The Road to Taos

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Considered one of the most captivating scenic byways in the US, the High Road to Taos transports you to a bygone era with Old Spanish missions, eclectic artist enclaves, and ancient living cultures that inspires one to explore both its colorful culture and history. The road snakes through the mystical northern badlands of the New Mexico, while being shadowed by the majestic Jemez Mountain. The numerous scenic overlooks along the route gives beautiful panoramic vistas of the rocky outcrops, canyons, and distant mountains. The small towns and villages that line this route are so uniquely New Mexican and each has its own intriguing story, history, and art. The route is a must see and visit.

We started our journey from Española driving north towards the northern scrub-lands toward Chimayo. Chimayo is a small town known for its eclectic crafts, holy pilgrimage site, and is the home of the greatest tamales in the world at Leona’s Resturante. The town is best known for an old Spanish mission called El Sanrtuario de Chimayo.

El Sanrtuario de Chimayo is a must see while in Chimayo for it is home of the holy El Posito. El Posito is a mere hole in the floor of a dimly lit room on the left of the chapel. The hole is filled with red healing earth and every year millions of pilgrims part take of the earth and pray for healing. The walls adjoining chapel is filled with holy relics, paintings, crutches, wheelchairs, pictures, and letters of proof of a miraculous healings. The courtyard fence is adorned with tiny crudely made crosses. The inner court yard lies numerous religious statues and each statue is loving decorated with hundreds of rosaries, candles, and other religious items. Each year during Easter the roads going to Chimayo are filled with hundreds of thousands of faithful pilgrims walking towards the chapel.

After leaving the old Spanish chapel, we headed north again on NM 76 climbing through badlands dotted by scrubby pinon and juniper we cruised right through Cordova and Truchas.

Las Trampas is a must stop with its expansive panoramic view of the bare Truchas Peaks and the home of one of the finest surviving eighteenth-century churches in NM – the San José de Gracia built in 1760. It is said that all its frescos are originals and have survived through decades. Then we drove through Penasco on NM 518 and had to stop by a picturesque overlook where one can view the Placitas and its valleys.

After a few minutes we arrived at the village of Ranchos de Taos home of the San Francisco de Asis Church. The San Francisco de Asis Church was made famous by a famous American photographer Ansel Adams and artist Georgia O’Keeffe back in the 1940’s . You need to stop by the San Francisco de Asis Church if you are an avid photographer or art buff. The red adobe structure is embellished by two bell towers, simple windows, and an intricately carved door. The interior is austere in its simplicity and its whitewashed walls create a color contrast with the interior decor.

Although this is the end of the High Road to Taos route, if you venture a few miles north to the town of Taos. Just 1 mile north of town you will be greeted by a 1000 year old heritage site – Taos Pueblo. The Taos Pueblo or Pueblo de Taos are an ancient Tiwa-speaking Native American tribe of the Pueblo people. It is considered as one of the oldest living inhabited communities in the US and has been designated by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.



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