe.

By rail

A commuter rail line, the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, connects Santa Fe to Albuquerque and surrounding communities (from Downtown Albuquerque you can catch a shuttle to the airport, ). There are four stations in Santa Fe: the at the Railyards on Guadalupe Street near the Sanbusco Center, the South Capitol station off Cordova Road between Cerrillos Road and St. Francis Drive, the Zia Road station at Zia Road and St. Francis Drive on the south side of town, and the NM 599 station at I-25 and NM 599 southwest of town. The Santa Fe Depot is the most useful for sightseeing, as it puts you in the historic downtown area within relatively easy walking distance of the plaza. The other stations are meant more for commuters and are of little use to sightseers. The Rail Runner runs daily, although service can be limited outside the weekday rush hour periods. Fares are based on how far you ride; a day pass will usually be in the range of $5–10. Tickets can be purchased online or from ticket agents on the train.

The major Amtrak route across the Southwest, the Southwest Chief, stops at Lamy about 15 miles south of Santa Fe off US Highway 285. The once-daily trains stop in Lamy mid-afternoon, and a shuttle van service can take you to Santa Fe. The station in Lamy has an old cafe car serving lunch, food vendors on the platform, and picnic tables beneath shady cottonwoods. Travelers with bicycles may find the shuttle van to Santa Fe is unable to transport their bicycles unless special arrangements have been made; an alternative is to send any luggage ahead via the shuttle and ride the bicycle - there's a federally designated rail trail along an unused rail line between Lamy and Santa Fe, but between the Amtrak station and US 285 you must travel via the road, then north on US 285 to the trailhead.

By car
Santa Fe lies along Interstate 25, which skirts the city. Be suspicious of weather conditions if coming to Santa Fe on this road. Santa Fe is nearly above Albuquerque, and on I-25, most of the elevation change is on a single long, steep hill known as "La Bajada." La Bajada hill is hairy to drive during winter snowstorms and is occasionally closed for periods of several hours. East of town, I-25 North goes over a moderate pass along the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains before heading out into the plains; this too can be closed during blizzards.

If conditions are good and you're not in a hurry, consider using back roads as an alternative to I-25 if coming from Albuquerque. State road 14 passes along the east side of the Sandia Mountains and through the quaint little towns of Madrid and Cerrillos before joining the interstate just south of Santa Fe.

Santa Fe was on the original Route 66, although it was bypassed during the 1930s as a result of some curious political shenanigans and the much shorter, modern Route 66 didn't go anywhere near here. See the Original alignment in New Mexico section of the Route 66 article for tips on how to get here "authentically." Coming from points east, you might also consider entering town via the Santa Fe Trail itinerary, which shares roads with the Route 66 itinerary near Santa Fe.

By bus
There is no long-distance scheduled bus service into Santa Fe. The nearest Greyhound stop is in Albuquerque, at the Alvarado Transportation Center in downtown. From there, the most convenient option to Santa Fe is to take the Rail Runner train, which stops right next to the bus depot.

Both New Mexico Park and Ride and the NCRTD provide commuter bus service on weekdays with routes that connect Santa Fe to surrounding communities. Additionally, the NCRTD operates the Taos Express weekend service to Taos and the daily Mountain Trail route up Hyde Park Road between Santa Fe and Ski Santa Fe.

Get around
Outside of the downtown area (consisting roughly of the blocks surrounding the Plaza and the adjacent Railyards district and Canyon Road), a car is definitely your best bet and will be all but necessary for visiting any of the more far-flung attractions (e.g. the Opera, the mountains, any of the nearby pueblos). However, if you're only staying for a couple of days, you can certainly get by without a car with what the small but vibrant downtown has to offer; it is very pedestrian-friendly and walked, often, by many people late into the evening, particularly in summertime when the tourists flood in.

By car
Parking can be a problem during the summer, but look for parking lots (fee) near St. Francis Cathedral, the Convention Center, and between Water and San Francisco Streets west of the Plaza. If in town during any major event (Indian Market, Fiesta, etc.) plan on parking away from downtown and taking a shuttle, e.g. from De Vargas Mall.

The main roads through town are St. Francis Drive (US 84/285) from north to south, Cerrillos Road (NM SR 14) from the downtown area southwest to I-25 and beyond, Old Santa Fe Trail and its offshoot Old Pecos Trail from downtown southeast to I-25, and St. Michaels Drive and Rodeo Road and its offshoots, both connecting Old Pecos Trail and Cerrillos east to west. Most outlying attractions are accessible via one of these roads. The downtown area is a remarkable warren of small roads that you really don't want to drive on; park your car and walk. Streets there tend to wander (Paseo de Peralta, one of the main roads in the downtown area, almost completes a loop) and, even when apparently rectilinear, are not necessarily aligned to true north-south/east-west. Take extra care for pedestrians and cyclists, many streets have sharp turns.

If you're bound for the Santa Fe Opera from Albuquerque or points south, consider taking the Santa Fe Relief Route (NM SR 599), which leaves I-25 south of the Cerrillos Road exit, bypasses most of Santa Fe, and meets US 84/285 just south of the Opera. This can be a good way of getting to lodging and restaurants on the north side of town as well; although it's a few miles out of the way, the much less chaotic driving, particularly around rush hour, provides considerable compensation.

Once you get to Santa Fe, consider taking a tour of downtown. Several companies offer open-air tram tours, like Loretto Line Tours (available in the parking lot of the Loretto Chapel). These tours last about 1½ hours and give you a sense of the architecture, culture and history of the downtown area.

See
Like many towns founded by the Spanish, Santa Fe has a central square, the, that is a gathering place for all types. For hours of entertainment, pull up a bench and people watch; you'll rapidly gain an appreciation for how the "City Different" nickname applies. Especially nice in the summer evenings as the temperatures drop (although rain may drop as well) and the people come out.

Museums
Santa Fe has a variety of interesting museums, most in the downtown area and easily reached on foot. Four of the biggest in Santa Fe (the Palace of the Governors, the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Museum of International Folk Art, and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture) are sub-units of the Museum of New Mexico, for which you can buy a shared pass for $20 that allows access to all four museums and the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art within a four-day period. If you only have time for one, individual passes are available. The following is a list of museums in the downtown area:

Museum Hill, south of downtown, is home to a collection of art and culture museums in the foothills overlooking Santa Fe. While not within walking distance of downtown, it is accessible via public transportation (Santa Fe Trails Route M from the plaza area, or Santa Fe Pickup museum shuttle from the state capitol).

There are also a couple other museums outside the plaza area (but not on Museum Hill) that are very much worth checking out:

Architecture

 * There are several photogenic churches in town, most of them open for visits during daylight hours when no church services are in progress (please be respectful and don't attempt flash photography):

 * An enormous number of Santa Fe structures are on the National Register of Historic Places. Rather than recapping the whole list here, visit the web site. A good way of sampling the Historic Places is to start at the Plaza (itself one of the designated places) and work your way out. At least 40 places on the Register can be reached conveniently from here.
 * An enormous number of Santa Fe structures are on the National Register of Historic Places. Rather than recapping the whole list here, visit the web site. A good way of sampling the Historic Places is to start at the Plaza (itself one of the designated places) and work your way out. At least 40 places on the Register can be reached conveniently from here.
 * An enormous number of Santa Fe structures are on the National Register of Historic Places. Rather than recapping the whole list here, visit the web site. A good way of sampling the Historic Places is to start at the Plaza (itself one of the designated places) and work your way out. At least 40 places on the Register can be reached conveniently from here.
 * An enormous number of Santa Fe structures are on the National Register of Historic Places. Rather than recapping the whole list here, visit the web site. A good way of sampling the Historic Places is to start at the Plaza (itself one of the designated places) and work your way out. At least 40 places on the Register can be reached conveniently from here.

Festivals
Santa Fe hosts a seemingly unending series of community fairs, festivals and celebrations, of which the most characteristic is the Fiesta de Santa Fe. This grand city-wide festival is held over the weekend after Labor Day in mid-September, after most of the summer tourists have left (and has been described as Santa Fe throwing a party for itself to celebrate the tourists leaving!). The celebration commemorates the reconquest of Santa Fe in 1692 by the Spanish after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Fiesta opens with a procession bearing a statue of the Blessed Virgin known as La Conquistadora to the Cathedral of St. Francis. Revelry starts with the Thursday night burning of Zozobra, also known as "Old Man Gloom," a huge, animated figure whose demise at the hands of a torch-bearing dancer symbolizes the banishing of cares for the year. Prepare for BIG crowds - this event is not for the faint of heart and can be downright scary for small children! The crowning of a queen (La Reina) of the Fiesta and her consort, representing the Spanish nobleman, Don Diego de Vargas, who played a key role in the founding of the city, is a matter of great local import. Revelry continues through the weekend and features such events as the hilarious children's Pet Parade on Saturday morning and the Hysterical/Historical Parade on Sunday afternoon. A Fiesta Melodrama at the Community Playhouse effectively and pointedly pokes fun at city figures and events of the year past. The Fiesta closes with a solemn, candle-lit walk to the Cross of the Martyrs.

