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New Mexico and Colorado: legends, landscapes and well-being
4 stops
10 nights
479 miles
Two iconic states, one epic journey. Traveling between New Mexico and Colorado offers an inspiring escape and a unique chance to relax and recharge. As well as leading through a succession of seemingly endless landscapes, from the Grand Canyon and the Rio Grande to Mount Elbert, it is also a journey into American history, where the legacies of indigenous people and gold prospectors meet in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. This is also an astonishing destination in which to feel revived and energized, with its combination of relaxing spas and breathtaking vistas.
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Departure
Recommended duration : 3 nights
Santa Fe (NM)
Things to do, see, and discover
On the road
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Taos, one of the oldest inhabited sites in the United States
Far from any modern skyscrapers, Taos Pueblo is an astonishing group of dwellings and ceremonial centers founded several centuries ago by Pueblo Indians. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, the pueblo, with its rustic adobe walls, offers a rare and precious architectural testimony to the long presence of indigenous Indians. Today, it is located in a cosmopolitan city, rich in artists and artisans.
On the road
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Earthship Biotecture: autonomous architecture
Earthship tells the story of a utopia. Near Taos, the architect Michael Reynolds has imagined and designed dwellings made from recycled materials. Open to the horizon, they produce their own electricity and benefit from their own temperature-regulation and water-recovery system. A visitor center helps you understand this new way of ‘inhabiting' the city, in harmony with the environment.
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206 milesCar
Recommended duration : 2 nights
Dolores (CO)
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
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Travel by steam train between Durango and Silverton
This steam locomotive takes passengers on a journey back in time to the Old West and the Gold Rush. Built in 1882 to transport silver and gold mined in the San Juan Mountains, the railway is now used exclusively for tourism and leads through spectacular landscapes, often inaccessible by road.
During your stay
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Explore the Canyon of the Ancients
Both a national monument and something of a hidden natural treasure, the Canyon of the Ancients is an open-air museum comprised of thousands of archaeological sites. Beneath towering stone walls, you'll discover the remains of ancient dwellings, temples and cisterns of Native American tribes. The museum in Dolores offers a wealth of information to help you explore this remote and fascinating destination.
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69 milesCar
Recommended duration : 2 nights
Telluride (CO)
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206 milesCar
Recommended duration : 3 nights
Aspen (CO)
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
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Mount Elbert, Colorado's summit
With an altitude of 14,435 feet/4,401 meters, Mount Elbert's peak is the highest point in Colorado. It dominates the Rocky Mountains, of which 78 of the 100 highest peaks are located in this same state. Known as the ‘Gentle Giant,' it is a meeting place for keen hikers who take its various trails to the summit during summer months. In winter, it attracts skiers who come for some of the lightest powder in the world.
During your stay
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Independence Pass, on the trail of prospectors
Accessible only between the end of May and the beginning of November, this winding section of State Highway 82 is among Colorado's 25 most scenic roads. Created in 1881 for miners, this narrow passage, with steep slopes and tight turns, is something of a journey in itself. Having crossed Independence Pass, you can discover the remains of the small town of the same name, once an El Dorado for miners but now a ghost town...