Taos Pueblo

Taos Pueblo is a striking multi-storey adobe village at the foot of the mountains in northern New Mexico, continuously inhabited by the Taos people for around a thousand years, one of the oldest living communities in the country. A UNESCO site and a sovereign Native nation, its earthen houses stacked like a hillside are a window onto an enduring culture.

What you actually see

• The adobe village - the multi-storey earthen houses stacked around the plaza.
• The living community - the homes, still lived in without electricity or running water in the old village.
• San Geronimo Church - the adobe mission church and the old church ruins.
• Local crafts and food - pottery, jewellery and fry bread from the community.

When to go

The warmer months for comfortable visiting; note the pueblo closes to visitors for periods, including ceremonial times and about ten weeks in late winter and spring, so check ahead.

Honest expectations

It is a living, private community, not a museum, so visitors follow strict rules, keep to permitted areas and may find it closed for ceremonies. Photography needs a permit and is sometimes forbidden. Approach it with genuine respect for a sovereign people and their home.

Nearby

The artsy town of Taos and its galleries are close; the Rio Grande Gorge and the high desert spread around.