Santuario de Chimayó

Chimayó is our favorite Santa Fe day trip, and a must-stop on the High Road to Taos. Originally established by Spanish families with a land grant, it is home to a fabulous old adobe church and an equally fabulous New Mexican restaurant. Whatever you do on the High Road to Taos, don’t miss a stop at the 1816 Santuario de Chimayó . Legend has it that the dirt from the church has healing powers, and the back room is a shrine to its miracles, with canes, wheelchairs, crutches and other medical aids hanging from the wall. Kneel into a hole in the ground and smear some dirt on your ailing body. As many as 30,000 people make an annual pilgrimage to the church every spring on Good Friday.