Santa Clara Pueblo


Santa Clara Pueblo itself, just a mile southwest of Española along Hwy 30, springs to life in summer for the Harvest and Blue Corn Dances on Santa Clara Feast Day (August 12) and St Anthony's Feast Day (June 13). During the rest of the year, various galleries and private homes sell intricately patterned black pottery, but the main reason visitors come here is to see the nearby Puyé Cliff Dwellings.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Puyé Cliff Dwellings

2.14 MILES

Several tours explore these ancient ruins, 5 miles west of the Santa Clara Pueblo at the entrance to Santa Clara Canyon. Abandoned around 1500, they’re…

2. San Ildefonso Pueblo

5.45 MILES

Eight miles west of Pojoaque along Hwy 502, this ancient pueblo traces its origins back to Bandelier and Mesa Verde. It’s best known now as the birthplace…

3. Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo

6.11 MILES

Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, 5 miles north of Española, was visited in 1598 by Juan de Oñate, who named it San Juan and briefly designated it as the first…

4. Poeh Cultural Center & Museum

7.26 MILES

Set up by the Pojoaque Pueblo’s former governor, artist George Rivera, this center features simple but powerful displays on the history and culture of the…

5. Pojoaque Pueblo

7.26 MILES

Although the history of Pojoaque Pueblo predates the Spaniards, a smallpox epidemic in the late 19th century killed most of its inhabitants, and forced…

6. Nambé Pueblo

8.84 MILES

Thanks perhaps to its isolated location (or inspirational geology), Nambé Pueblo has long been a spiritual center for the Tewa-speaking tribes, a…

7. El Santuario de Chimayó

8.96 MILES

Often called the Lourdes of America, the chapel was built in 1816, over a spot of earth said to have miraculous healing properties. The faithful come to…

8. Tsankawi Ruins

10.54 MILES

On the way to the main canyon you'll pass these little-visited ruins, located near the intersection of Hwy 502 and Hwy 4. If you're out for a full day and…