Santa Fe Is The Underrated Wellness Destination That’s A Must-Visit This Summer

Between my daily workload, industry networking events, and social commitments, burnout has been creeping up on me more often than I’d like to admit these past few years. I’m not alone: friends, family, and colleagues all agree that they’re often feeling like they’re drowning. To stay afloat, I’ve started partaking in solo trips two or three times a year. For me, traveling alone provides a much-need reset — I can do what I want, when I want, all while discovering a new place. My destinations are usually major cities because they provide the perfect balance of culture, delicious food, and self-care, and they’re typically easy to navigate by public transit or foot. While I’ve jetted off to London, Paris, and Toronto alone, I’ve never done a domestic trip. So in mid-March after a very busy first few months of the year covering award shows, fashion month, and launching our TZR Groundbreaker Awards, I jumped on a plane to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

While I was eager to experience the city’s unique art and food scenes, both of which are heavily influenced by the region’s Native American and Spanish cultures, I was also intrigued by its status as an under-the-radar wellness destination. The caveat? I only had roughly four days to fit it all in.

Read on to discover how I spent my time relaxing and recharging in Santa Fe.

Where To Stay

For my first two days in Santa Fe, I stayed at the Rosewood Inn Of The Anasazi, a luxury boutique hotel with elegant Southwestern flair. Just steps away from the historic plaza where the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe and Santa Fe Indian Market are held, the central location was the perfect home base for exploring all of the major landmarks, museums, and boutique shops by foot. As someone who has lived in New York City for over 10 years, I’m not only used to being able to walk everywhere, I firmly believe it’s the best way to explore a city. I was pleasantly surprised how accessible Santa Fe was by foot, and enjoyed taking in all of the Pueblo Revival, Territorial Revival, and adobe architecture on my strolls.

Despite its proximity to the city’s major attractions, the Inn Of The Anasazi felt intimate and cozy. Upon entering the hotel’s giant wooden French doors, you’re welcomed by a crackling fireplace and hot cocoa bar in the lobby, which really set the vibe. There are also two libraries open for guests complete with fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling bookcases, and dangerously comfy leather sofas. It was the perfect place to map out my sightseeing schedule for the day — and to rest my feet afterwards. The suite I stayed in was equally welcoming, decked out in modern yet rustic decor that included nods to the area’s adobe architecture, care of its wood beam ceiling and gaslit kiva fireplace. You better believe I cozied up in the chaise chair by that fire each night. My one regret was that it was a little too chilly to enjoy the room’s private balcony.

Through its menus, The Anasazi Restaurant and its adjoining bar also masterfully capture the area’s cultural influences. Using in-season locally-sourced ingredients, the dishes are contemporary takes on classic New Mexican cuisine. Whatever you order from the menu, I highly recommend you wash it down with the signature Silver Coin margaritas. For a nightcap, there’s The Anasazi Bar & Lounge, where you can sip on cocktails and nibble on appetizers. The bar also offers tequila tasting at its aptly named “tequila table.”

Where To Eat & Drink

While the city is ripe with New Mexican dining options, The Shed came highly recommended by both a friend who used to live in Santa Fe and my guide from the tourism board. Located just east of the plaza, the third generation family-owned restaurant has been serving up its signature red chile enchiladas and other blue corn dishes in its current space since 1960. Unsurprisingly, there’s typically a line of locals and tourists waiting for a table, but I luckily managed to walk in and snag a seat at the bar. Despite having a big lunch that day, I cleared my plate of cheese enchiladas, rice, and pinto beans. Taking advantage of The Shed’s extensive margarita menu is also a must.

Of course, no trip to the South West is complete without having huevos rancheros for breakfast, so that’s exactly how I kicked-off my first full day in Santa Fe at the Plaza Cafe Downtown. The retro diner has been a popular choice for classic diner fare and Southwestern comfort food since it opened 75 years ago. On my second morning, I walked just south of the plaza to Cafe Pasqual’s, another bustling breakfast spot, also open for lunch and dinner. The menu consists of Mexican fare made with fresh ingredients. I opted to eat my breakfast quesadillas at the large community table in the center of the restaurant. While my seatmates found themselves in Santa Fe for various reasons (couples getaway, a stop on a cross-country road trip, etc.), a common thread was all of us raving over our dishes.

Aside from Mexican cuisine influence, there’s a huge focus on sourcing ingredients from local farms in the Santa Fe dining scene. I got to experience this firsthand while having a lunch at Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen, located a 10 minute drive from the plaza. With gluten-free, paleo, vegan, and vegetarian friendly options aplenty, it’s a solid choice in the area for those traveling with dietary restrictions. As a longtime vegetarian who’s had to get creative with restaurant menus while traveling, I fully appreciate a spot with filling, nourishing plant-based meals.