A few of the other festivities during the year, arranged in (usual) chronological order through the year, are:

In addition, many of the Native American pueblo communities nearby schedule dances and other ceremonies to celebrate specific feast days throughout the year that welcome tourists (along with a few that are for tribe members only).

Performing arts

Santa Fe is an important center for music and musical groups, the most illustrious being the Santa Fe Opera, although there are several other excellent venues in town.

 * In addition, many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable far out on the south side of town (11 College Avenue) -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.
 * In addition, many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable far out on the south side of town (11 College Avenue) -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.
 * In addition, many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable far out on the south side of town (11 College Avenue) -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.
 * In addition, many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable far out on the south side of town (11 College Avenue) -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.
 * In addition, many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable far out on the south side of town (11 College Avenue) -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.
 * In addition, many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable far out on the south side of town (11 College Avenue) -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.
 * In addition, many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable far out on the south side of town (11 College Avenue) -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.
 * In addition, many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable far out on the south side of town (11 College Avenue) -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.
 * In addition, many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable far out on the south side of town (11 College Avenue) -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.

Some of the groups using these spaces are:

There are others; if you hear one you like, add it.

Film
There are several movie theaters and art houses spread around the city that play Hollywood flicks as well some of the more off-beat movies. In addition to the year-round offerings, film enthusiasts should check out the Santa Fe Film Festival, held every year in early December.
 * First-run Hollywood films can be seen at in the DeVargas Mall and at the  on Cerrillos Road at Zafarano Drive (the later of which is newer and can screen 3D films).
 * The Lensic Performing Arts Center (listed above) occasionally holds a screening in addition to their regular performing arts lineup.

Outdoors
As one might expect from its location between mountain and desert, Santa Fe is rich in outdoor activities, particularly hiking, cycling, and horse riding. Most are slightly outside town itself and are covered in the "Get out" section and pages cited there, but there are a few in-town possibilities:

 * There are a number of great trails around town:
 * The is a good short walk, on a hill just northeast of Downtown. From Paseo de Peralta, the paved walkway ascends to the top of the hill, where a cross honoring the Spanish martyrs of New Mexico has been placed. Unfortunately, getting to the entrance to the trail involves uncomfortably close proximity to car traffic, as one has to walk along a narrow but extraordinarily busy street on very narrow sidewalks, but the view of Santa Fe makes it all worth it., at 300 Kearney Ave, is just around the corner a short walk from the cross, and is an in-town (one really can't call it "urban") park suitable for a short hike to begin getting your cardiovascular system adjusted to the 7000-foot altitude.
 * The runs along the so-called Santa Fe River (it rarely has more than a trickle of water), with access convenient to the plaza area along Alameda Street, which cuts through the downtown area between the Plaza and the State Capitol. You'll share the path with myriad walkers, bikers, and some boarders and horse riders.
 * The campus of, 1160 Camino Cruz Blanca, is the starting point for several hikes of lengths ranging from 2 to 7 miles, the latter being the ascent of Atalaya Mountain, one of the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos that rises just east of town. Park at the visitors' parking lot and choose your hike.
 * A trail along the railroad to Lamy south of Santa Fe can be hiked, biked, and ridden on horseback. It is a nationally designated Rail with Trail, and plans are underway to further develop its trail facilities. It's paved from the Railyard to Rabbit Road (continuation of St. Francis Drive on the south side of I-25), continuing as a dirt path along the tracks to Lamy. Keep an eye out for trains.
 * The Santa Fe National Forest covers the mountains east of town and offers abundant outdoor recreational opportunities. is a short distance outside town, at the end of NM 475 (Hyde Park Road) in the high country of the forest (seriously high—even the base of the runs is above 10,000', so think carefully whether you want to go there if you have respiratory problems or are prone to altitude sickness). In addition to the obvious skiing, the lifts often operate during the summer, taking visitors to near the top of 12,000'-plus Tesuque Peak for great views. The road to the ski area goes through an aspen grove with spectacularly golden foliage (and hordes of people looking at the trees—don't expect privacy) in the fall, and several trails lead into the national forest from trailheads along the way. Some of the trails turn into interesting Nordic ski tracks in the winter.
 * Geocaching has become popular in Santa Fe, as might be expected from the general atmosphere of the city. The geocaching.com web site lists hundreds of caches in and near town, sufficient to keep even the most ardent cacher busy for a while. One caution: Santa Fe's reputation as a playground for the rich and famous has created a number of closed and gated neighborhoods, many of them quite intolerant of trespassers and aggressively patrolled. If your route to a cache leads you to a closed gate, take it seriously, and either look outside the perimeter for your quarry, or seek a different cache.
 * Horse riding is available at several stables on the west side of town, and at Bishops' Lodge (see below under Sleep). If you have your own horse, or contract with an outfitter, your choice of places to ride is enormous. Popular trail systems in the Santa Fe area include the Santa Fe National Forest, Pecos Wilderness, Caja del Rio, Cerrillos Hills Historical Park, and Pueblos (access requiring a permit). A little farther afield is Los Alamos, Valles Caldera National Preserve, and the Carson National Forest.
 * White-water rafting is excellent on the nearby Rio Grande and Rio Chama north of town, with trips ranging from easy half-day floats to taxing multi-day outings., 1164 Parkway Dr Unit A, +1-800-879-9035, is one of several good outfitters operating out of Santa Fe; other good ones can be found along the road to and in Taos. Reservations are a must, particularly during peak season (usually June to early July).
 * If you're cycling, thorn-resistant tires and tubes are almost mandatory owing to the ubiquitous "goat's head," a weed whose seeds seem custom-made to puncture bike tires.
 * Golf and other sports are less accessible in Santa Fe than in some other cities, as many of the golf courses are either private and reserved for residents of adjoining gated communities, or out of town at one of the nearby pueblos and in Los Alamos. Golf in Santa Fe is "challenging;" the altitude may tire you (although the thin air may also help the ball fly farther and straighter), and weather can interfere, with strong winds in the spring and afternoon thunderstorms in the summer. Still, Santa Fe is a great place to get outside, and that includes golf and other sporting activities.
 * Golf and other sports are less accessible in Santa Fe than in some other cities, as many of the golf courses are either private and reserved for residents of adjoining gated communities, or out of town at one of the nearby pueblos and in Los Alamos. Golf in Santa Fe is "challenging;" the altitude may tire you (although the thin air may also help the ball fly farther and straighter), and weather can interfere, with strong winds in the spring and afternoon thunderstorms in the summer. Still, Santa Fe is a great place to get outside, and that includes golf and other sporting activities.
 * Golf and other sports are less accessible in Santa Fe than in some other cities, as many of the golf courses are either private and reserved for residents of adjoining gated communities, or out of town at one of the nearby pueblos and in Los Alamos. Golf in Santa Fe is "challenging;" the altitude may tire you (although the thin air may also help the ball fly farther and straighter), and weather can interfere, with strong winds in the spring and afternoon thunderstorms in the summer. Still, Santa Fe is a great place to get outside, and that includes golf and other sporting activities.

Folk art
Santa Fe is a designated UNESCO Creative City and is one of the best places in the world to shop specifically for Native American Indian arts and crafts. How to proceed depends on what your goals are and how much you want to spend.

If your goal is jewelry, note that the price for turquoise stones has risen dramatically in the 21st century, as demand has risen at the same time that the mining of new stones has declined. Most new turquoise jewelry, and all of the inexpensive jewelry, uses "stabilized" turquoise, rather than the rarer types that are naturally hard enough and mined in the American Southwest. Gem-grade natural American turquoise can cost more than $100 per carat, and more than that for a choice piece from a favored mine, such as the world-famous Lander Blue turquoise mine in Nevada.

The place of choice for most travelers seeking Native folk art is the Native American artists who sell their own art on the "Portal" (accent on second syllable) in front of the Palace of the Governors. The jewelry, pottery, and other works are available for a reasonable price, you know that the money goes directly to the artist, and – unlike the many cheap shops around town that import Native-style objects that were made in Asia – the authenticity is guaranteed through a rigorous licensing system. Most artists are happy if you ask questions about the symbolism and materials used, but don't haggle over the prices here. The vendors rotate in and out on a lottery system, so there are some different sellers each day. Pickings may be a bit thin on Sundays, and the vendors leave after 5:30.

A word of warning: do not patronize the similar vendors on sidewalks out around town unless you know they're okay, or you don't care what you're buying. If they're not on the Portal, there's a reason, and one common reason is that they're passing off non-Indian junk as authentic. Some authentic local artisans may be off the Portal, but caveat emptor.

For higher-quality (and -priced) Native art, art galleries cluster around the Plaza. Some reputable ones (there are more) are:

There are other good ones as well; if you find one that you think offers particularly good value for dollar, please expand this list. You can spend as little as $100 for a small piece, or spend more money than you have for something that's literally one-of-a-kind.

