New Mexico is one of the states that is part of the United States of America and its capital is Santa Fe. This state is one of those with the largest population of Hispanics and Native Americans. It was colonized centuries ago by the Spanish, who were the ones who gave it that name thinking that the towns were related to Mexican culture. Later it was part of the Independent Mexico and finally of the United States of America.
Let's discover some of the things to see in New Mexico, although we are talking about a very large state, so we will surely miss many points of interest. In this state we will find some interesting cities but above all natural spaces of incredible beauty.
Albuquerque the most populated
Although it is not your capital, Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico and it is found in the high desert. Its old town is from the XNUMXth century and was founded as a Spanish colony. The historic center is one of the most beautiful places, with old adobe houses and a great charm that still keeps much of the Hispanic and native culture. In the city there is also a lot of entertainment for the whole family. You have to visit the Museum of Natural History and Science of New Mexico where he tells us about the origins of the American Southwest with samples of dinosaur skeletons. In the city there is also a hot air balloon party and at the World Ballon agency we can have the opportunity to see the city from one of these hot air balloons. There are also other places to see as a family such as the Albuquerque Biological Park, where you can visit various facilities such as the aquarium, the botanical garden or the zoo.
Santa Fe, its capital
Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico, so it is another must-see place. You can also see in it the typical architecture with adobe houses. On Santa Fe we can tour the Canyon Road galleries, with some two hundred galleries and many museums. It is a place where we can visit these types of places for hours. In the city we can also visit the Cathedral of San Francisco de Asís, very different from the European cathedrals. Another favorite thing for tourists visiting Santa Fe is shopping, as there are many stores with typical turquoise razor jewelry and also art and craft stores to buy all kinds of original pieces.
Carlsbad Caverns
This national park is in southeastern New Mexico, in the Sierra de Guadalupe. This park was created to protect these caverns that arose on a Permian reef in the Paleozoic Era. In the park there are up to 83 independent caves. Carlsbad Cavern has one of the deepest underground chambers in the world. In the visit to the caves we can enjoy these rock formations of stalagtites and stalagmites. On the other hand, in the national park you can perform various activities such as hiking or cycling.
National Monument of the Aztec Ruins
If we want to know more about the ancient natives of the area, we have to get closer to this national monument. In this monument we can see the traditional housing structures and Pueblo Indians. This Native American group was one of the most abundant in the state of New Mexico. It is a site located near the Aztec city and is already part of the World Heritage Site.
Roswell, in search of UFOs
If you are fans of the extraterrestrial theme you can not miss the visit to Roswell in New Mexico, where apparently several UFOs were sighted, which is the acronym for Unidentified Flying Object, UFO in English. In this city there are several companies that offer tours focused on the theme to see the place where these flying objects were seen and to see Area 51. They also have an International UFO Museum and Research Center where we can learn about the subject Deeper.
White Sands National Monument
The White Sands National Monument is located 25 kilometers from Alamogordo in the Tularosa basin area. These awesome dunes are composed of gypsum crystals, hence its beautiful white color. This area was a sea millions of years ago but it became the white sand desert that we see today thanks to that land with gypsum and wind erosion. The best without a doubt are the landscapes that we can see, which turn out to be quite a spectacle. In addition, in this desert we can have the opportunity to see the famous roadrunner, a species of bird that really exists. In this area there are also several hiking trails, some of less than a kilometer long, so they are suitable for the whole family.