Santa Fe is a relatively small town that is full of pretty historic buildings and missions.

While you’ll enjoy exploring the cute streets, your dog will also love Santa Fe as its a truly dog-friendly city! Shops go out of their way to be welcoming, inviting you in for free treats (which Beatle is a BIG fan of!) or even having full treat jars sitting outside their stores (you better believe Beat’s had to do multiple laps past certain shops…).

They also don’t just have a bowl of water outside, but little pieces of art where your dog will have to stop, sniff, drink and then just admire how much thought has gone into making this a truly dog-friendly experience.

I think this is one of the reasons is why we ended up doing so much shopping in Santa Fe - we really just felt so welcome and invited!

THINGS TO DO

Santa Fe Plaza and Markets

Right in the centre of town you’ll find a large open square surrounded by lots of low rise, red coloured buildings in a style that was very distinctive to this area.

The Plaza itself has lots of grass and trees to explore. Depending on the day there might be markets, fairs, music or buskers as well as carts selling food and drinks. We really enjoyed just sitting here for an hour doing some fun people watching and sharing lunch from one of the nearby bakeries.

Around three sides of the square are lots of shops, galleries and eateries which are well worth exploring. On the fourth side (which is pedestrian only) is an undercover section that houses an open market where local people sell crafts, jewelery and other small trinkets. This is officially known as the Palace of the Governors.

The streets leading away from the plaza will take you to a variety of art galleries, stores and restaurants.

You’ll also find lots of public art and murals in these areas - as well as more of the elaborate drinking set ups that your dog will love!

Downtown Area

Near the Plaza on W Palace Avem is Burro Alley, complete with a burro statue that sits outside one of the prettiest buildings in Santa Fe.

On the corner is the Spitz Clock which is a giant pocket watch and this sits outside the impressive looking New Mexico Museum of Art.

If you continue to explore around this area you’ll find more museums, art galleries and outdoor art.

Heading in the opposite direction from the Plaza you’ll reach the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis which is quite impressive to see from both outside and inside. While dogs can’t go inside, there is a nice, paved area out front to wait and its next to the small Cathedral Park that has plenty of shade.

Loretto Chapel

Less than a five min walk from the Cathedral is Loretto Chapel which is now a museum and wedding chapel, but is best known for its spiral staircase. While there is an admission fee of $5 per person, it is dog-friendly and allows leashed and well behaved dogs to visit. For more more information and to see their dog policy click here

Canyon Road Art Galleries

It was quite difficult to find parking in this area as the roads were very narrow and it seemed to be quite a residential area - but we ended up lucking upon a paid carpark. The road itself is quite long and there isn’t a defined path the whole way, but luckily there aren’t too many cars. The road is jam packed with lots of interesting art galleries and small stores that are housed in a variety of interesting buildings.

Some of the galleries also have really beautiful outdoor art and sculptures that you can explore and it’s worth going into the small open courtyards to see what you can find. While not all of the galleries are dog-friendly, if there was one we wanted to look at we just asked, or took turns. Obviously the ones with more industrial pieces are more likely to allow dogs than those with very expensive fine art! It was also really nice to see lots of water bowls along the way which Beatle appreciated on a hot day.

In my opinion, if you have limited time, the best cluster of galleries is located at the city end of Canyon Road - near Vargas and Delgado Streets. Here you’ll also find a few eateries.

River Trail

If you’re looking for a cooler spot to walk with your dog, then head a few mins from downtown to the Santa Fe River, where you’ll find a pretty trail that meanders alongside the river. You’ll find some nice places to sit and plenty of shade here and its only a five min walk from the Plaza.

Railway Yard Area

This area seems to be a relatively new development set around some working railway lines. On either side of the tracks you’ll find art galleries, open spaces, bars and restaurants. The area itself was dog-friendly to walk around, and while there wasn’t too much to see, as it was largely a pedestrian area there was quite a bit of space and some interesting outdoor art to check out. There is also a brewery here, called Second Street Brewery which allows dogs on its patio.

The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market also takes place here on Saturdays and Tuesdays from 8am to 1pm.

IN SUMMARY

While there aren’t a lot of dog-friendly activities in Santa Fe, you’ll have no issues filling your day/s exploring the sights of this cute town. As one of the most genuinely dog-friendly places we visited in the US we loved how welcome Beatle was made to feel and the city itself wasn’t too expensive, with lots of amazing food to try. I think while you could explore the main attractions in a day, spending a weekend here would be perfect.