Other art
If you have any interest at all in "Anglo" art, make sure you walk down Canyon Road (an easy stroll from downtown), which is full of unique, quirky and just plain fun art galleries. Other galleries are west and south of the Plaza in the downtown area itself. A small sampling to give you a sense of what's there (opening hours at these can be somewhat erratic and are not always posted):

This listing barely scratches the surface of the art scene in Santa Fe; the community phone book lists over six pages of galleries. There are some tourist traps among them, but far more good stuff than tourist junk.

Other goods

 * In downtown Santa Fe there are quite a few specialty stores for toys, book stores, clothes and a variety of other stores with handmade goods such as purses and jewelry.
 * On the south side of the city there is an at the intersection of I-25 and Cerrillos Road and a large gathering of newer, big-box stores like Best Buy and Target on Zafarano Road near Cerrillos and Rodeo Roads, across the road from the enclosed  mall. A second (and slightly smaller) enclosed mall, the, is at Paseo de Peralta and Guadalupe, just north of the downtown area.

Eat
Santa Fe, and the rest of New Mexico, is known for its huge and spicy plates full of Southwestern food. Restaurants in Santa Fe run from expensive haute Southwestern to down-home fast-food style plates, where you will be asked "red or green" (chile). You can try a mix of both red and green chile peppers by asking for your dish "Christmas". However, Santa Fe also has a number of excellent restaurants offering other cuisines—possibly too many of them, in fact, as the highly competitive marketplace forces even some very good ones out of business before their time. It is almost impossible to overstate the dining possibilities here; they far outstrip those in most American cities ten times Santa Fe's size. As with several other New Mexico towns, restaurants in this description are broken into the sub-categories "New Mexican" (which is not the same as "Mexican" by any means) and "Other." Meals (exclusive of drinks and tips) will usually cost $10/person or less at the "Budget" places, $10 to $25 at the "Mid-range" ones, and more—sometimes much more—at the "Splurges." Many Santa Fe restaurants are somewhat casual as regards business hours; if a place doesn't have hours listed below, inquire locally as to when it's open, as the hours may change erratically.

New Mexican
There are so many good New Mexican restaurants in town that a description here can barely scratch the surface. Half of the writers on New Mexican food claim that green chile is hotter than red, while half claim it's the other way around. In reality, the best authority on the spiciness of the chile at the particular restaurant you eat at is the restaurant itself, so if you're concerned about the chile being too hot, simply ask; you'll get a straight answer far more often than not. One thing that's definitely true, however, is that green tends to be fleshier than red, and adds a bit more substance to the dish, independent of the heat level.

Budget

Other
Santa Fe has plenty of standard chain restaurants (Olive Garden, Outback, Red Lobster, etc.), but why bother? There are enough excellent "local" ones that you can save your trips to these more ubiquitous eateries for cities less well-endowed from a culinary point of view. All restaurants below are uniquely Santa Fean in their character and cuisine.

Drink
Two of the ubiquitous alcoholic beverages in Santa Fe are the familiar margarita and the possibly-less-familiar sangria, a wine-based concoction incorporating fruit, more commonly associated with Spain and Central America. Most of the better New Mexican restaurants in town have their own house sangria; it goes well with New Mexican cuisine, and is claimed by some to be a useful antidote if the spicy food gets the better of you. It's considered much more of a day-to-day beverage here than in many other places. The high altitude may increase sensitivity to alcohol.

Much of the beer consumed in the community is imported from Mexico, and there are also a few microbreweries. If you're sticking with non-alcoholic beverages, a tip: Many locals advise against having soft drinks with New Mexican food, instead preferring iced tea. This preference is based on the belief that carbonation in drinks (including beer) tends to accentuate the spiciness of the chile peppers and cause the spicy component to hang around in the throat, while iced tea mutes it. Do the experiment, or at least have your designated driver do it.

 * Changes in New Mexico laws during the 1990s led to the development of casinos at a number of nearby American Indian pueblos. The closest to Santa Fe are along US 285 on the way to Pojoaque. Big-name acts occasionally appear and liven up the night life, although you're as likely to catch a falling star on his/her way down-and-out as a current, lively act. The two listed here may run shuttle services connecting to the major in-town hotels; inquire locally as to availability.
 * Changes in New Mexico laws during the 1990s led to the development of casinos at a number of nearby American Indian pueblos. The closest to Santa Fe are along US 285 on the way to Pojoaque. Big-name acts occasionally appear and liven up the night life, although you're as likely to catch a falling star on his/her way down-and-out as a current, lively act. The two listed here may run shuttle services connecting to the major in-town hotels; inquire locally as to availability.
 * Changes in New Mexico laws during the 1990s led to the development of casinos at a number of nearby American Indian pueblos. The closest to Santa Fe are along US 285 on the way to Pojoaque. Big-name acts occasionally appear and liven up the night life, although you're as likely to catch a falling star on his/her way down-and-out as a current, lively act. The two listed here may run shuttle services connecting to the major in-town hotels; inquire locally as to availability.
 * Changes in New Mexico laws during the 1990s led to the development of casinos at a number of nearby American Indian pueblos. The closest to Santa Fe are along US 285 on the way to Pojoaque. Big-name acts occasionally appear and liven up the night life, although you're as likely to catch a falling star on his/her way down-and-out as a current, lively act. The two listed here may run shuttle services connecting to the major in-town hotels; inquire locally as to availability.

Several of the local-style bars can be found on Cerrillos Road and St. Michaels Drive, if you'd prefer to avoid the touristy places. Warning: some of these can get rowdy, and DUI is a problem in the area as well.

Sleep
Most Santa Fe hotels, motels and B&Bs are in one of two areas: downtown (near the Palace of the Governors and Plaza) or on Cerrillos Road, the commercial main drag. The distance of the Cerrillos Road hotels from the downtown attractions isn't significant from a purely physical point of view; the most distant ones (near Villa Linda Mall) are still within a couple miles of the downtown area, which can be reached quickly by car or shuttle bus. However, the atmospheric distance is enormous. Downtown has the fabled Santa Fe ambience of a sleepy old Western village frozen in time and transported to the 21st century (with, of course, a few modern amenities and nuisances added, like cars), while Cerrillos Road has the "ambience" of a shopping district in a suburb of a major city. In compensation, hotels on Cerrillos Road tend to be less expensive on an amenity-for-amenity basis. When deciding where to stay in Santa Fe, give particular thought to the balance of ambience and economy that fits your needs.

"Budget" lodging (if any) will start at less than $75 a night, "Mid-range" from $75 to $150, and "Splurge" greater than $150, with some of the luxury suites, etc., ranging far upward. A warning on the "Budget" and "Mid-range" classifications: Santa Fe hotels and motels are prone to very substantial seasonal variations in availability and price. A hotel that may look like "Mid-range" during off season (spring, fall exclusive of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta week, usually in early October) may be "Splurge" material during ski season and the summer, particularly around significant events such as the Santa Fe Indian Market, Fiesta, opening weekend of the Santa Fe Opera, etc. Of course, the converse is true as well, meaning you can stay at a "Splurge" hotel in the off-season months of November through February at a really low price. Check carefully on rates when booking; most of the more important hotels/motels have informative web pages, and better hotels should give you the best price themselves, instead of letting discounters underprice them.

Budget
Budget hotels and motels in Santa Fe are few and far between. The economy-rate chains all have franchises in town, but it's not clear that most can really be considered "budget" lodging. Try one and write it up here.

Mid-range
There are a number of bed and breakfast establishments beyond the ones shown here. Rates vary not only seasonally but also with the room, as each establishment will have a range of room sizes and accommodations; larger and more luxurious rooms are likely to reach the "Splurge" category. In addition to B&Bs, one can also rent furnished homes, large or small ("casitas") which allows you to prepare at least some of your own meals, and enjoy a little more space, both indoors and outdoors. Here are a couple of agencies, followed by classic bed & breakfast choices.

Most major hotel chains have franchises in Santa Fe, mainly outside the main tourist areas. A few are removed from downtown on Cerrillos Road, hence have better value-for-dollar if you don't mind the distance:

There are many others on Cerrillos Road; non-chain options include:

Several of the classic downtown hotels/lodges approach "Splurge" status, particularly during peak periods, both for their locations and their quality, but a splurge is frequently worth the expense for those who want an authentic Santa Fe experience. A couple of the more reasonably priced ones:

Camping
There are several commercial campgrounds in town, but the camping is much more rewarding along the road to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. There are several campgrounds in Santa Fe National Forest on this road, and there is also good camping at the very pretty between forest and city. If you're planning on using the national-forest or Hyde Park campsites, make sure you have enough clothing and bedding to stay warm; they're in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and get cold at night.

Stay safe
Santa Fe is a fairly safe city as regards violent crime, despite the widely publicized occurrence of occasional hate crimes. In reality, the crime rate, with the exception of residential burglary (a definite problem in town but one unlikely to affect the traveler), is not high compared to other American communities of comparable size, and the visitor is very unlikely to have any crime-related problems. Some of the bars can get a little rough, with ethnic tensions frequently a factor despite the city's multicultural nature; simply don't stir up trouble and you should be OK. Otherwise, public areas are generally quite safe, and are well yet unobtrusively patrolled by the city police.

