Car Hire Santa Fe - Mini guide to Santa Fe

The ‘Land of Enchantment,’ New Mexico is graced with stunning natural beauty, ancient cultures and fantastic outdoor recreation. One of the state’s premier artistic destinations, Santa Fe, has a harmony that makes this city one the top tourist destinations in the US. The city is delightfully filled with galleries, funky eateries and fine dining establishments.

Among the smallest state capitals in the country, Santa Fe is characterised by its Pueblo Revival style homes and buildings made of adobe. Santa Fe also has an abundance of museums, one-of-a-kind cultural events, and intriguing sights, such as Chimayó, a small Hispanic village famous for weaving, regional food and the Santuario shrine.

The Museum of New Mexico runs four museums in Santa Fe. The Palace of the Governors, set in one of the oldest public buildings in the country, displays historical objects reflecting Santa Fe's Indian, Spanish, Mexican and American heritage. The Museum of International Folk Art has vibrant exhibits of more than 100,000 objects from more than 100 countries.

New Mexico's oldest art museum, the Museum of Fine Arts features a permanent collection by regional artists, as well as touring exhibitions. Opened in 1987, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is the most recent addition. Its exhibits educate visitors about the historical and contemporary lives of the Pueblo, Navajo and Apache cultures.

Check out fine examples of great Native American Indian art at the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, which houses the National Collection of Contemporary Indian Art. This permanent exhibit boasts more than 8,000 pieces of basketry, paintings, pottery, sculpture, textiles and beadwork.

A chapel inside St Francis Cathedral houses North America’s oldest Madonna statue, which was carved in Mexico and brought to Santa Fe in 1625.