Adventurous Santa Fe Activities
Golfing, Skiing, Horseback Riding, Hiking, and More
Take advantage of the fun Santa Fe activities near La Fonda perfect for any season, from skiing at Ski Santa Fe to fishing in the Upper Mountains. Learn more below to start your adventure.
Kids - Hunting For Harvey Scavenger Hunt
Where’s Harvey? Can you find him? Pick up your personal scavenger hunt kit at the front desk that includes everything you need (and clues!) to exploring the history and wonder of La Fonda. It’s an easy way to add fun to your visit and keep the kids engaged by hunting for Harvey, the rascally La Fonda mascot. He loves to hide in nooks and niches. Ask hotel employees for help along the way as you search for antique cowboy boots, colorful windows and the symbol a famous artist used in all his paintings throughout the hotel. Don’t forget to look up at the ceiling and on the walls, too! Celebrate completing your hunt by claiming your special prize from the concierge. Good luck and have fun!
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Biking
Biking in Santa Fe can be rugged and wild or a leisurely ride on a quiet, paved road. Taking to the trails on two wheels is a wonderful way to enjoy the state’s numerous national and state parks and forests. For more information visit the New Mexico Department of Tourism Activities and Outdoor Recreation or the National Park Service, 505-988-6688.
Fishing
North of Santa Fe, in the upper mountains near Taos and Chama, there are pristine fly-fishing destinations. Local lakes are bountifully stocked with trout and freshwater salmon. The Pecos River, located near Santa Fe, is a well-known angler destination. Required fishing licenses are readily available. The concierge can assist with arrangements for guide service, equipment, instruction and licenses. For additional information,visit New Mexico Department of Tourism Activities and Outdoor Recreation or call New Mexico Game and Fish at 505-476-8000.
Book a Fly Fishing Adventure with Santa Fe's Premier Fly Fishing Shop & Guide Service, The Reel Life. Specializing in guiding public and private waters throughout northern New Mexico, The Reel Life is a full service fly shop that is conveniently located inside the De Vargas Mall and stocks everything you need to make your next fishing trip a success.
Golf
Public Courses
Santa Fe has great golfing in naturally beautiful surroundings; at least five public courses are an easy drive from La Fonda On the Plaza. Golfers who are unaccustomed to higher altitudes will be thrilled with their drives; the air is so thin that golf balls sail down the fairway at great distance.
- Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe Golf Complex,Caja del Rio Road, 505-955-4400
- Santa Fe Country Club, Airport Road, 505-471-0601
- Pueblo de Cochití Golf Course, &5200 Cochití Highway, Cochití Lake, 505-465-2239
- Black Mesa Golf Club, 115 State Road 399, La Mesilla, 505-747-8946
For more information on courses around the state, click here.
Hiking
Hiking trails are abundant for all levels of hikers — from easy trails to more rigorous climbs. For more information visit New Mexico Department of Tourism Activities & Outdoor Recreation or contact the USDA Forest Service, 505-438-5300. Check with our concierge for hiking maps.
Performing Arts
Santa Fe is a genuine feast for those who love live performances. Whether you’re into opera, ballet or country music, the venues are as magical as the performances themselves. The intimate settings make seeing any show in Santa Fe a truly personal experience. Click here for more information.
Gardenia Entertainment Concerts & Events
Gardenia Jungle Entertainment was founded in 2019 by Ned Jacobs and Bunee Tomlinson and brings stellar live music in a variety of genres to audiences in New Mexico and beyond.
Maria Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts
Rafting, Canoeing, Kayaking
Snow melting off the mountains makes spring and summer rafting, canoeing and kayaking popular, with trips available from Santa Fe, Taos and Chama. From late spring until early fall, rafting along the Rio Grande north of Santa Fe is the perfect half or full-day adventure. We can book everything for you from easy floats to class 4 to 5 rapids through the famous Taos Box. Rafting opportunities range from calm to Class IV whitewater thrills on the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama rivers just north of Santa Fe. Check with La Fonda’s Concierge Desk for brochures or visit New Mexico Department of Tourism Activities & Outdoor Recreation.
