Albuquerque, New Mexico

Fast growing metropolis

According to ehuacom, the city of Albuquerque is located in the US state of New Mexico. With a population of around 0.8 million, Albuquerque is the largest city in the state. Native Americans settled thousands of years ago at the site of today’s city on the Rio Grande. Albuquerque is located on a desert-like high plateau.

Albuquerque skyline in New Mexico

Albuquerque was officially re-established in what is now New Mexico in 1706 by Spanish settlers. The settlers were very religious people. Therefore, the first building in the city was a church, before the simple adobe houses were built. Some buildings from the founding years have survived to this day.

San Felipe de Neri

On the site of the first church I now find the Church of San Felipe de Neri, a beautiful adobe-style building. The church is the visual center of Old Town Albuquerque. Cultural events often take place on the plaza, the market square in the old town. The city on the Rio Grande has countless houses that were built in the remarkable adobe style.

Access to Albuquerque CBD

Handicrafts and culture

Apart from the Pueblo buildings and the old town, Albuquerque has a large and varied offer, especially in the cultural sector. Numerous artisans pursue their vocation in the city. Santa Fe and Los Alamos are northeast of Albuquerque. The “old” Route 66 runs through the city. Albuquerque has developed into a center of high-tech industry. Nevertheless, the heritage of the natives is honored in the city on the Rio Grande.

Santa Fe in New Mexico

Spanish-Mexican city on the plateau

Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico, United States. Santa Fe is located at 2,000 meters above sea level in the immediate vicinity of the mountains of the “Sangre de Cristo Range”. The city in New Mexico actually has a very long Spanish name, which means “Royal City of Francis of Assisi”. Santa Fe is easier to pronounce, so we settled on this short form.

Small Native American art market in Santa Fe

Beautiful city with history

About 68,000 people live in the city in New Mexico, which is well worth seeing. In the 16th century the Spanish came to Santa Fe. Indian peoples had lived there since the 12th century, but they were pushed out by the new “lords”. The conquest took place in the name of the Christian faith, Spanish missionaries wanted to convince the “savages” of the “right faith”.

Since New Mexico has only been part of the United States since 1848, Santa Fe’s American history is quickly told. Previously, New Mexico belonged first to Spain, then to Mexico. The Santa Fe Trail was once a very important trade route in the region.

Santuario De Guadalupe – Church in Santa Fe

Pueblo style and handicrafts

Today, Santa Fe is a major center of art, architecture and crafts. New homes in Santa Fe have had to be built in the Pueblo style for many decades. This makes Santa Fe one of the most beautiful cities in the Southwest, perhaps the United States.

In any case, many tourists come to the city just for the Pueblo architecture. The sale of Native American art is an important economic factor in the city. Santa Fe is also known as a major science hub.

El Malpais National Monument in New Mexico

Volcanoes and lava fields

El Malpais National Monument is located in northwestern New Mexico State – USA – and includes a volcanic field called “Zuni-Bandera” and extinct volcanoes. The size of El Malpais National Monument is 443 km². The El Malpais National Monument protects an extensive weathered landscape, former volcanoes and lava flow fields.

Lava Field – El Malpais National Monument

Arches of El Malpais

Even if the infrastructure around the El Malpais National Monument seems in need of improvement, around 140,000 tourists visit the National Monument every year. The rock formations formed by erosion, wind and weather are extremely worth seeing.

Numerous sandstone arches can be discovered, similar to Arches National Park in Utah. The ” La Ventana Natural Arch ” is the largest sandstone arch in El Malpais National Monument with a span of 41 meters.

La Ventana Natural Arch – El Malpais

Zuni Acoma Trail

A former “Indian trail” of the Zuni-Acoma Trail leads through the lava fields. The 7-mile (11-kilometer) trail was used by the Acoma and Zuni (pueblo culture) “Native Americans” before the arrival of the “whites”. The El Malpais National Monument was established in 1987.