Summary For New Mexico Adventures
Overall rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ – 4 adventure travel stars
New Mexico is filled with wonder and enchantment. This magical place has been inhabited for more than a thousand years by peoples who felt a strong connection to the earth and the wild creatures that live here. It can be hard to discern the line between the old and the new, but the blending of the two results is a truly unique experience.
One of the first things you’ll fall in love with while in New Mexico is the spectacular scenery from the natural red-rock formations to the wide open spaces and the otherworldly natural sculptures of the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness.
The mysterious ancient cultures will fascinate you, the modern art will enchant you and you’ll want to pack up the savory New Mexican cuisine like an everlasting lunch to take home with you.
You’ll find exotic experiences in every corner of the state from high-flying hot-air balloon tours to adrenaline pumping white water rafting and the more serene endeavors like fishing and walking tours.
New Mexico vacations offer just about every kind of adventure travel experience you can think of that doesn’t involve the ocean.
New Mexico Adventures – The bottom line: Some people consider Albuquerque the ballooning capital of the world. So if you like air adventures over gorgeous scenery then this is the place for you.
If you’re looking for a unique Southwest experience you’ll want to add New Mexico adventures to your “must-do” list.
Exotic Factor
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ – 4 adventure travel stars
Travel back in time when you visit the Taos Pueblo community, then go back to the future as you stroll through the extraordinary artist community in Santa Fe. And keep an eye out for aliens from outer space while in Roswell.
Imagine walking into the same rooms as people lived in about 1,000 years ago with everything being virtually the same… no running water, no electricity. You can do that at the Taos Pueblo where people still live in the age-old dwellings to this day.
If you like getting out and experiencing the great outdoors you’re going to love New Mexico. The landscapes are spectacular with the majestic mountains, red-rock mesas, deep river gorges and stunning cliffs.
And while trekking through the gorgeous countryside you just may catch a glimpse of some incredibly exotic wildlife including the Ibex, Barbary sheep and Oryx.
One thing that is sure to fascinate you is the way New Mexico adventures illuminate how the Hispanic, Native American and Anglo cultures blend together to make one unique, exotic culture of its own.
Cultural Factor
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ – 4 adventure travel stars
Albuquerque is known as one of the more culturally diverse places in the United States with more than 70 different ethnicities.
There are the three major cultures mentioned above, but that’s just the beginning of the diverse ethnic flavors that make New Mexico such a unique melting pot. You’ll also find strong influences from the Asian, African American and Middle Eastern communities.
The architecture is ancient and interesting with the familiar adobe dwellings in Santa Fe and scattered throughout the state. They tend to be in one of the three main styles: the pueblo with the flat roofs and the wood beams, the territorial style with a line of detail work around the top of the building or the style of Northern New Mexico with the pitched roof and the gables around the windows.
The unique nature of New Mexico is also very evident in the cuisine with many of the popular dishes consisting of one common ingredient: chilies. You’ll find an abundance of the green and red varieties in many of the favorite foods from enchiladas and burritos to cheeseburgers and pizzas.
If you have a love for art you’ll definitely want to spend some time in Santa Fe and Taos, where you’ll find a community of working artists, open studios and excellent art galleries.
Adventure Factor
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ – 4 adventure travel stars
Adventures in New Mexico are everywhere with exciting things to do on the ground like rock climbing and motorcycling, and if you want to see some of the spectacular landscapes from the air you can take a hot air balloon over deep gorges and wide open spaces.
There’s plenty to do in the water with the white water rafting, canoeing and fishing, and don’t forget the spectacular natural formations you’ll see in the Carlsbad Caverns.
The mountains provide some excellent skiing and snowmobiling experiences and interesting towns like Taos and Santa Fe will provide you with some very excellent cultural tours.
Whether you’re into outdoor activities, or you prefer some of the more sedate experiences like walking tours, artistic journeys or birdwatching, you’re going to find plenty of extraordinary experiences in New Mexico.
Check out the lists below for more New Mexico Adventures.
Hard
- Bungee jumping
- Canoeing
- Four wheel drive trips
- Hang gliding
- Hunting
- Ice climbing
- Motorcycling
- Mountain biking
- Mountain climbing
- Orienteering
- Paragliding
- Rappelling
- Rock climbing
- Rogaining (navigation)
- Scuba diving
- Skydiving
- Snorkeling
- Snow shoeing
- Snow skiing
- Soaring (gliding)
- Spelunking (caving)
- Survival training
- White water rafting
- Wilderness training
- Windsurfing
Soft
- Birdwatching
- Cultural tours
- Eco tours
- Nature trips
- Walking tours
Could be either
- Backpacking
- Bicycling
- Camping
- Fishing
- Flying
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
- Hot-air ballooning
- Quad-biking / ATVs
- Sailing
- Safaris
- Snowmobiling
- Trekking
- Wildlife watching