Taos & Taos Pueblo | Native town, oldest city in the US

[Cirrus]

Cirrus in the West Series!
See them all: Denver, Boulder, Santa Fe, Taos, Southern Colorado, Kansas City, Saint Louis.

Jamestown (1607), yawn.
Saint Augustine (1565), take a seat.
Everyone stand for Taos Pueblo (sometime circa year 1000).

A legitimate Native American town occupied continuously since 1000 CE, Taos Pueblo is a fascinating and beautiful place, with distinctly different architecture & urbanity from anything coming from European settlers.
























About 5 miles down the road from Taos Pueblo lies Taos. Just Taos. But we can call it Spanish-American Taos to distinguish it from Taos Pueblo if we want. Founded by the Spanish in 1615 specifically to be near Taos Pueblo, it's like a smaller, less sprawly, more authentic version of Santa Fe.




































Bonus: Rio Grande Gorge, big canyon a few miles away.






Thanks for looking! Here's a little of that enchantment everybody's always talking about:

[AviationGuy]

Beautiful. Have been to Santa Fe a few times, but not Taos. I think I'd love it.

[xzmattzx]

Great pictures! I have wanted to visit Taos Pueblo and Taos. I have not made it up to that part of New Mexico yet.

There is some European "architecture", because the pueblo has doors. Into the late 1800s, people still entered buildings through the roof via ladders.

I think Oraibi in Arizona is the oldest continuously-inhabited settlement in the US. Acoma Pueblo also claims to be the oldest continuously-inhabited settlement in the US as well. I have heard that Taos was settled in the 1200s. Taos might be able to claim the oldest housing still in use, though.

[Wigs]

Love the Adobe style buildings and the highlights of blue or turquoise.

[dktshb]

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing.

[BnaBreaker]

Looks beautiful! Forgive me for my ignorance here, but is Taos Pueblos an actual functioning town with a permanent residential population, or is it more or less just a tourist attraction at this point? I ask only because there doesn't appear to be any infrastructure to speak of going on. Not even sidewalks or a paved road? I absolutely appreciate them maintaining the authentic design aesthetics, but it doesn't seem like the odd bench or paved pedestrian surface would detract from that authenticity much? Anyway, I'm just curious. Taos itself looks extremely pleasant and livable. I'd love to visit! Thanks for the photo tour!

[Cirrus]

It's still a functioning town. The resident population flucuates a lot though. If you look at it on google maps satellite view you'll see there's a ring road around it, outside of which there's vernacular American roads & sidewalks.

As a visitor you drive up and park in a lot along the exterior. Residents can drive straight in and park next to their houses. If you look closely you can spot some cars in the village

[JManc]

Nice! I absolutely loved Taos. Didn't make it to the village though (closed because of Covid) but got to see the rest of town including the San Francisco de Asis Church and the stray cats that live around there.

[ColDayMan]

I got to enter Taos Pueblo right before it closed for visitors (I think like 5pm or something?) and it was fascinating. Taos itself is a treat and had some of the best (New) Mexican food at some alley restaurant behind the touristy square.

[Prahaboheme]

Lovely photos -- Taos and the nearby ski slopes are not to be missed if visiting the region. I'd recommend anyone visiting Santa Fe to do 1-2 days (or at least overnight) in Taos.

By the way, I believe that St. Augustine is considered the "oldest continuously inhabited European settlement" in US although it often gets shortened to "America's oldest city."

[AviationGuy]

I can't believe I've almost always lived within a 1.5 days drive of Taos and have never been there. When I've visited Santa Fe, the subject of driving up to Taos has never come up. But hopefully some day...

[geomorph]

Nice to see the Taos Inn sign, I stayed there in 2000!

[the pope]

there should be a historical plaque for the one night i slept at that hotel

I went to Taos with the intention of going to Taos Pueblo. Forgot to check that the community closes down to outsiders in late winter/early spring so we didn't go, still had a good time