What To See

With more than 250 galleries and more than a dozen state and private museums, Santa Fe is considered an art and culture mecca. Arguably, The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is the most popular. Located around 50 miles south of the late modern artist’s New Mexico studio, it houses a retrospective of her work and personal artifacts. There are also a handful of institutions that highlight the Native American and Mexican influences on the region, such as the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Institute of American Indian Art’s Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA). Both serious art collectors and casual enthusiasts will also appreciate a trip to Canyon Road, the city’s unofficial gallery district. With more than 100 galleries, boutiques, and restaurants in one half mile strip, you’ll find everything from contemporary sculptures to traditional Pueblo paintings.

If shopping is your idea of sightseeing, there are number of boutiques to discover simply by meandering the blocks near the plaza, whether you’re in the market for a pair of cowboy boots, clothing, Native American jewelry, or pottery. I picked up a Pueblo vase from King Galleries, which boasts a collection from artists from various tribes.

Also, if you head to Santa Fe in the summer, you’ll be able to catch a performance at the Santa Fe Opera or if your trip falls in May, SWAIA’s Native Fashion Week.

Where To Indulge In Self-Care

After a long travel day followed by a full morning of taking in art and shopping around the plaza, I was ready for an afternoon of self-care. So I took a quick 10-minute drive to BODY of Santa Fe, the city’s premier wellness destination. The space includes a yoga and reformer Pilates studio, spa, cafe, and boutique thoughtfully curated by Lori Parish with organic, fair-trade clothing, accessories, home goods, aromatherapy, and beauty products. I kicked off my visit with a sampling of the cafe’s hearty farm-to-table vegan dishes, including a green chile stew, beet salad, and soba noodle bowl. Again, as a vegetarian it’s not uncommon for me to only have a few options on a menu to choose from (one of which is usually cauliflower steak), so I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh, seasonal (and most importantly) filling fare.

Next, I was whisked away to the spa where I enjoyed a custom glow-boosting facial with organic DNA Skin Institute products and a smoothing dermaplaning session, followed by a 60-minute full-body therapeutic massage. With my skin radiant and all of my tense muscles now loose, I practically floated out of BODY.

Where To Unwind & Reset

For the back half of my trip, I ventured 20 minutes north to the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe, located on 57 rolling acres in the Sangre de Cristo foothills. My stay at the luxury wellness resort kicked off with a meal at Terra, which offers contemporary northern New Mexican dishes. After clearing a bowl of charred corn chowder and roasted poblano, I sipped on a Beekeeper’s Tonic, a cocktail infused with honey sourced from hives on the property, as I took in the restaurant’s views of the mountains. Once the sun was set, I retreated to my casita, decked out in elevated Southwestern decor, complete with a working Kiva fireplace. While I was too full from dinner to take advantage of the smore-making kits the fire porters can bring to your room, it’s a nice touch.

I kicked off the next day with a trip to the spa, which offers regionally-inspired treatments. As a pre-game, I posted up in a private courtyard, alternating between dips in the hot tub and relaxing in the sauna. I chose the Mountain Spirit Purification, a 110-minute treatment that started with a sage smudging session followed by adobe clay body mask, body wrap and a foot and scalp massage. After rinsing off, the grand finale consisted of a juniper-sage massage using hot stone.

Aside from luxuriating at its pool and spa, the Four Seasons also offers a number of adventure and wellness excursions, from hikes at Pecos National Park to sound baths. Sticking to the wellness theme of my trip, I opted to experience a Horse Herd Encounter at EQUUS. Under the guidance of Thunder Bear Yates, a member of the nearby Tesuque and Namble Pueblos, and the cultural educator for EQUUS, I learned about his people’s relationship with nature. He also shared how the horse acts as a wisdom companion, specifically their ability to pick up on and react to the energy around them. After the lesson, we went into the pen to interact with the herd of rescued horses and donkeys. Throughout the process, Thunder Bear would pose rhetorical questions based on how the horses were interacting with me, prompting me to reflect on current stressors in my life, and my approach to people and situations as a whole. It was just enough introspection for this jaded New Yorker, and I left the EQUUS with a sense of reassurance about myself and clarification on some personal hangups I had prior to the trip.

The itinerary for my trip may have been stacked, but the mix of cultural sights and self-care moments was the exact reset I needed after a busy few months. I returned to New York recharged and renewed — and dreaming about returning to Santa Fe as soon as I stepped off the plane. O’Keeffe wasn’t lying when she said, "If you ever go to New Mexico, it will itch you for the rest of your life.”