When you first make the move to Santa Fe, don’t beat yourself up for taking a week away from your exercise routine. Between acclimating to the elevation and unpacking and getting settled, it’s going to take a few extra days to get back into your routine. But we all know that one week off can quickly become two weeks, which can become three going on four, and then you’ve completely broken one of your healthiest habits. So take the time to recuperate, don’t push yourself any more than you need to, and as soon as you’re able, get outdoors to explore some of Santa Fe’s best destinations for staying active.
Biking Along Tesuque Canyon and Winsor Trail
USA Today lists Santa Fe as one of the nation’s top towns for mountain bike trails. It’s easy to see why in a city with over 50 miles of trails and some beautiful bike-friendly neighborhoods to ride through, like Historic Guadalupe and The Plaza. You can get miles of enjoyment out of your bicycle just heading off in any direction and seeing where you wind up. When you want a rugged, outdoorsy, honest-to-goodness adventure on your mountain bike, however, you’ll want to head out to Winsor Trail. A 12-mile downhill single-track ride stretches from the parking lot of Ski Santa Fe to the village of Tesuque, featuring beautiful Southwestern woodland scenery to take in as you roll over dirt trails and wooden bridges. This trail has ample water along its route and connects to a few other notables including the Borrego and Bear Wallow trails, Big Tesuque Trail and campground, and eventually leading to the Pecos Wilderness.
Golfing at the Santa Fe Country Club and Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe
When it comes to the full country club experience when you hit the links, the Santa Fe Country Club can compete with any course you’re going to find in California or New York State. The club is semi-private, with both members-only and open-to-the-public events. For a more laid-back, casual golfing experience, Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe offers an affordable, family-friendly alternative to the country club experience, featuring grilled food, private and group lessons, a pro shop, and special events like FootGolf tournaments.
Walking the Santa Fe Railyard
For those who tend toward the leisurely, go-at-your-own pace tradition of the long walk in order to stay in shape, The Plaza is a favorite destination for many of Santa Fe’s walkers, but the Santa Fe Railyard is an ever-changing toy box of fun stuff to explore on foot. Take the free Santa Fe Pick-Up shuttle bus to the Railyard and check out the Santa Fe Farmers Market. If it’s the weekend, go ahead and cap your walk off with a drink at the Second Street Brewery. The yard is always hosting new events and drawing new people so you could take this walk every week for a year and never have the same experience twice.
Once you get used to the altitude, Santa Fe is just about the easiest city in the Southwest in which to stay in shape. In Santa Fe, you don’t have to talk yourself into getting up, and heading out, you have to talk yourself into going back indoors!
