5 Best Sights in The High Road to Taos, Day Trips from Santa Fe

This small, frontier, adobe church has a fantastically carved and painted reredos (altar screen) and is built on the site where, believers say, a mysterious light came from the ground on Good Friday in 1810 leading to the discovery of a large wooden crucifix beneath the earth. The chapel sits above a sacred pozito (a small hole), the dirt from which is believed to have miraculous healing properties. Dozens of abandoned crutches and braces placed in the anteroom—along with many notes, letters, and photos—testify to this. The Santuario draws a steady stream of worshippers year-round—Chimayó is considered the Lourdes of the Southwest. During Holy Week as many as 30,000 pilgrims come here. The shrine is is surrounded by small adobe shops selling every kind of religious curio imaginable and some very fine traditional Hispanic work from local artists. A smaller chapel, Santo Niño de Atocha, was built in 1857 and lies 200 yards away. As at the more famous Santuario, the dirt in this place of worship is said to have healing properties.

From Chimayó to Peñasco, the High Road is home to a number of mostly low-key but generally high-quality art galleries, many of them run out of the owners' homes. During the final two weekends in September each year, more than 30 artists show their work in the High Road Art Tour; for a studio map, or plenty of useful information on galleries open not just during the tour but year-round, visit the website.

Nestled under mature shade trees down a dirt lane near Dixon's quaint village center, this producer of first-rate wines is the oldest vintner in the northern part of the state. La Chiripada's Viognier, Special Reserve Riesling, and Dolcetto have all earned considerable acclaim. Also consider a tasting of the nicely crafted New Mexico Port, which pairs well with dessert. There's a small art gallery, and tastings are also offered a few miles away at Blue Heron Brewery.

Set amid cottonwood trees, fertile fields, and lush gardens that back up to the Rio Grande, this beautifully preserved 148-acre ranch just off the Low Road between Española and Dixon is one of the region's underrated gems. After getting oriented and talking with the knowledgeable staff in the Spanish-colonial visitor center, you can pick up a self-guided tour map or use your phone to scan QR codes for a virtual ranger tour and explore the extensive grounds, which include a stately Territorial-style hacienda, a chapel dating back to the 1700s, a farmyard and barn, and short walking trails through the woodlands. There's also an apple orchard and a pond that attracts all kinds of wildlife, from migrating waterfowl to occasional beavers and otters. It's easy to spend at least a couple of hours here without running out of engaging things to explore.

"Vivác" means "high-altitude refuge," and that's a fitting name for this popular winery located at the junction on NM 68 (the Low Road) and NM 75 (which leads to the High Road). The family-owned vineyards and charming tasting room, with an adjacent patio, are surrounded by the dramatic sheer cliffs of the Rio Grande Gorge. The elegant, generally dry wines, feature a mix of mostly old-world grapes, including Dolcetto, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grüner Veltliner. The tasting room also sells artisanal chocolates, cheese-and-charcuterie plates, jewelry, and contemporary art.