Chimayo

Around 25 miles east of Los Alamos in the Española Valley, La Puebla is a rural, suburban community lush with fruit trees and centuries-old acequias (small irrigation ditches and canals). Dating back to the late 1700s, La Puebla was home to farmers who relied on access to the Santa Cruz River and the Acequia de la Puebla for their crops. Today, the community is less reliant on agriculture and more popular for its access to natural spaces and proximity to New Mexico’s number-one employer, the Los Alamos National Laboratory. “A lot of places 30 to 40 minutes from Los Alamos, like La Puebla, are becoming really popular for employees there. And why wouldn’t you want to surround yourself with the peach trees and cottonwoods here?” says Alicia Hicks, a Northern New Mexico local and Associate Broker with Realty One of New Mexico. La Puebla is also less than a mile east of the Santa Clara Pueblo, who were integral in constructing the area’s acequias and whose Tewa language is sometimes still spoken in La Puebla today. Set along narrow roads and dirt paths, La Puebla’s homes sit on acreage featuring fruit trees, cottonwoods and acequias that cross between lots. Although most residents no longer farm, many use their lots for chicken coops, workshops or horses. Most properties are single-family Northern New Mexico-style homes built between the 1920s and ‘50s, featuring bright stucco exteriors, pitched metal roofs and attached garages. Prices for these two- to three-bedroom homes on lots of 2 to 3 acres typically range from $310,000 to $630,000; two-bedroom fixer-uppers, however, start at $275,000. Pueblo Revival homes from the 1970s to ‘90s dot the area, featuring rambling layouts, tan stucco exteriors and flat roofs supported by exposed beams called vigas; prices for these three-bedroom homes on lots of about an acre to over 2 acres range from $545,000 to $650,000. Undeveloped lots can also be found here, ranging from $135,000 for 2 acres to $195,000 for 3 acres. La Puebla is filled and surrounded by natural spaces and rivers managed by the Bureau of Land Management, offering plenty of outdoor recreation options. Much of the community’s southern half is dominated by the La Puebla Trails, whose miles of sandy paths cross over desert hills past hoodoos (tall rock spires formed by erosion), juniper trees and wildflowers. “The Santa Cruz River and Rio Grande in Española are also great for fishing, and the locals will help you find all the best spots,” says Hicks. The Northern Rio Grande Sporting Club in La Puebla invites novice and experienced marksmen to enjoy its pistol, shotgun, rifle and archery ranges. La Puebla Community Park also sits in the neighborhood’s center, featuring a playground, basketball courts and shade structures. Along Santa Cruz Road, Theresa’s Art Gallery exhibits Mexican and Indigenous paintings by local artists, and the Enchanted Rose Shop makes custom jewelry on top of doing repairs. “Northern New Mexico areas like La Puebla have an artsy flair, even if people never expect it,” Hicks says. Locals can head to downtown Española for shopping and dining options, including the Center Market grocery store for produce from local farmers. “You’re literally buying chilis packed in Ziploc bags, so you know it's good,” Hicks laughs. Also in downtown Española, La Cocina New Mexican has been a mainstay since 1970 and uses farm-to-table ingredients to make its popular stuffed sopapillas. La Puebla may no longer be a farming village, but it keeps its agricultural heritage alive and well. Every Spring, neighbors gather their shovels and team together to clean the centuries-old acequias of winter debris. From June to October, locals can also head to the Española Farmers Market in downtown Española every Monday. Hicks explains, “There’s so much good food grown here. Farmers from Chimayo to the east bring their Chimayo chilis, which are famous for being super spicy. The Española Valley is also super well known for its fruits, especially apples, so those are always good at the market.” Route 285 is 3 miles south, leading 25 miles west to Los Alamos and 24 miles south to Santa Fe. New Mexico State Road 76 is the community’s main thoroughfare, dotted with North Central Regional Transit District bus stops and leading 6 miles west to downtown Española. Presbyterian Española Hospital is 7 miles west, and Santa Fe Regional Airport is 33 miles south. Tony Quintana Elementary earns a C-minus from Niche and offers trilingual services in English, Spanish and Tewa. Carlos F. Vigil Middle receives a C-minus and provides free out-of-school educational services through the 21st Century Community Learning Program. C-plus-rated Española High won its second-ever Division 2-4A Football Championship in 2023. To receive water from La Pueblo’s acequia system, residents must own land with water rights; to obtain water rights, locals must first gain permission from the board members and Mayordomo of the Acequia de al Puebla, the community’s acequia association. “Water rights are gold in New Mexico, and communities can be resistant to granting them,” Hicks says. Those with water rights must pay the Acequia de la Pueblo a fixed annual fee and help clean the acequias every spring.