Much more of a problem is automobile safety, for several reasons. Many of the roads were built during a slower-paced, less-populous time, and lack the carrying capacity for the current crowds. Northern New Mexico has serious problems with drunk driving, and Santa Fe is not exempt from these, particularly late at night. Another factor is an inexplicably high density of bad drivers and/or decrepit vehicles with poorly secured cargo; natives often speak of having a "New Mexico moment" when something falls off the back of a pickup or trailer and into the roadway in front of an unsuspecting driver. This is a good place to practice your defensive driving, particularly along St. Francis Drive and Cerrillos Road (the intersection of these two has been voted the most dangerous intersection in all of New Mexico). Running red lights is one of the state pastimes, and reaches its zenith in Santa Fe; be extremely vigilant when pulling away from an intersection when the light changes. On the positive side, most motorists are fairly tolerant (if not always aware) of pedestrians and bicyclists.

Finally, be alert for signs of health problems associated with high altitude, particularly if you venture out of town toward the mountains. The most common problems are headache and/or feeling tired may occur, drinking more water or going to lower altitude may help (a trip down La Bajada to the reservoir will usually do it). Also pay attention during hikes and bike rides, remember you are at 7,000 feet—sunscreen is important, even in the winter. The dryness of the air combined with physical exertion will often leave you not sweating through your clothes even if it's 85 degrees out, and many people won't realize they are working hard without that. Dehydration is a common issue for visitors—bring more water than you might otherwise. Some visitors report increased sensitivity to alcohol due to the altitude.

Connect
Santa Fe Baking Company and Pyramid Cafe (see above under Eat) also claim to offer free wireless access. Most of the major hotels offer wideband service to guests.

 * Java Joe's. Coffeehouse first, Internet cafe second.

Cope

 * More pedestrian resources for the traveler (laundromats, grocery stores, auto repair shops, etc.) tend to congregate along St. Francis Drive, St. Michaels Drive and Cerrillos Road. If you look for these services downtown (Plaza area), you'll pay extra for them without getting anything special in terms of goods and services; get away from the glamour district and save some money.
 * More pedestrian resources for the traveler (laundromats, grocery stores, auto repair shops, etc.) tend to congregate along St. Francis Drive, St. Michaels Drive and Cerrillos Road. If you look for these services downtown (Plaza area), you'll pay extra for them without getting anything special in terms of goods and services; get away from the glamour district and save some money.
 * More pedestrian resources for the traveler (laundromats, grocery stores, auto repair shops, etc.) tend to congregate along St. Francis Drive, St. Michaels Drive and Cerrillos Road. If you look for these services downtown (Plaza area), you'll pay extra for them without getting anything special in terms of goods and services; get away from the glamour district and save some money.
 * More pedestrian resources for the traveler (laundromats, grocery stores, auto repair shops, etc.) tend to congregate along St. Francis Drive, St. Michaels Drive and Cerrillos Road. If you look for these services downtown (Plaza area), you'll pay extra for them without getting anything special in terms of goods and services; get away from the glamour district and save some money.

Native Americana
One of the major contributors to Santa Fe's fame is the large number of American Indian Pueblos (towns) nearby. Several are important centers for folk art; most permit visitors at dances and other tribal ceremonial events; and from a more contemporary perspective, several host casinos with gambling, night life, etc. There are also, however, some pueblos that jealously guard the privacy of their residents and admit visitors only grudgingly, if at all. Nearly all pueblos charge a fee for photography, video, sketching, etc., as an attempt to mitigate the impact of tourism on the private life of the inhabitants. For more detailed info on each pueblo, see the New Mexico Pueblos page.

Among the nearby pueblos, Cochiti Pueblo and Santo Domingo Pueblo are southwest of town off I-25, both centers of folk art, with Santo Domingo excellent for pottery and jewelry. North of town, there are a couple of pueblos along US 84/285; Tesuque is the closest to Santa Fe and has a casino, but the pueblo itself is closed to the public. Continuing north takes you to Pojoaque, which has an interesting museum and gaudy casino. Further beyond off the main road is Nambe Pueblo, which has a pleasant campground and waterfall, while San Ildefonso Pueblo is off the main road to Los Alamos and is a major pottery center. More pueblos are in the vicinity of Española and Taos even further north.

Other

 * Taos, known for its art colony, the iconic Taos Pueblo, as well as a superb downhill ski area, is about a two-hour drive north of Santa Fe. The trip up is quite scenic, with a couple excellent drives possible; see the North Central New Mexico page for detailed directions.
 * Pecos is a small town about 20 miles east of Santa Fe just off I-25, and is the home of the Pecos National Historic Park, a small NPS site that preserves the ruins of an abandoned Indian pueblo and Spanish mission from the 17th century, as well as the Glorieta Pass Battlefield, site of a major Civil War battle in the West.
 * Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument (closed indefinitely in 2023) just south of town near Cochiti Lake in the central region, and is covered in that region's article. Many guidebooks of the area omit this little gem, which is open for day use ($5/vehicle) and includes a trail through a short but spectacular bit of slot canyon. Highly recommended for the hiker with half a day to spend.
 * A trip to Los Alamos and nearby Bandelier National Monument is a great excursion from Santa Fe. If you want to make a day of it, you can continue on into the Jemez Mountains and Valles Caldera National Preserve (plan ahead, as the Preserve's more interesting activities require advance reservations).
 * If you're not tired of the art scene by the time you leave, head south on SR 14 to Madrid, an old mining town turned art colony, significantly lower-key than Santa Fe itself. Albuquerque lies beyond, with its own attractions; getting to Albuquerque via SR 14 is slower than the direct route on I-25, but compensates with far reduced traffic and nice scenery.

title: Santa Fe (New Mexico)


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Santa Fe (province, Argentina)

Santa Fe is in the Pampas region of Argentina.

Cities

 * — its riverside bars and nightclubs, chic restaurants, the beauty of the landscape, and the various attractions draw tourists as do the hunting, fishing, excursions, walks by the river, and water sports on the River Paraná
 * — known for its rich architectural heritage and beautiful riverside scenery, it offers a vibrant cultural and nightlife
 * — an agricultural city dubbed "the Provincial Capital of Honey"

Understand
The province of Sante Fe is one of the most populous provinces in Argentina. The country is flat everywhere, there are no larger elevations in the entire province.

Climate
The climate is temperate, the summers are warm, with 23-27 °C and the winters are mild, around 9-15 °C. Precipitation is between 800 mm a year in the southwest and 1200 mm a year in the northeast, with it being much more rainy in summer than in winter.

See
Uranga-Sylvestre Begnis is a subfluvial tunnel (previously, Hernandarias) under the Paraná River between Santa Fe capital and Paraná the capital of the province of Entre Ríos.

The Ruinas de Cayastá is the old settlement of the city of Santa Fe), 40 km northeast of the capital.

The National Monument to the Flag is in the city of Rosario.

Campo de la Gloria in the city of San Lorenzo, 25 km north of Rosario is where the Battle of San Lorenzo took place in 1813.

El Cristal Lagoon is a tourist complex 25 km from the city of Calchaquí with a wide space for camping, sighting of native flora and fauna, museum, and with a great archaeological wealth due to the indigenous settlements in that area in the past.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Santa Fe (province, Argentina)


text:
Santa Fe de Antioquia

Santa Fe de Antioquia is a town in Antioquia, near the Cauca river, about 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Medellín. Its weather is hot year round, perfect for holidays or day trips. Santa Fe de Antioquia was founded in 1541 and many houses and churches are over 250 years old, making it the most well preserved colonial town in this part of the country. It was the capital of the Antioquia Department from 1813 until 1826, when Medellín was chosen as the new departmental seat.

Its name is commonly shortened to Antioquia by people from the region, which is confusing because it is the same name as the department (think New York city and New York state).

By bus
From Medellín North Bus Terminal take a bus for an almost 2-hour ride. Carriers:
 * Cootransuroccidente, ticket booth 34, phone +574 2309033.
 * Sotraurabá, ticket booth 19, Phone +574 2309296.
 * Transporte Gómez Hernández, ticket booth 20, +574 2309551.

As of July 2018, tickets are approximately COP$10,000-COP$14,000 each way.

From the bus terminal, cross the street and follow Carrera 10 for two blocks to reach the main plaza within the historic center.

By car
The opening in 2006 of the Túnel de Occidente (Tunnel of the West, with almost 5 km is the largest for cars in South America), reduced the time and distance between the locality and Medellín. It shortened by 40 minutes the trip and new visitors arrive each weekend to explore and experience what was like to live life in Colonial town.

There is no airport in town. It is not possible to arrive into Santa Fe by boat.

Get around
Like Medellín and many other local cities, the streets are organized in a grid system with numbered Calles running east-west and numbered Carreras running north-south. The historic center is easily walkable and the tourist information center on Plaza Mayor (corner of Calle 9 and Carrera 9) has maps and recommendations for a good walking route.

