Is Santa Fe Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Solo travel

very safe, sooo much art and downtown is beautiful. Native American. people are very kind. its very expensive to live nonetheless worth the visit. There is an outdoor vibe. hiking and camping. swimming in the lakes and hot springs. the opera and great dining .

Couple travel

We had a 4-day housesit in Santa Fe in mid July 2024. Since it is a high desert, it wasn't as hot as in other parts of New Mexico, though the sun can feel quite hot on your skin during the day. So definitely try to explore in the morning and evenings which are both quite nice regarding temperatures and all. Santa Fe is famous for its huge art scene, liberal culture and offers quite a lot of free events, especially during the summer. We attended a free open air concert @ Railway station which is a hip part of town with lots of restaurants, cafes, farmers markets and art markets on particular days and free events. Especially the farmers market on the weekend here is amazing. It's all more on the expensive side, but its one of the few markets where you can really buy great products directly from the farmer. Another popular area in Santa Fe is downtown with so many art galleries, you don't need to visit an art museum. Parking is a bit difficult, but manageable. There is a huge parking lot right next to downtown. In Downtown there are also many festivals and such happening on the main square. So definitely have a look online for events when planning your visit. However, it's all quite expensive. But there are some affordable restaurants in the small mall next to Starbucks (pretty much in the end of the hall). From downtown you can also walk to the famous church. You will pass many more art galleries and some more art and other markets. The church is nice to look at from the outside but I would not at to go inside to see the famous staircase. It's mostly a tourist trap. But from there you can continue walking towards the famous canyon road with hundreds of art galleries showcasing all different kinds of art inside and outside. When you walk back towards downtown there is a great restaurant 'Joe's Tequila bar', which is part of the popular Margarita Trail. You can get your Margarita Passport, hit the trail and try as many different and amazing margaritas as you like. (The cafe Travelbug I would rather skip.) in general Santa Fe has some nice dining, but it is expensive. Santa Fe was/is also part of the route 66. So you will also encounter many route 66 tourists. There is also plenty to do around Santa Fe. The National Forest is definitely worth a visit, if you are interested in the history of the area. And you have many mountains to explore, hike or mountain bike. (And ski in the winter). So there is plenty to do. You definitely need a car. Drink plenty of water/electrolytes (high altitude plus the heat/dryness can cause dehydration quickly!). Sunscreen. And definitely check out their website(s), especially for events.

Santa Fe is largely pretty safe but does have a few rough spots. We do have a large homeless population and there are some areas where I would feel uncomfortable walking alone, such as near the shelter on Cerrillos. Most visitors stick to the Plaza which is relatively safe but you will sometimes see mental health issues/homeless people experiencing a rough time. If you are from a bigger city you won’t be surprised at all but visitors from smaller towns are sometimes overly concerned.

Overall Santa fe is very safe. The surrounding towns there is more poverty and higher crime, so you must lock your car and store valuables at places like trail heads, especially if you don't have local plates. Santa fe overall is beautiful. There are a few areas that are more rough than others, but if you stay in the more touristy areas, you'll meet nice people. I don't get harassed like i have in other cities, never been catcalled on the street. I've walked around pretty late at night and feel enchanted, not in danger. And This is the land of enchantment!