ANCIENT AND CONTEMPORARY PUEBLO LIFE AND CULTURE

May-Nov. 6 hours . Guided Tour

A Tour of Santa Clara Pueblo and Cliff Dwellings, New Mexico

This exclusive tour to one of New Mexico’s Pueblos covers visiting the ancient sites where the ancestors of today’s Santa Clara People lived and worked, during the winter and summer seasons. Throughout the tour guests will walk near the cliff dwellings and caves and among the old village ruins, will sample a delicious Native lunch, will meet local artists, and participate in a traditional pottery making experience.

Puye Cliffs.

At 9am you leave Santa Fe, or the place you are staying at, to meet your Native guide, by 10am, who will greet you at the Puye Cliffs Visitor Center, on-site at the base of the cliff dwellings. You will proceed with the Mesa Top tour where you will see village ruins and reconstructions and enjoy stunning views of the mountains and surrounding areas while accompanied by your guide. After an hour you will continue with the second leg of the tour to walk close to the cliff on a journey along the cliff face dwellings where you will see cave ruins and petroglyphs (rock art). A visit to the Harvey House Interpretive Center completes the tour. This is a small Harvey building, once a Bed & Breakfast, and the only one ever present on Native land. Guests will enjoy some leisure time to appreciate the view of the cliffs and take pictures before departing for Santa Clara Pueblo.

Santa Clara Pueblo.

Around Noon you follow your Native guide to the currently occupied home of the Santa Clara People, just minutes from the ancestral home of Puye Cliffs. This pueblo has been in existence since 1580 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located in the Northern Rio Grande Valley surrounded by the majestic beauty of the landscape rightly famous in the Southwest. Although it is home to thousands of people, the central village area offers many examples of early pueblo architecture and living styles. Galleries are also located in the pueblo center, and detours can be arranged to visit in-home artists at work. A close look at the different styles of pottery and other artifacts, and speaking to their makers is a truly unique opportunity to learn about the traditions and history of this old village.

An exclusive Native lunch will be ready for our guests at a private home, featuring some of the most typical dishes prepared just for them, using local produce and traditional spices.
After an educational visit of the pueblo you will return to Puye Cliffs for a pottery demonstration that will introduce you to centuries-old traditions, typical of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, each with its very distinctive style.

The Tewa-speaking pueblo of Santa Clara is noted for its pottery, such as redware, carved blackware, melon bowls, and polychrome. A common decoration of the fine ceramics that has come to symbolize the Santa Clara people is the single bear paw print that is created by pressing a five-pointed mark into the soft clay. To form a pot the clay is dug from the earth and molded into coils. The shape is entirely formed and refined by hand. The Santa Clara people are as well renowned for their talents for weaving, bread making, and basket making.

Price. $290 per person, based on a 2 person party.

Price includes: Directions to and from the pueblo, tour of the cliff dwellings and of the ancient pueblo, native lunch, tour of the pueblo and artists’ galleries, pottery making, photo permit, Pueblo guide, tax.

Book this tour here

Extensions can be customized for visiting other landmarks of this area.
Transportation with private driver can be provided upon request.
Photos of sacred places are not allowed.

$50 deposit per person is due at booking, payable by check or using the PayPal link on this website. 50% of deposit is refundable if cancellation is made by written notice 20 days prior to departure. Deposits are applied to payment of the program price. Check payable to: Seven Directions LLC. 1027B Canyon Road. Santa Fe, NM 87501. USA.
Balance due upon invoicing, 10 days prior to departure.

Some minor itinerary changes may be made. During the Pueblo Feast Day and other ceremonies the tour is not available.

Travel and Life & Health insurances are recommended. An “Indemnification and Hold Harmless” agreement has to be signed by each participant before starting the trip.

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For information please contact us:
Tel.1.877.992.6128 – 505.820.3305
e-mail: [email protected]