See

 * Plaza Mayor Simon Bolivar, the main square in the historic center, bordered on one side by the cathedral and containing a fountain, gardens, and a statue of Juan de Corral.
 * Templo de Santa Bárbara, the oldest church in Santa Fe de Antioquia.
 * Palacio Arzobispal.
 * La Casa de las 2 Palmas The House of the Two Palms.
 * Museum of Religious Art, next door to Templo de Santa Bárbara.
 * Templo Jesús de Nazareno, at the eastern end of the historic center
 * Templo Nuestra Señora de Chiquinquirá, at the western end of the historic center, with a park (and occasional artesans' market) in front.
 * Wander throughout the historic center for examples of colonial architecture everywhere.
 * Templo Jesús de Nazareno, at the eastern end of the historic center
 * Templo Nuestra Señora de Chiquinquirá, at the western end of the historic center, with a park (and occasional artesans' market) in front.
 * Wander throughout the historic center for examples of colonial architecture everywhere.

Do

 * Cinema: There are two annual moving image festivals in town: The Festival de Cine Colombiano during July/August and the Festival de Cine y Video each December.

Sleep
Santa Fe is a weekend getaway destination for residents of Medellin. Several boutique spa hotels cater to couples and those seeking bodily pampering.

title: Santa Fe de Antioquia


text:
Santa Fe Springs

Santa Fe Springs is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California.

title: Santa Fe Springs


text:
Santa Fe Trail

The Santa Fe Trail was one of the main historical routes that traders, settlers and military parties took to the southwestern United States from the population centers of the east, as the United States was expanding from its east-coast roots to become the continent-spanning mega-nation that it is now. The Trail's heyday was the 19th century in the Golden Age of the Old West. In particular, it was part of the route for many of the "49ers" heading for the California Gold Country during the gold rush there starting in 1849.

Today it has all but vanished in some areas, as 21st-century "civilization" encroaches and hides the Trail beneath modern roads and housing. However, the route still exists, and there are plenty of opportunities for the intrepid traveler to follow it by car, bike, and even foot, and get a sense of what the original travelers went through.

Understand
Parts of this route are preserved in the Santa Fe National Historic Trail, a unit of the United States National Park System. However, in general, you can't walk, ride or drive on the Trail in these (or most other) areas, because all that remains of the Trail are shallow ruts that are too fragile to survive the boots of hikers, let alone the tires of cars or ORVs. This itinerary is intended to let you parallel the Trail and view it where you can, rather than walk on it.

For a highly amusing, if somewhat risque, account of life on the trail, see the historical novel Flashman and the Redskins by George MacDonald Fraser (1982). The history is quite accurate.

Prepare
Step number one is to decide exactly how you're going to cover this ground. Although some walk or bicycle the nearly 1000 miles of the Trail, it's more practical to drive from point to point along the route, pausing to sight-see or hike where there is something notable. This guide will presume you're one of the drivers. If you're renting a car to make this trip, it'll be worth checking rates, and decide whether to make a roundtrip. The starting point is out in the boonies, so the nearest car-rental companies are some distance away, and likely to have a significant drop-off charge if you return the vehicle other than where you rented it.

Although the Trail bends significantly southward, temperatures don't change much because the Trail rises as it heads south. Santa Fe is at 7,000 feet, and there are two significant passes to cross. Accordingly, you may find it cooler when you get to the "desert Southwest" than when you left (it'll certainly be less humid). Pack accordingly. The best time to do this trip from a weather standpoint is probably late summer (August to early September), when highs may be around 80-90 °F (27-32 °C) at the start and will get as low as the seventies at the high end.

Most attractions along the Trail don't require advance preparation. However, if you're planning to see Trail-related things at Pecos National Historical Park (see below under "Home stretch"), you may have to make inquiries in advance. Lodging is usually available in larger towns without reservation. Santa Fe is an exception; if you're going to spend any time there, definitely make reservations.

Get in
The Santa Fe Trail is considered to originate near the small town of Boonville, Missouri. Boonville is about equidistant between the major airports of St. Louis and Kansas City, and nearby Columbia has an airport with limited commuter service. If you don't insist on complete purity in your trip, it's a good idea to treat Columbia as your starting point, as there's more to do there, along with more services for the traveler. Interstate highway 70 between St. Louis and Kansas City passes near the Boonville and through Columbia.

Drive
You can drive this route with no more than one night spent on the road (somewhere in western Kansas, say Dodge City), but it's not recommended. For one thing, you'll have little time to see things along the way; for another, it takes time to get to the Trail's starting point at Boonville, if you're arriving via St. Louis or other major travel hubs, and you won't start the first day as early as you might need to. For sightseeing and getting something out of the experience, it's better to plan on either two or three nights on the road. The suggested legs below presume a three-night journey, with the first and (particularly) fourth days quite short so that you can enjoy the high proportion of interesting sights at the two ends of the Trail. To follow a two-night itinerary, plan to spend the first night in eastern Kansas, then follow the "Mountain Route" below and stay in Trinidad or Raton the second night. The "Cimarron Cutoff" option is less satisfactory as a two-night itinerary, due to the emptiness of southwestern Kansas and far western Oklahoma where you'd spend the second night.

Boonville to Independence
The first leg of this trip takes you from the Trail's starting point to Independence, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. (It's wise to get the first night's lodging on the west side of the Kansas City area, to shorten the next day, although Independence is on the east side. Be prepared to fight through rush-hour traffic when you're done with your viewing, but it'll be worth the effort to avoid the travel fatigue—although the Trail's original travelers probably wouldn't have much sympathy for you!)  This is the section of the Trail that has seen the most 20th-century development, and you may be tempted to simply barrel down I-70 to Independence. However, short sections of the Trail and associated structures are sprinkled through this section, if you take the time to find them.

Start your journey by visiting two sites near : Katy Trail State Park and Boone's Lick State Historic Site. The Katy Trail is an attraction in its own right, parts of it lying along the Lewis and Clark Trail as a fine bicycle path reaching from St. Charles (a St. Louis suburb) in the east to Clinton in the west. Boone's Lick was a source of salt for settlers in Missouri and westward-bound travelers in the old days, and Boone's Lick Road was the last bit of "civilization" that westbound travelers experienced before setting off on the Trail. The original jumping-off point for the Trail was the town of Franklin, but there's nothing left there but a small commemorative site, the town having been destroyed by flooding and abandoned years ago. You can visit this small area on state road 87 just north of Boonville, but for a more distant, scenic view, follow local roads to Harley Park in Boonville. From here you can look across the Missouri and get a sense of just what lay before the early Trail travelers, at least in terms of distance if not ease of travel.

Between Boonville and Independence, the Trail generally followed the Missouri River, until it crossed the river to head south and away from the Oregon Trail. Your modern route follows local roads to the small towns of Arrow Rock and Marshall, both with visible sections of ruts from the Trail. Huston Tavern in Arrow Rock is now a museum with some Trail artifacts.

Independence to Dodge City
Independence is an interesting small city with a number of historic sites, some of them associated with its most famous citizen, former President Harry S Truman, but others associated with the Santa Fe Trail. Some Trail attractions in town:
 * Jackson County Courthouse, modern center of government of the county, incorporates structures dating back to Trail days. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
 * Jackson County Log Courthouse, 107 W. Kansas, was the modern Courthouse's predecessor, although its occupancy of this protected location is a 20th-century change.
 * Woodlawn Cemetery on Noland Road is the final resting place of a number of figures important in the history of the Trail.
 * The National Frontier Trails Center, 318 W. Pacific Ave., displays memorabilia of the Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails, with interpretive exhibits. Hours M-Sa 9:30AM-4:30PM, Su 12:30-4:30PM; $5 admission charge (several discounts).
 * Many homes around town date to Trail days, most of them noted on the NPS site.

From Independence, continue on to Kansas City (Missouri) via whatever route you find convenient (I-70, US 40, local roads). Kansas City has grown tremendously since Trail days, of course, and while there are a number of Trail points of interest here, they're hard to winkle out from the urban sprawl. Make sure to visit Minor Park, with some of the best-preserved ruts on the entire Trail route; the several historic buildings on Westport Road; and New Santa Fe on the southern edge of Kansas City near the intersection of Holmes and Santa Fe Trail Streets, with an interesting cemetery. Drive on Santa Fe Trail Street for as far as you can tolerate. On the Kansas side, Shawnee Methodist Mission in Fairway was mentioned in the diaries of many early Trail travelers. A museum there preserves some Trail-vintage buildings and artifacts. Seek lodging on the west side of the Kansas City area to shorten the long day ahead.

From the Kansas City area, you have several possible routes, but your objective is the town of Great Bend in the middle of the state. (Following I-70 to state road 156, then turning southwest, is quick, although the Trail generally lay south of this route.) Pause here for lunch before continuing southwest on US 56, which takes you past a number of interesting Trail sites. Pawnee Rock was traditionally considered the midpoint of the Trail and is preserved in a small state park outside the town of the same name—or at least half of it is, much of the eponymous rock having been quarried away by settlers!

