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I’ll be honest with you before visiting and discovering the magical rust rock formations that drive people to carve out homes in the sweltering inhospitable landscapes of the American Southwest – I had no desire to explore New Mexico. It probably would have ranked about 40th on my bucketlist of US states. But after driving through the absolutely enchanting states of Utah and Colorado we decided to pass through New Mexico on our way to the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. This was one of the most serendipitous decisions of our road trip.
New Mexico is a sunburned stucco spotted landscape scattered with barren flat cities and traditional cuisine that is out of this world. From its steamy natural hot springs, charming old towns, stunning natural wonders, and scenic highways perfect for any road trip we unearthed the very best attractions in New Mexico to add to your bucketlist.
I loved New Mexico because it was unlike anywhere else I had been in the US thus far. Not all of it was sunshine and rainbows, I found Alburquerque to be absolutely dismal in certain areas. It’s a barren flat city with little to offer in comparison to its northern neighbor- Santa Fe.
Your New Mexico Road Trip Guide
I’ll preface this guide by saying, I was only able to hang around New Mexico for 2 weeks. This was not enough time to visit the far-flung regions in the eastern half of the state. When I make it back to New Mexico, I plan to visit the small town of Truth or Consequences, Roswell (because aliens), the great blue hole in Santa Rosa, & the Gila Cliff Dwellings.
If you want a complete road trip map of ALL the destinations I planned on visiting & actually did visit during my cross-country USA road trip, sign up for my email list below.
Otherwise, these are the noteworthy places that we visited on our Southwest road trip in our guide to New Mexico.
The Best Eats in New Mexico
New Mexican cuisine is often mislabeled as “Mexican” food. You could be forgiven for thinking that Hatch chiles and breakfast burritos are Mexican transplants but in actuality, both, got thier origin in New Mexico.
Green Chile Soup, Blue corn enchiladas dredged in Christmas sauce, thick breaded Rellenos, breakfast burritos, Native American Fry Bread, and Frito Pie all come from the good ol’ US of A. Right here in New Mexico.
Traditional Foods to Try
Here are a handful of dishes you must try in New Mexico. The margaritas, on the other hand, are painfully sweet.
- Fry Bread
- Frito Pie
- Blue Corn Enchiladas Christmas Style
- Green Chile Soup
- Hatch Chile Rellenos
Pereas New Mexican Cuisine (Albuquerque)
Pork Adovado is the specialty here. It just might be the only reason to set foot in Albuquerque.
Green chile at The Shed Enchiladas Christmas Style at The Shed 
Green Chile Enchiladas at Horsemans Haven 
Frito Pie at Horsemans Haven 
Pork Adovado at Pereas Restarant
Horseman’s Haven (Sante Fe)
This no-fuss shop is known for its comfort food. Specifically, Frito Pie. Texas & New Mexico bicker over who actually gets to lay claim to this gut-busting corn chip + taco meat concoction but either way this place makes a mean one.
The Shed (Santa Fe)
If I had to proclaim one restaurant the best in New Mexico…this would be number 2. It’s housed in one of the oldest buildings in Sante Fe right near the tourist square. & it’s no well-kept secret. You’ll need a reservation because the wait is always hours long.
Indian Pueblo Kitchen (Santa Fe)
We didn’t actually get to eat here since it was COVID times and things were not fully operational BUT this place supposedly serves up traditional Native American fare with only indigenous items on the menu. Let me know in the comments if it was any good.
Orlando’s New Mexican Cafe (Taos)
This is the single best restaurant in all of New Mexico. Finish off your meal with a frozen slice of Avocado pie. You won’t regret it.
Food is very important to us. From street food in Thailand to our foodie road trip across the US, you can learn a lot about a place from its cuisine.
A Guide to New Mexico Attractions
But New Mexico is more than food. Although that is reason enough to visit. These are the attractions, I recommend visiting on your New Mexico road trip.
White Sands National Park
Only recently made a National Park, this ethereal white sandy dune field can be explored in a single afternoon. Sunset & sunrise are the most photogenic times.
Bandelier National Monument
The drive out to this area isn’t too shabby either. I especially liked how interactive the exhibits are. You can climb right up the ladders into the ancient cave dwellings and feel what it was like to live in that era.
Tent Rocks
After visiting the other-worldly natural sculptures of Utah this rock formation didn’t blow my socks off. But it was beautiful near sundown.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
We’ve spelunked all over Asia. To be perfectly honest, it takes a lot to impress me when it comes to caves after exploring caves in Myanmar and Thailand, & canoeing through Laos largest water-filled caverns. But this cave is impressive. At more than 1,000 ft underground, reachable by elevator or a long-winding hike (which I highly recommend), the alien stalactites and stalagmites create otherworldly shapes.
Entrance to the caverns is free with your national parks pass. The really adventurous can pay extra for a cave exploration tour and go even deeper into the silent caverns.
Carlsbad Petroglyphics
Hike through a handful of these easy trails and you’ll find some rock drawings from 300-2,000 years old. Boca Negra Canyon was the route we chose.
Meow Wolf
Meowwolf is interesting. But it’s also expensive. Unless interactive eclectic LSD art is your jam, I would consider giving Meowwolf a pass.
Manby Hot Springs
New Mexico has a handful of natural hot springs scattered across the state. This particular spring is my personal favorite for two reasons…it’s both breathtakingly beautiful and less popular than others in the area.
The trick to Manby Hot Springs is to park at the head of the road & walk the lumpy pot-holed dirt path all the way to the springs. In total, it’s about 2 miles one way. You can drive the entire way to the dirt-parking lot if you have a high-lifted 4WD vehicle but locals are fed up with people parking or getting stuck on thier property. Be sure you can make it all the way before you set out. Just keep driving or walking past the signs that say no parking.
For those who have never before visited a natural hot spring be warned…they are clothing optional and often filled with eccentric characters smoking marijuana and socializing. This spring was tamer than others I have visited in Colorado but you never know what you’ll find. My first hot spring experience involved lounging in a murky tepid pool with a crazed Christian radical who insisted that the vaccine was going to cause magnets to stick to me, a guy telling stories about alien encounters, and another describing the origins of his several gunshot wounds. That’s Colorado for ya.
Noteworthy Roads to Drive
If you’re road-tripping your way through New Mexico I highly recommend adding these routes to your itinerary.
High Road to Taos
This route will take you past many small traditional towns and through some lovely rugged landscapes.
Turquoise Trail from Sante Fe to Albuquerque
This route is also marked as state route 14. Even if you can’t do the whole thing it’s a far prettier drive than the stretch of freeway connecting the two cities.
The Perfect Road Trip Map to New Mexico
Here’s a map of all the destinations that we loved during our time in New Mexico.
From scrumptious food to hot spring soaks to national parks, New Mexico has. a lot to offer travelers. Our guide to New Mexico is meant to give you a taste of all that the diverse desert state has to offer. The cities of Taos & Santa Fe are the most popular tourist destinations in the state. And it shows. They are overrun by outsiders and each town is steeped in traditional architecture preserved by the dollars of tourists. Orange stucco everywhere. I stayed in neither for very long but my time in each was enjoyable. Let me know your favorite things to see in New Mexico in the comments.
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