Travel News

Girlfriend Getaways: Hiking, Galleries and Natural Spas in Santa Fe

Locations in this article:  Las Vegas, NV

Opera al Fresco

If you and your gal pals are lucky enough to visit during summer, the Santa Fe Opera is a must.  Since opening in 1957 it’s become one of the country’s premier summer opera festival.  Best of all, as an outdoor venue you get to enjoy a stunning New Mexico sunset dance in the background before the opera starts.  This season the company will feature five operas.

High Ho Hike

Now that you’re acclimated to the altitude (7,000 ft) it’s time to get out and explore the Land of Enchantment. Santa Fe Walkabouts, a husband and wife owned outfitter offers private guided hikes of some of the most stunning landscapes in the area.

Image Credit: Flickr user Lamill

In support of girl power, celebrate Georgia O’Keefe, one of Santa Fe’s most illustrious artists, by hiking her home, Ghost Ranch.  For an easy day hike explore Chimney Rock, or for a bit more challenge pick the Kitchen Mesa trail.  O’Keefe loved to walk this terrain (it no doubt inspired some of her iconic images) and she maintained a home which you can see from the top of Chimney Rock.

Unpretentious Pampering

No girlfriend getaway would be complete without some time dedicated to primping and pampering.  For a decidedly New Mexican approach to the spa venture an hour out of Santa Fe to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, the first natural health spa in the country.  Set into cliffs, you’ll feel like you’ve entered one of the Western art paintings you saw on Canyon Road.

The Springs, deemed sacred by the Native American tribes of Northern New Mexico, mark the only hot springs in the world that have a combination of four different minerals, litihia, iron, soda and arsenic, in the sulphate-free mineral water.  The spa offers 10 pools filled with the different types and combinations in temperatures ranging from 80 to 110 degrees.  The minerals are said to help treat things ranging from depression to stomach problems while promoting beautiful skin!  Private pools are also available for an additional fee.  Make sure to relax in one of the many hammocks rimming the pools.

In addition to soaking away and catching up with your friends, a full spa menu is available.  Try the Native American blue corn & prickly pear salt scrub.  Native Americans traditional used the corn to remove impurities from the body, while the indigenous prickly pear soothes irritation and feeds the skin and the salt helps improve circulation.  During the treatment towels soaked in several local herbal teas are placed on the body to increase the detoxification of the service while aiding relaxation.

While the spa setting and offerings are unique and very local, be prepared for a somewhat quirky experience.  While parts of the experience have a luxurious feel to them, the locker room screams community pool with small lockers and no sandals.

Home Sweet Home

Lastly, a good home base is paramount to enjoying your girls’ weekend and nothing beats La Fonda.  This National Historic Registry Hotel is smack dab in the middle of the Plaza.  As they say in real estate, location, location, location.  Book rooms at the Terrace level for a boutique experience. Each of the 14 rooms on the private level have their own personality, but all have separate living space and feature views of the city and the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi.

For more information on planning your girlfriend getaway in New Mexico click here. And check out these articles:

By Dena Roché for PeterGreenberg.com. Dena Braun-Roché, aka, The Fitglobetrotter, covers luxury, wellness and spa travel worldwide. Her work has appeared in Spa Magazine, Robb Report, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, and Bridal Guide. Follow her travels and travel tips on Twitter @fitglobetrotter

Feature Image Credit Flickr, user: Curt Smith