Three interesting sites are near the town of Larned southwest of Great Bend. A Trail visitor center west of town (1349 K-156 Hwy, ) contains a regional-class museum with some outside exhibits; open daily 9AM-5PM (closed Mondays during the off season, and also on major holidays), $4 for adults, $2.50 for students, $1.50 for children 6-11. About 4 miles beyond this site on K-156 is Fort Larned National Historic Site, a unit of the national park system that preserves a major military outpost along the Trail. Fort Larned is not one of the earlier Trail sites, dating only to 1860 when it was established to protect the increasing flow of Trail commerce from Indian raids, but it's particularly well preserved, with some original buildings, and well worth an hour or two; open daily 8:30AM-4:30PM. Finally, although authentic Trail ruts are hard to find in this agricultural area, a short, well-preserved set of ruts is southwest of Fort Larned on "190th Street," really a country road amid the farms. The exceptionally friendly and helpful rangers at Fort Larned can give you a map to this site, which has a short trail (through a prairie-dog town) to a viewing platform from which the ruts can be seen; go late in the daytime for best viewing, as shadows help bring definition to the ruts.

Dodge City to Las Vegas
Dodge City is probably the second most famous town on the Santa Fe Trail, after Santa Fe, but visitors expecting an abundance of Trail history may find it somewhat disappointing—not because the history isn't there, but because it's hard to extract from the schlocky, tacky tourist attractions of downtown. However, Trail signposts, exhibits and artifacts are there if you look for them. Some of the sites of interest are:
 * Fort Dodge, about 3 miles east of town on Kansas SR 154; most buildings are modern, but many are based on original structures from the fort built to defend the Trail
 * Fort Mann and Fort Atkinson, two other forts west of town on US 50; not much remains of either, but there are markers
 * Boot Hill Museum in town owns rights to a set of well-preserved Trail ruts, near US 50 a bit further west than the old forts. There is a turnout and parking lot from which the Trail can be viewed.

The next town beyond Dodge on the Trail of any size is Garden City. Just follow US 50 west to the town. The route follows the Arkansas River, which in this area is a shallow, slow stream. There are multiple Trail crossings of the Arkansas, but most are inconspicuous and don't offer much in the way of sightseeing. Check for markers along the road. In Garden City, the Finney County Historical Museum, 403 S. 4th Street,, has exhibits of regional interest. Open daily 1-5PM (weekdays 10AM-5PM during the summer); free, but small donations suggested.

For some distance beyond Garden City, the Trail lost its identity as a single, universally used track, and split into several sub-routes that went their own way before rejoining east of Las Vegas, New Mexico. The two most important sub-trails were the Mountain Branch leading over Raton Pass along the New Mexico/Colorado state line, and the Cimarron Cutoff crossing the Cimarron River and avoiding the high country to the north.

Mountain Branch
The Mountain Branch followed the Arkansas River a bit farther, accepting a longer, higher route for the sake of continuing access to water. There are some Trail sites at and near Lamar, Colorado, including Big Timbers Museum, on the eastern plains of that state; continue following US 50 along the Arkansas. Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site near La Junta is another historic park preserving an important outpost on the Trail in this area.

The Trail entered what is now New Mexico via Raton Pass, near the town of Raton, NM. Raton and Trinidad, Colorado on the north side of the pass have some Trail sites and artifacts; Trinidad takes pride in the fact that the Trail passed through what is now its (small-town) downtown area. From La Junta, proceed on US 350 south to Trinidad through Comanche National Grassland, with more of a sense of what Trail terrain was like. The Grassland offers a few opportunities for hiking on the actual Trail route, particularly near the Timpas picnic area. Iron Springs (reachable via County Road 9 just south of US 350) was an important Trail landmark and water source. Beyond Trinidad, the route basically followed Interstate 25's current route over the pass, and few Trail ruts or other artifacts are visible until you get to Raton. Take some time, however, to check out sites in downtown Trinidad.

After passing through Raton on I-25, turn west on US 64 for a section of highway that parallels the Trail, sometimes at very short range, for some time. There are occasional Trail crossings (generally not well preserved) on the way to Cimarron, a small town beyond which the Trail heads south toward its reunion with the southerly route. (Note, however, that the obvious markers supported by piles of tires along the north side of the road are not marking the Trail; rather, they're to alert would-be explorers to the presence of a non-historic but potentially dangerous gas pipeline.) St. James Hotel in downtown Cimarron has a long and colorful history dating to Trail days; if it's open, food, drink and lodging there are all atmospheric.

Beyond Cimarron, the Trail follows NM SR 21 for some distance en route to its meeting with the Cimarron Cutoff. The countryside between here and Las Vegas is impressively devoid of services; if you're driving this section, make sure you have fuel in your gas tank. A few road crossings are present, again not well preserved.

Cimarron Cutoff
This section of the Trail is rather ill-defined, with a number of broadly parallel paths crossing southwestern Kansas and the Panhandle (Red Carpet) region of Oklahoma en route to New Mexico. You can get a sampling of the area by following US 56 directly southwest out of Dodge City, or following the route above to Garden City and then cutting south to 56 via US 83. Cimarron National Grassland is in extreme southwestern Kansas and gives a good sense of what this empty country looked like as the settlers were passing through. Although the Trail through the Grassland is generally open only to viewing rather than traversing, a "companion trail" here affords access to cyclists, horseback riders and hikers.

Continuing on US 56, Autograph Rock, about 10 miles northwest of Boise City, Oklahoma, records the passage of various settlers and travelers. Follow local roads from Boise City. Trail ruts are visible in a few places in northeast New Mexico near Clayton, but most of the Trail in this area passes mainly through country inaccessible due to private ownership and/or lack of roads. An exception is Kiowa National Grassland north of Clayton, which preserves a two-mile section of the Trail completely open to hiking.

Into Las Vegas
These two branches rejoined in present-day Mora County, New Mexico, not far from Fort Union National Monument, yet another unit of the national park system about 20 miles east of Las Vegas (New Mexico) that preserves an important fort along the Trail. Trail ruts are visible (and relatively accessible) at Fort Union. (If you're doing this section after 5PM, you'll have to backtrack from Las Vegas the next day to see things at Fort Union, as the monument closes at 5PM. The route from town back to monument is quick, though, and a backtrack is entirely feasible.)  Public highways in this area are few and far between, and if you simply follow Interstate 25 between Springer and Las Vegas, you'll basically parallel the Trail at no great distance.

Home stretch
Las Vegas was on the Trail, and while the town has expanded considerably and obliterated many Trail traces, a number of structures in the downtown area are on the National Register of Historic Places for their Trail associations. You're not far from Santa Fe at this point, and it's entirely feasible to continue directly to the end of the Trail and skip the third night on the road. However, this area is scenic and interesting, so you might think about bedding down here for the night and taking the morning to walk around downtown, before heading on to Santa Fe the next day. This will have the side benefit of providing a little more time for getting used to the altitude; the route from here leads inexorably higher until Glorieta Pass, on the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at an elevation of about, is reached. Glorieta Pass was enormously important during Trail days, and an important if often overlooked battle of the US Civil War was fought here. The Battle of Glorieta Pass was one of the most important events to happen on or near the Trail, in fact; the Union victory here prevented the Confederacy from interrupting commerce between California and points east, or even capturing California, with enormous strategic consequences.

You can make a beeline for Santa Fe through this area on I-25 without missing much of the Trail, there being few easily accessible ruts or other Trail sites due to construction. However, it's recommended that you digress at the Rowe/Pecos exit on I-25 and turn west on NM 63 toward the small town of Pecos. Pecos National Historical Park is on this road and preserves a number of important historical/archaeological sites in this region, but to visit some of the Trail-oriented ones, you'll have to do some planning. Check the park's web site well ahead of your arrival; as of 2006, there were ranger-led walks once or twice a week that featured Trail sites and sights. The Trail passed directly in front of the access road leading to the visitor center, but no ruts or other artifacts are obvious there. Also on this road, just before the park, is a large complex built around remnants from the Kozlowski ranch and stagecoach stop, which featured in various Trail episodes.

Beyond the park, you can hurry to Santa Fe along I-25, but there are a few things to see on the side roads that may interest you. The town of Pecos is just west of the park, and while the town is of no great interest, a few nearby structures date to Trail days and are preserved. Look in particular for an old adobe building at roadside (literally—it's about 5 feet from the highway, protected by a bumper) about three miles west of the center of town on NM 50. This is the sole surviving structure from Pigeon's Ranch, one of the key sites in the Battle of Glorieta Pass. Look but don't touch (it's on private property and is seriously dilapidated), and hope that sporadic efforts to preserve this and surrounding battlefield sites come to something.

NM 50 leads back to I-25, which you follow over Glorieta Pass; no Trail ruts are visible from here to Santa Fe. Leave I-25 at the exit for Old Pecos Trail, which merges with the modern highway called "Old Santa Fe Trail" in south-central Santa Fe. (You can go for slightly greater "authenticity" by continuing on NM 300 leaving the I-25 interchange either at Canocito or at the Eldorado exit, which is called the Old Las Vegas Highway. At the stop light with El Gaucho Way, turn right then turn left at the stop sign. You are now on the Old Santa Fe Trail. Follow the road until you reach central .  Pause to enjoy the scenery; you've made it to the end of the Trail, just as the voyagers of the 19th century did.  (At least you'll have made it to Trail's end if you survive the crazy drivers and reach the downtown area.)

