Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA (The historic Guadalupe area, a ten-minute walk to the Plaza.) View Map
Accommodations: House, Studio, 1 Bath (Sleeps 2)
"El Nido" at La Casa Santa Fe. Make your stay in Santa Fe special by staying in the historic José D Sena House, within walking distance of the renowned Plaza and of the Sanbusco Center. See our homepage below for information about local food, museums, art, outdoor activities, and more.
Here in the historic Guadalupe district, you will be near the Plaza, the Lensic Performing Arts Center, the Sanbusco Center, the Rail yard Park, and the Santa Fe River, as well as half a dozen museums.
This is a neighborhood where families with generational Santa Fe roots mingle with newer folks who have come to love the traditional Southwestern hospitality. "El Nido" is an efficiency apartment located in the front part of an adobe house once owned by Civil War Major José D Sena. Local legend says he lost the property and the adjoining corn fields as a gambling debt. However that may be, various parts of this multi-roomed building have served as residence and as stables. You will be staying in rooms with 12 ft ceilings, in which you can still see bits of the adobe that originally served for the roof. But never fear, there are modern touches such as electricity and indoor plumbing!
Thick adobe walls provide insulation, and high ceilings with hand-hewn vigas and boards are some of the authentic historical features. Off-street parking near your door makes it easy to lug home your finds from shopping expeditions. A high-speed internet connection is available in case you have an urge to surf the web or, alas, have to attend to business.
You will find a queen size bed with a cozy comforter and a bank of pillows, to sleep two.
Your kitchen is outfitted with everything you need to prepare intimate meals, including recipe books featuring New Mexico home cooking recipes and a rack of basic spices. Complimentary reverse osmosis water lets you brew that perfect cup of morning coffee; we’ll give you some ground Starbucks to get you started. If you need some particular kitchen gadget give us a ring ... we can probably lend you one. Then let the dishwasher do the clean up while you relax.
A full bath followed by hefty cotton towels and a hair dryer will perk you up for a night on the town, but if you want to cozy up "en casa," look through the bookshelves and choose from our selection of guidebooks, novels, and historical materials with a New Mexico theme.
Sure, it's an easy walk to the famous Plaza. But look at what else there is, within a 10 minute walk of La Casa Santa Fe! Here’s a small sample of the neighborhood:
Let’s eat! Walk over and pick up fresh and prepared organic food at The Marketplace/La Montanita Co-op: 5 blocks (or drive a few more blocks to Trader Joe’s, Wild Oats, or Whole Foods). The summertime Farmers' Market is open Tuesday and Saturday mornings, we can show you how to take a walking route to shortcut through the neighborhood: also about 5 blocks.
On those days you want somebody else to do the cooking (and we all have those) at least two dozen restaurants are a stroll away, most moderately priced. For example, there's New Mexican, barbecue, Japanese, American, Continental, Thai, pizza, and mid-eastern. Look in the La Casa Santa Fe guestbook for sample menus from many of them so you can figure out where you want to go while you work up an appetite.
Maybe you're up for some unique shopping opportunities? The Guadalupe District is full of arts, crafts, quirky independent shops, antiques, and even some familiar chains. Sanbusco Center (three blocks away) has an eclectic collection of shops, including a Border's bookstore to find maps and guides about New Mexico, and an inexpensive, informal restaurant.
Or walk to a variety of museums . . . between the art galleries and the historical buildings, half the town looks like a museum. But seven actual museums within a ten minute walk are: The Santuario de Guadalupe, Site Santa Fe, the Georgia O'Keeffe, the Museo Cultural, the Palace of the Governors, the New Mexico History Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts. Bus connections to four more museums on Museum Hill are two blocks away.
When you're in New Mexico, get outdoors! This might be our favorite topic. Nearby, Hyde Park and the Santa Fe National Forest are a cool 12 miles and 3,000 feet up. Petroglyph National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, and Pecos National Monument are all within an hour's drive. We are happy to share with you our knowledge from over 40 years of traipsing around New Mexico, from day hikes to car camping to multi-day backpacks, from X-C skiing to downhill dashes, with rafting and a little rock climbing thrown in, along with some bird watching and mushroom hunting. Just let us know what interests you.