Other activities include: sailplane soaring among the clouds, early morning hot-air ballooning, boating in no-wake lakes, and rock climbing.
SANTA FE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS
David Hoptman was born and raised in Detroit, MI. He studied science and liberal arts at Oakland University before moving onto College For Creative Studies where he majored in Photography with a minor in Printmaking. David has been an artist and commercial photographer for more than thirty years with clients ranging from Architectural Digest to main-stream publications like Travel and Leisure, Elle, Art in America, Cowboys and Indians Magazine, Sotheby’s, Southwest Airlines, etc. David has also been a photo-educator teaching at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, Lorenzo di Medici in Florence, Italy, as well as numerous photo workshops both nationally and internationally. David is a Fine Art and Commercial photographer.
BALLOON RIDES
Discover the wonder of flight with Rainbow Ryders. Tours available throughout the Southwest!
Attention all La Fonda Santa Fe guests!! Use the discount code LAFONDA to receive the rate of $169 per adult to take a hot air balloon flight over the city of Albuquerque. Rainbow Ryders, Inc. is the premier and largest hot air balloon business serving the Southwest since 1983, with daily sunrise flights and seasonal sunset flights offered year round in Albuquerque, Phoenix, Scottsdale and seasonally in Colorado Springs. Rainbow Ryders’ FAA certified pilots have flown more than 90,000 hours, served more than 750,000 passengers and have over 500 years of combined experience. Pilot expertise and commitment to safety are two important reasons why Rainbow Ryders continues to lead and shape the ballooning industry. Upon launching you’ll be able to watch and snap photos as the sun's first rays fall on the dramatic landscape of the Sandia Mountains. Once your feet are safely back on the ground you will enjoy a champagne toast and light snacks to commemorate the experience.
The Historic Cumbres Toltec Scenic Railroad
Climb aboard our National Historic Landmark for a 64-mile day trip you’ll never forget. A coal-fired steam engine carries you through steep mountain canyons, high desert, and lush meadows as you zig zag between the New Mexico and Colorado border. Open your eyes to spectacular and rare Western scenery which can only be viewed from our train’s unique route. Ride in the Victorian elegance of the deluxe parlor car or choose the budget-friendly coach car. Either way, a delicious buffet lunch is included. Trains depart daily from Chama, New Mexico ( 2 hours north of Santa Fe) and Antonito, Colorado. A luxury motor coach chauffeurs you back to your starting point at the end of the ride.
Train runs May 25th - October 20th. For more information, visit their website.
Guided Tours
Santa Fe Mountain Adventures offers authentic cultural experiences and exhilarating outdoor adventures in the Land of Enchantment. Experience journeys unique to Northern New Mexico – inspiring and rejuvenating hikes, heart thumping mountain biking, exceptional off the beaten path 4x4 adventures, energetic and fun downtown and mountain scavenger hunts, scenic snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and customized interpretive tours to cultural landmarks such as Bandelier, Taos Pueblo and Puye Cliffs. Visit their website.
Meow Wolf — The House of Eternal Return
Is a unique art experience featuring an astonishing new form of non-linear storytelling that unfolds through exploration, discovery and 21st century interactivity. Few words can really describe the experience that is a nexus of colorful, chaotic portals that take explorers to worlds they've only seen in their wildest dreams.
Click here for the Top 10 tips for planning your visit.
Downhill Skiing, Snowboarding, and Cross-Country Skiing
Santa Fe sits near the gorgeous foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and some of the nearby peaks are over 12,000 feet high. Local ski areas — Ski Santa Fe, Pajarito Mountain and Sandia Peak — often have snow pack in excess of 100 inches, so expect wonderful, world-class downhill skiing within a half-hour to an hour drive of La Fonda on the Plaza. Visit Ski Santa Fe, or call 505-982-4429. New Mexico has more than nine million acres of national forest, so cross-country skiers can take to the back country where snow is deep, the views spectacular and the solitude revitalizing. For details, visit Ski New Mexico.
