Adventurous Santa Fe Activities

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 4×4 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.

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.

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.