Abiquiu (AH-bi-kyoo) is a tiny village located on US 84 about 60 miles north of Santa Fe.  The village is on a rocky mesa above the Rio Chama at an elevation of 6,060 feet.  Pinons dot the side of the mesa.  Large cottonwoods grow where water springs from the earth and along the Rio Chama providing a rare lushness in the arid high desert.    The pastoral setting is the perfect home for the modern newly built mansion or an adobe that has been here for centuries.   La Canada and Barranca neighborhoods are located along the Rio Chama near the village.  Acequias  are used to irrigate the small fields as they have for centuries to provide pastures for horses, cattle, and sheep.  The fertile land yields delectable fruits and vegetables.   The white cliffs along the river provide the quiet beauty that attracts those seeking inspiration for their creativity.  Most famous of the artists attracted to the area was Georgia O’Keefe who made her home in Abiquiu from 1945 until her death in 1986.  One of the highlights of the year is the annual Abiquiu Art Tour showcasing the many artists who have made their home along the Rio Chama.  Movie stars enjoy the anonymity that can be had in the area.  The scenery is so stunning movies are shot on location.  Most recent was the 4^th Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Bode’s General Store has been in business since 1890 and is still the gathering place in Abiquiu.  A good meal, gifts, every day grocery and hardware needs, plants, seeds, and household goods are available along with good conversation with the owners or neighbors.   Guests experience the charm of the Rio Chama and quietness of Abiquiu in a comfortable casita at Abiquiu Inn.  A restaurant offers fine cuisine and the gift shop features work of local artists.  Santa Fe and Carson National Forests are adjacent to Abiquiu.

The original village, abandoned in the 1500’s,  was the Tewa Indian Pueblo at La Puente about 3 miles SE of the current village.  These people are thought to have moved from Mesa Verde in southern Colorado. The first Spanish settlers came in the 1740’s and called the community Santa Rosa de Lina de Abiquiu for their patron saint.  After devastating Indian raids the people living in Abiquiu petitioned to move elsewhere.  The genizaros (Hispaniciazed Indians) founded the current village in 1747 and named the new village Santo Thomas de Abiquiu.   In 1754, the Abiquiu Land Grant of 16,000 acres was given jointly to the genizaros and Spaniards.  It is one of the last Spanish-American community grants still functioning and owned by residents of Abiquiu.  The descendants of these early settlers are proud of their heritage and continue to practice their traditions, such as the Penitente rites.  On a humorous note, there are rumors of witches who give out love potions that keep husbands home at night.   In the early 1800’s Abiquiu became the trailhead for the Old Spanish Trail linking Santa Fe and Los Angeles and was the third largest settlement in New Mexico Territory.  The Old Spanish Trail was a pack mule route considered by historians to be the” longest, crookedest, most tortuous trail in the nation”.  The 1200 mile trip between Los Angeles and Santa Fe took about 3 ½ months.  The last caravan was a Mexican pack train in 1848.  After the Mexican War the trail was replaced by more southerly routes that could accommodate wagons.

Abiquiu Homes For Sale

Abiquiu Land For sale

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