Madrid - pronounced MADrid, accent on the first syllable - is nestled along the Turquoise Trail - State Highway 14 - about 27 miles SW of the Santa Fe Plaza. Once you pass all the car dealerships at the far end of
Cerrilos Road, the landscape opens up and the drive is lovely.
This tiny, funky town is tucked
into the oldest coal mining region in New Mexico.
In the late 1800s wood framed cabins were dismantled in Kansas and brought to Madrid by train to house the coal miners and their families. Coal production peaked in the 1920s, and the mines closed in the 1950s.
Although categorized as a "Ghost Town", Madrid boasts about 149 residents and the main street is filled with funky and wonderful shops, galleries, eateries, and lots and lots of history.
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You can stop for some coffee at the Java Junction...or ice cream treats
at the just re-opened historic soda fountain - Jezebel's. Or you can mosey on down to the end of the street and have something a bit stronger at The Mine Shaft, a very cool, historic roadhouse. Lots of funk in this ole town.
And lots of shopping. Cowboy duds to pottery and everything in between.
My Favorite?
This unexpected shop offers beautiful textiles - Unique Tibetan rugs,
Navajo weavings and custom rugs from Oaxaca, Mexico.
Tel. 505.424.7470
