Santa Fe or Taos?

Neither town has a beach, and swimming is no reason to choose either one. From Santa Fe, the nearest options are Abiquiu Lake, about an hour north, or a float on the Rio Grande. In Taos the river is for rafting and the mountain lakes stay cold, but a hot spring beside the river at the bottom of the gorge is an unusual stand-in for a swim.

Both towns cook the same northern New Mexican food: chile, posole, carne adovada and sopaipillas. The real difference is range. Santa Fe has fine dining that is unusual for a town its size, old adobe dining rooms around the Plaza and the long-running farmers' market in the Railyard. Together they make several days of eating worthwhile.

Taos serves the classics with real conviction in family-run places along the road to Ranchos, and bread from the ovens at the Pueblo is a local touch Santa Fe lacks. Beyond a few ambitious kitchens and après-ski dining, though, there is much less to explore.

Santa Fe has more to see. It was founded as a Spanish colonial capital in 1610, and the Palace of the Governors, the cathedral and the Loretto Chapel stand around the Plaza. Its museums, including the Museum of International Folk Art and the O'Keeffe Museum, are far better than a town this size would suggest.

Taos has fewer sights, but one of real weight. Taos Pueblo is a World Heritage Site and still a living community. The town also has the buttressed church at Ranchos de Taos. Its museums, from the Harwood to the Fechin House, are small art-colony collections that add to what Santa Fe offers rather than rival it.

Neither town is the place for a big night, but Santa Fe has a little more going on. It has rooftop bars facing the sunset over the Jemez Mountains, breweries around the Railyard and livelier summer evenings on the Plaza, and for clubs Albuquerque is an hour's drive away. Taos is quieter still: a margarita in a hotel bar, a brewery taproom or a saloon with a band. Its liveliest moments are the winter après-ski evenings at the ski valley.

Both towns sit under the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, with skiing, aspen forest and big skies close by, so the difference is in character. In Santa Fe, trails start at the edge of town and the Pecos Wilderness lies beyond the ski area. To the west are desert mesas, Valles Caldera and the red cliffs around Abiquiu.

Taos is the more alpine and adventurous base. Its ski valley is known for steep, demanding runs, and in summer the same valley leads up Wheeler Peak, at 4,013m. The Rio Grande Gorge, a few kilometres west of town, offers rim walks, mountain biking and whitewater rafting through the Taos Box.

Santa Fe sits in the middle of the region, and that gives it the edge. Bandelier, Los Alamos, Pecos, the Turquoise Trail and Albuquerque are all within easy reach, and Taos itself makes a classic outing by the High Road.

From Taos, many of the same places are further away. The High Road and Abiquiu work well, but Bandelier becomes a long day of about two hours each way. The towns on the Enchanted Circle are pleasant rather than essential.

Santa Fe has a little more for children. There is a children's museum, the toys and miniatures in the folk art collection, and a few immersive art spaces for an afternoon indoors.

Taos has nothing built for children, so its appeal to families is outdoors: a well-regarded ski school, gentle river floats, horse riding and a public pool. In both towns the altitude tires young children for the first day or two, and both suit older children better.

Santa Fe is the easier of the two without a car. The Plaza, the downtown museums, Canyon Road and the Railyard are all within about twenty minutes' walk of each other, and the Rail Runner train links the town to Albuquerque. You will still want a car for Museum Hill, the mountains and the pueblos.

In Taos, the walkable part is just the plaza and a few streets around it. The Pueblo, the gorge bridge, the ski valley and Ranchos de Taos are spread across a wide valley. Most visitors fly into Albuquerque and drive about two and a half hours, so a hire car comes with the trip.

Both towns sell art and craft rather than fashion, but Santa Fe does it on a much larger scale. Native American artists sell jewellery and pottery under the portal of the Palace of the Governors, and galleries crowd Canyon Road and the Railyard. In summer, the Indian Market, the Spanish Market and the International Folk Art Market draw collectors from far away.

Taos is a smaller version with its own specialities: micaceous pottery, Rio Grande weaving and carved santos. You can also buy directly from the makers at the Pueblo. For most visitors, an afternoon is enough.

Neither town is cheap, but Santa Fe is the harder on the wallet. Hotels around the Plaza charge resort prices, especially during the summer markets, the opera season and Christmas, and restaurants and galleries are priced for well-off visitors.

Taos costs less. Its simple motels and casual diners are fairly priced, and spring and late autumn, between the ski and summer seasons, are the cheapest times to go. In both towns a hire car adds to the cost of the whole stay.

Here Santa Fe is clearly ahead, at least in summer. The Santa Fe Opera, performing in an open-sided theatre as the sun sets over the desert, is reason enough to plan a trip around. It is joined by a chamber music festival, a long tradition of flamenco and touring shows at the historic Lensic theatre.

Taos has a summer chamber music festival too. Its most memorable performances, though, are the traditional dances at Taos Pueblo on feast days such as San Gerónimo in late September, which visitors watch quietly and without cameras. Beyond those, live music mostly means local bands in bars.

Both towns can reach Ojo Caliente, the historic mineral springs that lie between them, about fifty minutes from Taos and an hour from Santa Fe. Santa Fe's own draw is a set of outdoor soaking tubs among the pines on the road to the ski area, modelled on a Japanese onsen. It also has plenty of spas, yoga studios and healers, though most of the soaking happens outside the centre.

Taos has the slight edge for a restful stay. Its primitive hot springs sit beside the Rio Grande at the bottom of the gorge. You reach them on foot, and they are best in the cooler months. The valley is also quieter than anywhere in Santa Fe, with retreat centres, the silence of the plateau and evenings that end even earlier, so slowing down takes little effort.