Taos Winter Activities
If you can drag yourself away from the skiing and snowboarding, the Taos area has a range of other winter activities on offer.
Taos Pueblo
A visit to the Taos Pueblo is a must do activity to partake in the history and culture of the area. The Taos Pueblo is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the continental US, built more than 1,000 years ago by the Pueblo Indians (Native Americans who live in pueblos; Spanish for villages). The Taos Pueblo has been designated a UN First Living World Heritage Site due to its unique history, architecture and setting.
The principle pueblo structures are two multi-storey buildings composed of adobe brick and containing lots of individual homes. Some of the adobe buildings have striking turquoise coloured door frames, and when snow has fallen on the red bricked buildings, the setting is particularly striking. Various artisan shops are located at the pueblo selling pottery, jewellery, drums, leather goods, photography and paintings.
The Taos Pueblo is open until 4pm and it’s an activity that could take about an hour, so it’s potentially something to do on the way back from skiing. It’s located a couple of miles out of town. Be aware that the Native Americans generally don’t want their photo taken, so if you feel the urge, make you ask before shooting.
And if the cultural and historical experience isn’t enough for you, you can stop at the Taos Pueblo casino for a bit of ker-ching. They pride themselves on being the only non-smoking casino in New Mexico.
San Francisco de Asis Mission Church
For another piece of history, check out the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church. It’s not a major tourist attraction that will take an hour to explore, but it’s worth a 5 minute look. It’s one of most photographed churches in the US and it’s quite beautiful in certain lights, so it’s seems compulsory to go and take a quick photo. The Spanish colonial adobe church was built in 1772, and looks as much like a fort as a place of worship. The church is 4 miles southwest of Taos off state road 68 in the Ranchos de Taos plaza.
Other Activities Taos
Big Al Snowmobile Tours offer 2 hour guided snowmobile tours above Taos Ski Valley to majestic peaks and ridges. These trips are great for families or for the adventurous.
The historic area of Taos has lots of museums including the Kit Carson museum, the Millicent Rogers Museum and the Fechin Institute.
When you’ve trawled through all the museums you can start on the many many art galleries. Taos is an artists’ haven and just when you think the town has reached its saturation point on art, another gallery pops up. The art is diverse including traditional art and contemporary fine art. Influences are Native American and Southwestern, and disciplines include paintings, pottery, glass, photos, sculpture and even t-shirts. Art lovers can also travel to the town of Santa Fe where there are even more galleries.
Hot air ballooning is another potential winter activity. The spectacular trips commence in the Rio Grande Gorge, and of course every trip ends somewhere different – it’s all part of the mystery of hot air ballooning. Two companies for hot air ballooning are Taos Ballooning and Pueblo Balloon.
Relaxation
If you’re in need of some complete R&R there are lots of places in town offering massage services and day spa treatments.