Stay safe
Except in parts of the Kansas City area, crime isn't much of a problem on this itinerary, and even Kansas City isn't a hotbed of crime compared to other big cities. Your main issues are weather and remoteness. Practically the entire route east of New Mexico lies in "Tornado Alley," and attention to Tornado safety during the spring and summer months is a good idea. Summer on the Trail can be broiling hot; keep extra water in your vehicle. Use sunscreen if you get out of the car, as your chances of being under a cloudless sky are very good. Conversely, if you do the Trail in the winter, be prepared for serious blizzards and ice storms that can make driving on the minor roads, and even on the interstate, a hazardous proposition. Cellular-phone coverage along the route is generally adequate, but during blizzards it may be difficult for help to reach you even if you do make cell-phone contact with emergency services.

One "advantage" (or is it a drawback?) that you have over early Trail travelers is that the chances of dangerous encounters with wildlife are much reduced. You'll see bison (buffalo) in places, particularly if you follow the mountain route, but interactions with them will be nonexistent unless you get out of your car and try to have an interaction (which is emphatically not recommended—they're not just big cows, they have tempers and can do a lot of damage if provoked). Rattlesnakes can be found all along the route; take sensible precautions if you get out and hike (i.e., don't poke around under bushes and in crevices, make a little noise when walking along overgrown trail), but they'll leave you alone if you leave them alone, and paranoia is not indicated. Possibly your biggest "wildlife" concern is with ticks, which are prevalent along the route and can carry disease, so do a quick check of exposed body parts and near clothes seams after you hike. Mosquitoes in this area can be annoying, but are much less so than in wetter areas, and don't carry diseases of any significance here.

Go next

Santa Fe is, pretty well by definition, the end of the Trail. It's also a fantastic place to spend a few days luxuriating after your trip, with Taos, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Bandelier National Monument, and other marvels of north central New Mexico nearby.

If you need to return to your starting point and would prefer not to simply retrace your steps, an interesting alternative is to follow a more modern "trail" between Midwest and Southwest, Route 66. Proceed south from Santa Fe to Albuquerque and pick up the old highway there, following the Route 66 itinerary in reverse until you get to or near where you came from. (You can shorten the return trip slightly by going instead to the uninspiring village of Clines Corners about 70 miles east of Albuquerque on old Route 66, but there's absolutely nothing noteworthy there, while Albuquerque has a number of interesting attractions.) If you're in a hurry, you can bolt down I-25; if you have some time, the Turquoise Trail through a number of colorful little villages east of the Interstate is much more interesting.

If this itinerary whets your appetite for exploring historic routes across the western United States, you might consider backtracking to Raton and Trinidad, and then continuing northwest on the Oregon Trail, another of the major routes by which the West was settled. East of Trinidad, the Oregon Trail generally followed the same route as the Santa Fe Trail, at least in one of its incarnations. The westward continuation toward the state of Oregon covers very different territory with striking scenery, but that's a different itinerary.

title: Santa Fe Trail


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Santa Inês

Santa Inês is a city of 89,000 people (2019) in Western Maranhão that is known for its beaches and lakes.

Climate
The climate in the city of Santa Inês is hot and humid, having two seasons: a rainy one, which lasts from the second half of December to the first week of June, and a dry one, which lasts from the second week of June to the first fortnight of December. The months with the highest rainfall are March and April and the lowest are July and August. Between the months of May and August it is very common for days to be hot and the early morning hours and the first hours of the morning to be cold with temperatures between 18 C° and 21 C°, at this time it is also very common to form fog in the city, reducing the visibility and causing inconvenience to drivers who travel on the roads and in the city center. Between the months of September and November, the famous mango rain is also common. as it is known in the city, which are sudden, fast and intense rains out of season, usually accompanied by very strong wind, thunderstorms and sometimes hail.

By bus
All buses on the Belém - Fortaleza highway stop here (at least if requested), which make it very accessible, far more so than São Luís.

By train
Three times a week from Serra dos Carajás in Pará to São Luís, and the other way around. To São Luís 4 hours, R$ 10.

Get around
System Integrado of Transport (SIT) has a fleet of 10 urban buses that circulate in Santa Inês and Pindaré and between them.

There is also a taxi cooperative based in Pindaré, which circulate on the route between the two cities. It easy to find vans to São Luís, Teresina, Imperatriz and Zé Doca in the traditional Laranjeiras fork.

See

 * Santo Antônio Square (Family Square)
 * Pastor Meton Soares Square
 * Igreja Matriz (Mother Church)

Do

 * Its tourist attractions are the beaches and lakes.
 * Carnival: The Santa Inês carnivals are considered one of the best in the state. Every year thousands of people from other parts of the state join in the revelry, the city's tradition is that every Carnival Sunday, the Arrastão Ponta da Linha takes place in the city, which is when all the carnival blocks come together and walk along the main streets of the city, annually this revelry brings together more than 20,000 players.
 * Festas Juninas: June parties in the city are held at the Raposa Park, a space that can hold up to 10,000 people. Every year, Parque da Raposa is full of players at this festival, and there are several oxen from the region and the state.
 * Crafts: In the city there are several artisans who work with clay, their works are displayed and for sale on Avenida da Amizade, in the Pindaré-Mirim direction, there are also several canvas painters in the city.
 * Pindaré, 9 km from Santa Inês, is a great tourist attraction, also for its beaches, lakes and rivers.

Buy

 * Rua do Comércio

Sleep

 * Many inns

title: Santa Inês


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Santa Lucía de Gordón

Santa Lucía de Gordón is a village in the central mountain of Castile and Leon. It has a population of 400 people (2019) and it is the second biggest village of the municipality.

Understand
It's a beautiful village situated in a valley.

It's famous for the coal mines, which for many years has been the workplace of most people in the region. They also eat very well, with its high-mountain cuisine. The people are very simple and friendly, but they have the character of the hard men of the mine.

Get in
You can get there by car along the road of Asturias. It's 36 km from León and 118 km from mountain Pass Pajares.

It has a railway station on the León-Gijón line.

Do
Since few people live there, there are very few shops and bars. It's a very quiet village, maybe a little boring. But it has a very beautiful landscape and beautiful paths to walk through the countryside.

title: Santa Lucía de Gordón


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Santa Luzia

There's more than one place called Santa Luzia:

Azores

 * Santa Luzia - a parish in the district of Angra do Heroísmo
 * Santa Luzia - a parish in the district of São Roque do Pico

Brazil

 * Santa Luzia (Bahia)
 * Santa Luzia (Maranhão)
 * Santa Luzia (Minas Gerais)
 * Santa Luzia (Paraíba)

Cape Verde

 * Santa Luzia - an uninhabited island of the Barlavento chain

Madeira

 * Santa Luzia - a parish in the district of Funchal

Portugal

 * Santa Luzia - parish in the district of Ourique
 * Santa Luzia, a parish in the district of Tavira

title: Santa Luzia


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Santa Margherita Ligure

Santa Margherita Ligure is a delightful little sea-side city in Liguria, in the heart of the Italian Riviera,

Understand
Santa Margherita Ligure is capital of the gulf, Golfo del Tigullio.

Get in

 * The airport of Genova "Cristoforo Colombo" is 42 km from the city. Take the "Volabus" shuttle bus for the Principe railway station in Genoa and from here continue by train to Santa Margherita Ligure (line for Genoa – La Spezia).
 * The railway station S. Margherita Ligure-Portofino is in the town. A train to Genoa takes around 45 minutes and costs around €3.
 * From all directions, take Autostrada A12 (Genova – La Spezia) and follow the signs for Rapallo. Exit at the Rapallo tollbooth and follow the signs for Santa Margherita Ligure.
 * Visiting cruise ships moor or station-keep off-shore. Their tenders usually deliver passengers to docks virtually downtown.

Get around
It is very easy to get around Santa Margherita by foot. There is a charming seaside promenade to stroll. There is a bus service that goes along the sea road that can take you to either Portofino or Rapallo. There is also a boat service that can take you to either one of those towns.

See

 * Basilica of St. Margaret of Antiochia, built from 1658 on the remains of a 13th-century church.
 * Basilica of St. Margaret of Antiochia, built from 1658 on the remains of a 13th-century church.
 * Villa Durazzo complex, including two patrician villas, a 16th-century castle and 17th-century park.

Do
Walk to Portofino on foot. You can follow the coastline or explore the many marked and unmarked trails slightly inland.

Splurge

 * Grand Hotel Miramare
 * Grand Hotel Miramare

title: Santa Margherita Ligure


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Santa Maria

There is more than one place in the world called Santa Maria:

These names are from the Spanish and Italian form of the name. For the English "Saint Mary" or French "Sainte Marie", see St. Marys.

