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Albuquerque

Travoley
Albuquerque
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Albuquerque Travel Guide

  • About Albuquerque
Rich in history and natural beauty, successively home to native American farmers, Spanish colonists and Yankee pioneers, Albuquerque represents the USA at its most culturally diverse. The setting is magnificent; New Mexico’s largest city spreads across the broad high-desert valley of the mighty Rio Grande, surrounded by majestic mountains and glowing mesas. To cap it all, a twenty-mile stretch of Route 66 itself, America’s fabled “Mother Road”, cuts from east to west right through the centre, peppered with vintage diners, motels and gas stations.At an elevation of 1,615m (5,300ft), Albuquerque is one of the highest metropolitan areas in North America. It’s also at the heart of a technological corridor that kickstarted into life during World War II, and remains home to labs dedicated to researching nuclear weapons. It’s a lab of a different kind that’s helping with the city’s tourism resurgence, though – the meth lab. As the location for much of the television series Breaking Bad, it’s been attracting to fans to take location tours, enjoy blue meth sweets and Breaking Bad bath salts, and even dine at Los Pollos Hermanos (actually a burger bar called Twisters).Albuquerque’s broad ethnic mix, as reflected in the city’s architecture, artwork, festivals and food, is certain to pique your interest. This is the centre of Southwestern culture and some 22 Native American tribes, each with its own language, customs, and traditional way of life, and including Pueblo, Navajo and Apache peoples, call the surrounding region home.To get a bird’s-eye view of Albuquerque’s truly spectacular scenery, take a tram to the top of the 3,050m (10,000ft) Sandia Mountains. This desert wonderland offers reliable sunshine throughout the year, so there are plenty of outdoor activities on offer like biking, hiking and hot air ballooning. You can also make excursions to see ancient cliff dwellings or petroglyphs, while the Hispanic heritage is still vibrantly celebrated in numerous local villages.When it comes to leisure, nightlife options range from casinos and brewpubs to wine bars and restaurants. This is also a leading arts centre, boasting some great museums and galleries, plus a packed calendar of events.Food-lovers are sure to be wowed by the diverse gastronomy. Many popular dishes are Mexican-influenced, and include green chilli made into a spicy sauce that’s ladled over enchiladas, burritos and stuffed sopaipillas (fried pastries).You can wash them down with something unexpected. Spanish missionaries planted vineyards here 150 years before they appeared in California, and the local wines are just another example of a city that never fails to surprise and delight first-time visitors.
  • Albuquerque History
Native American groups first inhabited the region 2,000 years BC. The Spanish arrived in the 1500s but it was another 200 years, in 1706, that a settlement was founded on the banks of the Rio Grande.The site developed as an agrarian outpost but thanks to its location, it also provided protection from, and trade with, the Indians in the area. The colony’s Spanish Governor, Francisco Cuervo y Valdez, wrote to the Duke of Alburquerque back in Spain to report their newly founded town, which was subsequently named after the duke. Over time, the first “r” was dropped, leaving Albuquerque spelled as it is today.Albuquerque grew in prominence as an important stop on the Camino Real, a vital trade route from Chihuahua to Santa Fe. By 1821, Mexico had gained independence from Spain and trade with the United States grew. The famous Santa Fe Trail, which led from Missouri to Santa Fe, connected with the Camino Real into Albuquerque. As commerce grew, so did the population.The construction of Albuquerque’s railroad terminal in 1880 helped the city’s trade and population to boom further. In fact, Anglo settlers began moving to Albuquerque en masse, transforming the ethnic and geographic structure of the city. The main commercial centre moved downtown and the Old Town fell in prominence. By 1891, Albuquerque was incorporated as a city.Historic Route 66, which became a famous automobile road in the 1920s, weaved through Albuquerque, helping new motels, restaurants and gift shops to flourish and attracting tourists.In 1928, Albuquerque gained its first airport, and within 20 years was propelled into the high-tech era when Kirtland Air Force Base was established in 1940.The following decades saw key developments: the Sandia Peak Tramway, the longest of its kind in North America, opened in 1966 and in the 1970s, Bill Gates set up Microsoft in Albuquerque. But the 1990s brought decline to the downtown area. It took another 20 years before the district was rejuvenated and in 2006, Albuquerque celebrated its Tricentennial.
  • Did you know?
San Felipe de Neri Church dates back to 1793 and is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city. After the creation of the airport, celebrity fliers such as Charles Lindbergh, Laura Ingalls, Amelia Earhart and Roscoe Turner were attracted to the city. The city’s famous balloon fiesta has its roots more than a century earlier when a local bartender piloted a “gas bag” from the centre of town up to nearly 14,000ft before it landed, intact, a few miles away.
  • Weather in Albuquerque
Albuquerque enjoys around 278 days of sunshine every year.Spring tends to be warm but windy; bring extra layers of clothing to protect yourself from the gusts.Summer temperatures average around 32°C (89°F) between June and August, while winters are brief and mild, with temperatures hovering around 10°C (49°F). Thanks to nearby mountains and hills, the city actually receives very little snow or rain. When rain does fall, it’s between July and September during the monsoon.

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