Santa Fe Plaza

The Santa Fe Plaza, located right in the heart of downtown, was one of the highlights of our recent trip to New Mexico. We loved exploring its historic charm, including beautiful old churches and the Palace of the Governors. The area is filled with great spots that make the visit worthwhile, for instance, restaurants, art galleries, boutiques, bookstores, museums, and more. We had a fantastic day soaking in the culture and atmosphere.

It’s always special to me to go to the Santa Fe Square and talk to the Native Americans who are selling the jewelry they’ve handmade. They are so talented! We found a free parking lot that worked for our truck and 5th wheel and enjoyed the beautiful budding flowers on trees on our walk to the square. 😊

The plaza at Santa Fe was absolutely pleasant. Car parking is either metered or there are some parking garages you could pay up for a flat fee. Metered parking varies from 2 to 8 hours depending what meter you choose. Come early! The plaza opens most of the shops, galleries, open-air markets, museums, and restaurants around 10 a.m. Found a metered parking spot and did some strolling around the plaza and surrounding buildings. Overall, the weather was fine and crisp during this spring visit. Don't forget to visit the cathedral and chapel! Enjoy your time!

This was the first time my wife and I had visited Santa Fe Plaza. My suggestion is to go early in the day. Parking is horrendous especially if you have a pick up truck or large SUV. The streets are very narrow. Public parking is hard to find on the weekends. I would suggest you park a few miles outside of town maybe like at a Walmart or grocery store an Uber in. We’re comfortable shoes for walking, lots of good eateries.

We started at the visitors center and found the site to be very walkable. The Plaza is in the middle, very pleasant. Around it are museums, shops, and restaurants. Note: On the small tourist map, many Plaza-area restaurants are not listed. So have no fear of going hungry.

Our second time visiting The Santa Fe Plaza and we enjoyed our sunny day there. Ate lunch at Café Pasqual’s, visited St Francis Cathedral and The Loretto Chapel, both are very beautiful. The Plaza is great and safe place to shop the handmade wares of local Native Americans. We had a chance of an immersion into the local crafts. We enjoyed walking around and chatting with the Native Americans that were selling jewelry and crafts. Take the time to walk around, well worth the time.

So cute!!!! If you’re not buying anything, go after the stores close! Great walk, quiet, and very enjoyable.

Beautiful culture. So many structures rich with history. The people are kind and willing to share their stories. The churches, shopping, museums and parks are endless.