In partnership with Visit Taos, I have put together TWO guides on visiting Taos, New Mexico. In this guide, I will share the best places to stay and eat while visiting. My next guide will be all about what to do! I also have a blog post on how to plan a girls trip to Taos here.
Destination: Taos, New Mexico
About: Located in north-central New Mexico along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Rio Grande River Valley.
Distance: 289 Miles from Denver
Time: 4h 3m from Denver (2h 30m from Albuquerque)
Trip Length: Overnight
Season: Year-round or Winter for skiing
Sleeping: Resort Living or Airbnb
I first visited Taos as a little girl on spring break with my family, where we spent most of our time in the Taos Ski Valley. It wasn’t until college that I really fell in love with New Mexico. My college, SMU, has a small campus south of Taos where I spent two, two-week sessions. We spent the mornings in class and the afternoons and weekends exploring the Taos Valley. My mother has also always had a southwestern flare both in interior design and jewelry, reasons why I love anything turquoise and wearing cowboy hats.
Taos is a magical place you will fall in love with on your first visit and plan to return again and again. The landscape, culture, and light of the area are totally different… I suppose a lot of New Mexico has this feeling, hence the state tagline “The Land of Enchantment”. Since its only a 4-hour drive from Denver and two hours from Albuquerque, it’s easy to make a weekend trip.
First, let’s discuss the layout of Taos. There is Taos proper then 30ish minutes north-east is the Taos Ski Valley. If you plan to ski then you may want to stay in the Ski Valley rather than the town of Taos. Also north of Taos is the Taos Pueblo a must visit! The Taos Pueblo it is the longest continually inhabited place in North America, over 1,000 years old!
Where to Stay
El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa – The El Monte Segrado is a stunning resort right in the heart of Taos. El Monte Segrado is part of the Heritage Hotel & Resort collection and is consistently named one of the top luxury hotels not only the southwest but the US. The decor and architecture are quintessential Taos with a mix of American West, Native American, Mexican and Spanish influences. Not only is the resort and grounds beautiful it is also an eco-friendly resort. Check out my video to see how awesome our hotel room is.
Airbnb – As always I love Airbnb and a quick search around Taos will find you some pretty cool homes. In the 70’s Taos was home base for a lot of hippie activities like communes and earth ships. Yep, earth ships homes made entirely of recycled materials and you can totally stay in one like this one. PS. Get $40 off when you sign up from me! Just Click Here
Hotel Luna Mystica– Looking for something in between a 5-star resort and someone elses home? Check out these retro airstreams at the Hotel Luna Mystica out by the Gorge Bridge. We plan to go back to Taos this summer and stay here!
Other Places to Stay: The Historic Taos Inn, Palacio De Marquesa (Sister hotel to El Monte Sagardo)
Where to Eat
The Gorge Restaurant & Bar – The Gorge is a great spot for groups and perfect for lunch or dinner. Fabulous service and food make this one of my go-to spots in Taos.
Doc Martins at The Taos Inn – Doc Martins is quintessential Toas. The restaurant is located inside the Taos Inn and is a registered historic landmark. Perfect for happy hour and large groups Doc Martins specializes in southwestern cuisine.
Lamberts of Taos – Visit Taos treated us to a meal at Lambert’s on our trip and I can honestly say it was everyone’s favorite meal of the trip… if not the year! Everything was divine. Everything was perfectly cooked and everyone swooned over their pairings. It’s not often the side is as good as the main dish. Of course, dessert was just as delicious. If you’re looking for fine dining with a comfortable atmosphere check out Lambert’s.
Pizza – As a self-proclaimed pizza connoisseur I have to say that Taos is lucky to have a few great pizza spots.
Outback Pizza – In college, this was the go-to pizza spot. Cheap pizza and pitchers of beer is what really got us in. The pizzas are “big” or “thick” with a kind of braided crust that will leave you super full. Great place in the summer to sit outside.
Taos Mountain Brewery – This in-town location is right off the plaza and offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The pizza is wood fire and sooo yummy. We actually ate here twice on our trip it was so good! Plus the beers are great too!
Pizanõs – North of historic Taos is Pizanõs pizza. In college, Outback was always are spot so im dying to try õ are our next trip. The pizza is New York style with a “Taos Twist”
The Coffee Spot – Looking for a quick but hearty breakfast? Check out The Coffee Spot. We stopped in here super early for breakfast and their bacon egg and cheese everything bagel was perfect. Half of it was super crispy bacon and oh so good.
The Farmhouse Cafe – We visited the Farmhouse Cafe just north of town for brunch and I could have stayed and eaten every meal there. Everything is locally sourced from either their garden or neighboring gardens and ranches. The Cafe and Bakery use only local, organic and GMO-free ingredients. The Farmhouse also provides over 600 meals per day to local schools (!!). After a fabulous meal at The Farmhouse stroll the property and check out the galleries and shops on the property.
Chokolá – Taos & Chocolate… whats the connection? Well, nothing other than a beautiful Spanish man, Javi Abad, decided to make Taos his home and create incredible chocolate. Made with only pure cocoa and organic sugar cane, Chokola produces delicious small-batch chocolate. All of their beans are ethically sourced from all over the world, which gives each chocolate its unique flavor. Beans from Madagascar have notes of citrus and red wine because of where the beans were grown. Cocoa beans absorb the flavors and smell of there surrounding and each can be tasted in each bite. Stop in and taste test each chocolate to really taste the difference between the beans. Also, the hot chocolate is out of this world its REAL hot chocolate, thick rich goodness, no powder here.
Where to Drink
Taos Inn Adobe Bar – aka Taos’s living room. Snuggle up on a coach or grab a seat in the balcony, order one of the many house Margaritas, sit back and listen to the band. This is the spot to be for happy hour.
The Ally Cantina – If you’re looking for something to do after dinner, The Ally Cantina is the only place that will be bumping. The Ally Cantina boast strong drinks and live music almost every night. Anyone who wants to be out past 10pm will head here.
ParCht Bottleshop + Bites – We did not get a chance to stop in but I have heard rave reviews about the wine and apps! Plus, they have a great happy hour.
Love Taos. This is a fantastic breakdown of options and things to do. More than a few things on this list we’ve never come across. Looking forward to exploring some of these offerings.
Thanks! If you go I’d love to hear about your trip!
Loved your posts and would like to know what is cool and new from the past year in regards to eatery, music and adventures. We are taking our 30 something daughters who are world travelers that like adventurers. any special places to see? Any airbnb that you can recommend? We will be there is May. Thanks for any suggestions.
I have been back recently so no new food recommendations but I would definitely suggest going to Santa Fe as well and Meow Wolf – that has been on my bucket list for a while! Also, May weather can be a little unpredictable I have been there a few times in May where it has snowed and been hot a few days later!