Argentina

 * Santa Maria (Catamarca) — in Catamarca, Argentina

Brazil

 * Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul) — in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Cape Verde

 * Santa Maria (Cape Verde) — on the island of Sal, Cape Verde

Guatemala

 * Volcán Santa Maria — a volcano near Quetzaltenango in Guatemala.

Italy

 * Santa Maria di Badia — a resort near Ancona, Marche in Italy

Paraguay

 * Santa María (Paraguay) is in Southern Paraneña, Paraguay

Peru

 * Santa Maria (Peru)

Portugal

 * Santa Maria (Azores) — an island in the Azores.

United States of America

 * Santa Maria (California) — in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of Southern California.

title: Santa Maria


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Santa Maria (California)

Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County in California.

By plane

Air Charter or air taxi is another alternative, where you can catch flights from San Diego for the weekend, or fom any large or small airport. Air charters fly point-to-point, at the departure time, departure airport, and arrival airport of the passengers' choosing. Prices start around $150 for a seat on flights that might already be going to your destination, or go from $1,000 to $10,000 or more for a custom-chartered flight where you hire the aircraft to fly you directly to your destination, any time you want to go. On-demand flights may also be chartered.

By train
Amtrak provides connecting bus service through Santa Maria (bus stop is located at the IHOP near 101/Main St). The bus connects with the Pacific Surfliner train in Santa Barbara. There is a train station in the nearby town of Guadalupe served by the Pacific Surfliner Amtrak train (one southbound train from San Luis Obispo stops there in the morning, northbound train from San Diego stops there at night).

By bus
There is a Greyhound station at 755 W Cypress Street, and the Greyhound bus also stops at the same IHOP as the Amtrak bus.

By car
Santa Maria is home to one of the first and one of the few still-operating drive-in movie theaters, and is definitely a car town. Highway 101 runs through Santa Maria, as well as California highways 1, 135 and 166. North on 101 takes you through Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, and on to San Francisco. South takes you to Los Alamos, Buellton, Solvang, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles. Highway 1 is a scenic drive; taken northward it leads you through several small towns eventually connecting with 101 just past Pismo Beach. Taken south on Highway 1 after the split with 1 and 135 leads to Lompoc and Vandenberg Air Force Base and 135 leads to Los Alamos (which is 8 miles after the intersection with Harris Grade Road (the old California 1 south to Lompoc)). Highway 166 west takes you to Guadalupe and the coast, and east takes you to the great central valley of California. Highway 135 south takes you to Los Alamos (if the left exit at the gore point is used) or Vandenberg Air Force Base (if the right exit is used) and eventually connect with 101 at Los Alamos. North will also take you to the 101 near the northern city limits.

Get around
Santa Maria has public transportation, Santa Maria Regional Transit, with more coverage during the day, and service ending at 10:15PM. SMAT has routes all throughout the city and even to Vandenberg AFB and Lompoc. RTA route 10 between San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria runs hourly M-F, and less frequently on the weekend. It costs $3.25 for the 33-mile (1 hr 10 min) bus ride from Santa Maria to San Luis Obispo (Apr 2020). The Flyer Express takes you west of Santa Maria through scenic Highway 166 to Guadalupe ($1.50, Apr 2020).

Public transportation in the valley will take you anywhere you want but a car would be best.

See
There are not very many tourist attractions in Santa Maria, but the Santa Maria Inn has a very interesting set of photos and documents about the history of the area and Captain Alan Hancock, the person who founded Santa Maria, or Central City, as he knew it.

Eat
Santa Maria is the birthplace of what is now called Santa Maria style barbecue: tri-tip rubbed with spices and cooked whole. The town is a hotspot for barbecue lovers, although those seeking more familiar fare can find chains like IHOP, and Olive Garden.

Go next

 * Guadalupe - This small town is 9 miles west of Santa Maria and is primarily focused on agriculture and oil production. Travelers will enjoy visiting the neighboring Guadaulpe-Nipomo Dunes, an 18-mile stretch of beach that is one of the largest remaining natural dune areas in California.  The Ten Commandments was filmed in the dunes and the sets were buried after production, but today blowing winds repeatedly reveal and then re-cover these reproductions of ancient Egypt.

title: Santa Maria (California)


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Santa Maria (Catamarca)

Santa Maria is a quiet and beautiful town in Catamarca state, in the Andean Northwest region of Argentina, near the border with Salta and Tucuman states.

Not being a popular tourist town like Tafi or Amaicha, you can find good prices for accommodation and food.

Get in
From Buenos Aires you have to take a bus or fly to Tucuman. Santa Maria is 180 Km. from there. You have a 3-hour drive from Tucuman, or you can take a bus that will get you there in 4 to 5 hours.

If you go to Salta, you have a 3½-hour drive. This is the best option. You can take also a bus, but it makes to many stops so your trip never ends.

See
Santa Maria is a beautiful valley with a nice weather. Best time to go is spring/summer. Sun is king there and it is an excellent place to relax and for a change of scenery.

Surrounding the town you can find many archaeological ruins and small vineyards and wineries where you can get excellent wine.

Go next
From here you can visit the Ruinas de Quilmes, an ancient Indian town, and Amaicha del Valle.

title: Santa Maria (Catamarca)


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Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul)

Santa Maria is a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil. Known as the geographic heart of the state, the city is the gateway to Paleorrota, the state's paleontological tourism route.

Understand
With a population of around 285,000 inhabitants, "Santa Maria da Boca do Monte", as it is known for being surrounded by hills, is a university town with a vibrant nightlife, known for the Federal University of Santa Maria, one of the most important public universities in the country. The city is also home to several museums and historic churches. However, the main attraction of Santa Maria is its paleontological tourism. The city has 20 paleontological sites that house fossils found from the beginning of the 20th century.

Climate
Santa Maria has well-defined seasons and the amount of rain distributed evenly throughout the year. In the summer, highs frequently surpass 30 °C (86 °F) in January, but these temperatures can drop suddenly during a passage of a cold front with quick rains and thunderstorms, providing welcome relief from scorching temperatures. In June, the coldest month, highs reach 19 °C (66 °F) and lows usually go below 9 °C (48 °F), reaching up to −5 °C (23 °F), but snow is rare.

By car
Leaving Porto Alegre, the main highways connecting Santa Maria to other cities in the state are BR-287 and BR-386. BR-287 has a single lane (unlike BR-386, which has four lanes), however, both highways are in good condition. From the west, BR-287 also connects São Borja, on the border with Argentina, to Santa Maria.

From the south, coming from cities like Pelotas and Rio Grande, the main road that connects Santa Maria is BR-392, also with a single lane. From the north, the main road that passes through Santa Maria is the BR-158, which has a single lane. Some of these roads are tolled and have speed traps. Schedule your car trips during the day; it is simply more secure.

By bus
Santa Maria is a city well served by intercity and interstate bus lines to many cities in the state and in the country. The long-distance bus station is located in the Nossa Senhora de Lourdes neighborhood, 2 km (1.24 miles) from the city downtown. Santa Maria Bus Station has good service infrastructure, in addition to a food court and is connected to the rest of the city by several municipal bus lines.

The main bus operator in Santa Maria is Planalto Transportes, which has lines connecting Porto Alegre and other cities to Santa Maria.

By plane
Santa Maria Airport is the main airport serving Santa Maria. It is a small airport, with minimal infrastructure, which is located in the district of Camobi, 11 km from the city downtown. The only airline that operates at this airport is Azul, with a daily flight between Santa Maria and Porto Alegre International Airport and seasonal flights to Hercílio Luz International Airport  in Florianópolis.

Do
Ride a bike "MTB" in Itaara and 4a Colônia.

title: Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul)


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Santa Maria da Feira

Santa Maria da Feira is a city in the Douro Litoral region of Northern Portugal. It is a city and dense populated municipality, in the Porto metropolitan area, belonging to Aveiro district.

Understand

Santa Maria da Feira (/ˈsɐ̃tɐ mɐˈɾi.ɐ ðɐ ˈfɐjɾɐ/, SUHN-tuh muh-REE-uh thuh FAY-ruh) municipality has over 139,000 residents (2011), with over 18,000 in the city proper.

By plane

 * Porto Int. Airport.

By train
Local trains run from Espinho and Aveiro via the Linha do Vouga line.

By car
Santa Maria da Feira is served by the A1 (Autoestrada do Norte), A29 (Autoestrada da Costa de Prata), A32 (Autoestrada de Entre-Douro-e-Vouga), and A41 (CREP - Circular Regional Exterior do Porto) motorways.

By bus
Intercity bus service is available from Rede Expressos, Transdev, and União de Transportes dos Carvalhos (UTC).

Do

 * Football: CD Feirense play soccer in Liga Portugal 2, the second tier. Their home ground is Estádio Marcolino de Castro (capacity 5500) in town centre.

Go next

 * Espinho - Beach,casino
 * Porto - shopping, monuments, nightclubs.
 * Gaia - caves of port wine,beaches
 * Aveiro - city with canals.

title: Santa Maria da Feira