If there is one thing that Kevin and I love more than a food walking tour, it’s a biking tour. We think it’s one of the best ways to see a city and get some low-impact exercise all at once. And besides, after several days in Santa Fe, we could use the workout. I can’t remember the last time I had so many breakfast burritos (but they’re ohh so good!).
Our hearty breakfast at the Plaza Cafe earlier that morning. Something tells me we’ll need to do a lot of biking to burn off all these calories!
When I began researching the best things to do in Old Town Santa Fe, I came across Routes Bicycle Tours and Rentals. The company, run by the husband/wife team of Heather and Josh Arnold, offers small group tours in both Albuquerque (where it started) and Santa Fe. I loved the variety of tours on their website with such unique excursions like the “Biking Bad Tour,” which covers shooting locations in Albuquerque of the iconic AMC series Breaking Bad. If only we had enough time to do it all!
Kevin picks up a sleek bike from Josh, the owner, for the 2-hour guided ride.
But we were equally excited to take their 2-hour guided Historic Santa Fe Tour. We had zero knowledge about Santa Fe’s interesting past. Follow us along their 2-hour signature tour that covers everything from culture, art, history and much more.
Stop #1: The Historic La Fonda Hotel in Old Town Santa Fe
Kevin learns about La Plazuela, a restaurant inside La Fonda that is fully enclosed but once was an open courtyard.
We met our friendly guide Eric inside the historic La Fonda Hotel, the oldest hotel in New Mexico. City records show that La Fonda sits on the site of the town’s first inn (established by Spaniards in 1607). In fact, La Fonda is the the oldest hotel corner in America. Kevin and I stayed at La Fonda on our first visit to Santa Fe and loved it. Though, somehow we totally missed the backstory. Or maybe we’re getting old and forgot? In any case, it was like hearing the story for the first time!
Inside the Santa Fe room in La Fonda, a cool map that helps guide our history lesson.
In 1925, the building was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The company leased the property to Fred Harvey, a gentleman renowned for his keen sense of hospitality and a flair for opulence. Harvey introduced his own personal touch and made the inn a Harvey House, a hotel chain noted for its high standards, fine dining and the signature “Harvey Girls,” a staff of exceptionally well-trained waitresses.
I can only imagine the opulence of the hotel especially in such a remote area when it was built.
Harvey was involved in several hotels throughout the southwest including La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Ariz., which we’ve also written about. One of the key elements to his hotels was that they were built along an active railroad track. But there are no train tracks here. Turns out the rail plans were cancelled due to the uphill grade into Santa Fe.
Stop #2: Loretto Chapel
The history of the Loretto Chapel began when Bishop Jean Baptisite Lamy was appointed by the church to the New Mexico Territory in 1850. The bishop wanted to spread religion and educate those in this new territory. So he began a letter writing plea for priests and nuns to basically preach and teach. But it’s the chapel’s staircase that gets most of the attention these days. The line of tourists grew by the minute, all waiting to get inside to see the famed staircase built without nails or other visible means of support. And even stranger, the builder disappeared without a trace. But who was it? And why did he ditch town without getting paid first? It isn’t too shocking to find out that this mysterious story has been featured in several TV shows including Unsolved Mysteries.
Stop #3: The Plaza in the Heart of Santa Fe
Eric gave us several restaurant recommendations as we made our way towards the main plaza, including the very busy Cafe Pascale. He also suggested La Choza, slightly further afield, popular with locals and best known for their tasty cowboy margaritas made with whiskey.
Biking the streets of Santa Fe and heading towards Cafe Pascale.
The Plaza remains the central part of the city, hosting daily markets and other annual events as well as community gatherings, concerts and more. We visited during the afternoon and the plaza was hopping with locals and tourists.
Outside Palace of the Governors on the north side of the Plaza.
Eric told us another interesting fact about the Plaza, which we somehow totally missed on our previous trip. What were we doing last time?! The Palace of the Governors, just north of the plaza, is considered the oldest public building in the United States in continuous use. Constructed in 1610, it was once home to the governor’s private apartments as well as offices and other living needs. Today you’ll find lots of shopping, which of course makes me very happy!
Stop #4: The Oldest House in the US
Kevin looks like he’s in question asking mode, outside the oldest home.
We told Eric that we were most interested in unique spots and this next one certainly didn’t disappoint. We turned down a side alley (Vargas Street) to an adobe home that we would have easily passed right by. The home is now a museum where you can go inside for free and see just how tiny a space it is. Eric told us to imagine 10-12 families living in this one space. Think NYC apartment-sized accommodations and you’ll see how tight it must have been.
Watch your head Kevin! Ducking into the tiny doorways in the oldest house in the United States.
There isn’t much room inside to move around as you can see.
Stop #5: Art Galleries Galore and a Secret Garden Full of Moving Sculptures
Kevin tries out the rock chair in the garden, which was surprisingly comfortable.
We are big fans of art so were really into this next part of the trip. This section has some slight uphill pedaling, which also gave us some good cardio. Santa Fe is at high altitude, approximately 7,000 feet above sea level, so feel free to take your own pace.
With more than 75 galleries, studios, and designers in the Canyon Road Arts District, you’ll definitely find a wide range of art for just about any taste. Though, much of it is pretty contemporary. We pulled into a quiet sculpture garden part of Wilford Gallery. It sort of reminded me of my backyard growing up full of those funky whirligigs like flapping birds or Uncle Sam chopping wood. But you know — with the exception that these versions cost a few grand more than those!
Inside the sculpture garden off Canyon Road in front of the fancy version of whirligigs.
Final Stretch of the Journey: Riding Past the Fancy Homes Back to the Routes Bike Tour Shop
Back at the Routes main office – what a fun day.
It was hard to believe we were biking for 2 hours — the time flew by. We finished our ride passing some of the highest-priced real estate in the state. New Mexico has long been attracting Hollywood A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio and Carol Burnett. Our guide, who also works in the film industry, said there has been a major uptick in Hollywood productions. The studios are drawn by the tax incentives, which has earned New Mexico the hilarious nickname I never heard of before of “Tamalewood.” I gotta admit, pretty catchy!
With gorgeous backdrops like this, you can see why Santa Fe would make a great place to film.
We said our goodbyes but before we did, Kevin got some incredible recommendations for a road trip along the Turquoise Road between Albuquerque and Santa Fe from Heather, the owner of Routes Bike Tours. Stay tuned for our next adventure where we follow her recommendations. But whatever you do, make sure you make Routes Bicycle Tours part of your next New Mexico vacation.
THE LOWDOWN – ROUTES BICYCLE TOURS:
- The historic Old Town Santa Fe bike tour is offered every day at 10 AM and 1 PM
- The signature 2-hour experience showcases the culture, art, history and panoramic landscapes of Santa Fe. It’s perfect for all levels of biking ability.
- The total route is anywhere from 8-10 miles long, but can be adjusted and is mostly flat.
- Cost: $50-$55 per person.
- The company also offers some great tours in Albuquerque, including some special themed ones like the “Biking Bad Tour” mentioned in the story. Hopefully, we can do this on another trip!
- Advanced bookings are recommended and can be made directly to the Routes Bicycle Tours website.
If you’re looking to see more unique things in New Mexico, be sure to check out our story on the best nerdy day trip from Albuquerque. Or if you’re really into bike tours (like us!) be sure to check out all our bike tour reviews for some fun ways to explore the world.
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