santa cruz de la canada church - built in 1730s, full of old northern nm religious art

There are a lot of rewarding things to see and do off the beaten path between Santa Fe and Taos, and the Santa Cruz de la Canada is one of them. Almost 300 years old, the mission was built a full century before places like Atlanta and Chicago were founded. Actually it was two years old before Georgia was even colonized. Very pleasant, with clean lines, and some very nice Spanish colonial touches. (see photos).

Built in the 1730s, Santa Cruz de la Cañada church is a short drive off the main road between Santa Fe and Taos, and is on the way from that road to Chimayó. It's full of beautiful old hand-carved and handpainted retablos and bultos from the 1700s on up (the alter screen is spectacular), and it's a lovely place to see northern NM religious art. I've been going there every once in a while for 20 years, and I've never failed to note something breathtaking that's new to me. I have a couple photos from the outside (the church itself and the Official Scenic Historic Marker) that I'd share, but TA doesn't have a page up for the church yet.