Santa Fe Of New Mexico, Tops Travel + Leisure’s 2025 Us City Rankings: Here Is How It Ended Charleston’s 12-year Reign

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Charleston, South Carolina, sat arsenic nan No. 1 metropolis successful nan U.S. for much than a decade, according to Travel + Leisure’s yearly “World’s Best Awards.” But for nan 2025 rankings, Charleston has been dethroned, pinch nan title going to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for nan first clip ever. Santa Fe’s No. 1 position comes successful a twelvemonth erstwhile travellers are progressively willing successful unsocial destinations pinch rich | taste history, thriving arts scenes, and delicious culinary experiences.

This year’s version of nan yearly survey, done successful conjunction pinch Travel + Leisure, is conscionable nan latest illustration of penchant for 1 metropolis complete nan others, according to much than 180,000 respondents who rated their favourite cities successful nan U.S. and astir nan globe connected six categories: sights/landmarks, culture, food, friendliness, shopping, and value. Its title arsenic Best City successful nan United States tin only mean that home and world travellers will return announcement of this favoritism and beryllium attracted to nan city’s time-honoured traditions yet modern-day amenities.

Santa Fe: A Hub for Arts and Culture

Santa Fe is internationally recognised for its vibrant arts community, which plays a important domiciled successful nan city’s appeal. In 2005, Santa Fe was designated arsenic a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, further solidifying its position arsenic a world arts hub. The metropolis is location to galore festivals that observe nan arts, specified arsenic nan Santa Fe Opera and nan Santa Fe Indian Market, nan largest and astir prestigious Native American creation marketplace successful nan world.

The metropolis is besides a awesome destination for modern creation lovers, pinch institutions for illustration SITE Santa Fe and Meow Wolf, an immersive creation installation that has go a cardinal attraction. These venues lend to Santa Fe’s position arsenic a taste leader, offering visitors an eclectic and innovative creation scene.

A Closer Look astatine Santa Fe’s Appeal

Santa Fe, New Mexico’s authorities capital, is simply a metropolis dissimilar immoderate different successful nan U.S. It is renowned for its stunning adobe architecture, rich | history, and thriving arts and taste scene. Founded successful 1610, nan metropolis is steeped successful hundreds of years of history, pinch a unsocial blend of Native American, Spanish, and Anglo influences. Its striking adobe buildings and nan Spanish Colonial Revival architecture create a visually unsocial ambiance that sets nan metropolis isolated from different American destinations.

In summation to its architecture, Santa Fe offers visitors a multifaceted acquisition pinch its taste landmarks, including nan Palace of nan Governors, 1 of nan oldest continuously occupied nationalist buildings successful nan U.S. The metropolis besides boasts a number of creation galleries, astir notably on Canyon Road, wherever visitors tin research complete 100 creation galleries and studios showcasing accepted and modern useful by artists from astir nan world. (thethinkingtraveller.com) (en.wikipedia.org)

Culinary Delights successful Santa Fe

Santa Fe’s culinary segment is 1 of its main draws, pinch section restaurants serving up a fusion of flavours influenced by nan region’s divers taste history. Known for its Southwestern cuisine, Santa Fe is simply a haven for nutrient lovers, offering everything from greenish chile stew to adobe-style pizzas. Visitors tin acquisition nan accepted flavours of New Mexico successful nan shape of tacos, enchiladas, and tamales but besides bask innovative culinary creations astatine restaurants specified arsenic The Compound and Geronimo, which are renowned for their upscale takes connected Southwestern cuisine.

For those looking to research Santa Fe’s culinary segment much deeply, nan metropolis hosts respective nutrient festivals passim nan year, including nan Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta and nan Santa Fe Farmers Market. These events observe nan flavours of nan Southwest and supply a sensation of nan region’s section produce, wine, and culinary innovations. With its chopped blend of New Mexican, Native American, and Spanish influences, Santa Fe offers a unsocial nutrient acquisition that has drawn visitors from astir nan globe. (celebritycruises.com)

Santa Fe: A Hub for Arts and Culture

Santa Fe is internationally recognised for its vibrant arts community, which plays a important domiciled successful nan city’s appeal. In 2005, Santa Fe was designated arsenic a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, further solidifying its position arsenic a world arts hub. The metropolis is location to galore festivals that observe nan arts, specified arsenic nan Santa Fe Opera and nan Santa Fe Indian Market, nan largest and astir prestigious Native American creation marketplace successful nan world.

The metropolis is besides a awesome destination for modern creation lovers, pinch institutions for illustration SITE Santa Fe and Meow Wolf, an immersive creation installation that has go a cardinal attraction. These venues lend to Santa Fe’s position arsenic a taste leader, offering visitors an eclectic and innovative creation scene. (en.wikipedia.org)

Top 10 U.S. Cities for Travel successful 2025

The Travel + Leisure 2025 rankings are arsenic follows:

1. Santa Fe, New Mexico
2. New Orleans, Louisiana
3. Charleston, South Carolina
4. Savannah, Georgia
5. Alexandria, Virginia
6. Honolulu, Hawaii
7. Greenville, South Carolina
8. New York, New York
9. Asheville, North Carolina
10. Chicago, Illinois

While Charleston fell from nan apical spot, it still classed third, showcasing nan city’s enduring appeal. Similarly, New York City, a perennial favourite, dropped to eighth place. This displacement suggests that travellers are now much willing successful destinations that connection a unique, multi-dimensional acquisition alternatively than conscionable world-famous landmarks.

Santa Fe’s Global Recognition

Santa Fe’s occurrence isn’t constricted to nan U.S. In fact, nan metropolis was nan only American destination to make it onto Travel + Leisure’s world list, ranking 19th among nan world’s champion cities. This nickname reflects Santa Fe’s rising position arsenic a must-visit destination for travellers worldwide. The city’s earthy beauty, rich | taste offerings, and unparalleled culinary experiences spot it connected nan representation arsenic 1 of nan astir breathtaking and move cities globally.

Looking Ahead: Santa Fe’s Role successful U.S. and Global Tourism

With Santa Fe progressively becoming a globally known destination, it underscores a increasing inclination we’re seeing crossed nan tourism board: deeper, much culture-filled vacations. Those who recreation now are progressively looking for destinations wherever they tin entree not conscionable accepted sightseeing but besides section culture, history, and art. The mash-up of history, earthy splendour, and productivity is simply a cleanable illustration of these evolving priorities of travel.

Into nan early Santa Fe will proceed to beryllium 1 of nan champion cities successful nan US to visit. The metropolis continues to entreaty to travellers who are successful hunt of a genuine and culturally rich | acquisition owed to its chopped offerings, array of attractions, and attraction connected section culture.

For those pinch a picnic planned, Santa Fe is simply a veritable metropolis, a location for creation lovers, history buffs, foodies, and fans of nan awesome outdoors. It is nan benignant of spot that will clasp connected to you agelong aft your first of 1001 visits.