Give us a call or send e-mail if you have questions. We live around the corner from the property, and we're looking forward to meeting you!
Please note: La Casa Santa Fe offers a smoke-free environment, so we trust you will respect this policy and only smoke outdoors.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Linens Provided: For our guests with longer stays, we provide fresh linens on a weekly basis.
- Off Street Parking
- Beds
- Queen Bed
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV
- DVD
- VCR
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen
- Cooking Utensils Provided: Coffee grinder and electric drip coffee maker; pots, pans, baking dishes, sharp knives -- everything you need to enjoy the bounty of the local farmers' market.
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Communications
- Telephone: Free local calls.
- WiFi (Wireless Internet)
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed: Sorry, no pet accommodations.
- Smoking Not Allowed: Please smoke outside only.
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Golf
- Tennis
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Restaurants
- Rafting
- Kayaking
- Swimming
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Cross Country Skiing
- Downhill/Alpine Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Sledding/Tubing
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Hunting
- Rock Climbing
- Fitness Center/Gym
- Health/Beauty Spa
- Racquetball
- Antiquing
- Cinemas/Movie Theaters
- Live Theatre
- Museums
- Horseback Riding
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
$74-$95/night for 1-2 persons, 4 night minimum; applicable taxes are additional.
Click below to visit our homepage and see rates for stays beyond 4 nights.
Guests staying longer than a week may request a thorough cleaning and complete
linen change at $40 per occasion.
Check or money order preferred; more details on our website.
Refunds are not available but dates may be changed subject to availability.
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Map & Owner's Profile
A Quick Walk Downtown from Our Historic Guadalupe Area Home.
Year Purchased: 2006
Why the Owner Chose Santa Fe
We have lived in this area for over 30 years, and enjoy the neighborhood mix of families descended from the early settlers and newcomers who have adopted Santa Fefor their hometown. Since our vacation rentals are next door, now we get to meet people from all over the world!
The Unique Benefits at this House
Our guests tell us they feel like they are staying in a real home. And they are right, this house has been home for local folks for over 130 years. Ask us about Great-Grandmother Montoya ... and her canary mausoleum! If you want to be able to tell your friends you vacationed in a 130 year old house made out of dirt (adobe) this is the place.
Owner's Map of Santa Fe
We are "outdoor nuts" who find something to do outdoors no matter the season ... although things don't always turn out just as planned! Our fondness for good food can take us on excursions closer to home ... there are literally dozens of restaurants within walking distance of our home and El Nido. Or we can stretch our legs with a stroll to the Plaza and museums, or to the Lensic Performing Arts space. Our kitties like the outdoors, too, but we have them confined to the back yard.
Property Photos
- Dining in at the leather-topped table. - Santa Fe Vacation Rental
- Southwestern colors and comfort in your Queen-size bed - Santa Fe Vacation Rental
- The hand-hewn antique vigas and boards - Santa Fe Vacation Rental
- Sunshine abounds
- The TV unit, crafted in Mexico
- Your fully-equipped galley kitchen.
- Sanbusco shopping center - three blocks away.
- Our neighbor across the street is a woodcarver.
- Part of our long, old adobe home.
- We love to watch the seasons change on the mountains.
- We often go to the Pecos Wilderness for hikes.
- Aspens and early snow in the Pecos Wilderness.
- Walk over to the State Capitol building to see art, including sculptures.
- The Capitol has art displayed both outside and inside.
- Much of the art on the Capitol grounds has a Native American theme.
- The State Capitol, AKA "The Roundhouse," is shaped as a Zia sun sign.
Guest Comments (17)
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Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #154580
There have been 18743 visitors to this page since the counter was last reset in 2007.
This listing was first published here in 2007.
Date last modified - November 20, 2009


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Donna Altieri , Denver, Colorado
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, Alabaster, Ala.
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Thank you so much for everything! We had a wonderful stay.
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Jeanne & Pattie , Ann Arbor, MI
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Ken & Eldeana , Norman OK
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Mary and Greg , Clarkston, MI
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Margaret Hungerford , Oakland, CA