We chose our casita with concern since we had never used VRBO and this listing seemed too good! Historic eastside, walkable to town, hiking in your backyard, gated private compound, reasonable price. This casita was all that and much, much more. Nancy and Peter (our hosts) were wonderful, and recommended all sorts of things to do in this beautiful city. Both of them went way beyond the usual host activities, and made our stay effortless and fun.
The casita is located in a private quiet gated compound on a hill above the city with city and mountain views, hiking through the gate in the fence, and morning roosters and donkey. You should be comfortable with country sounds and dogs--the hosts have two sweet friendly dogs who like to visit. This was a plus for us since we missed our own pets, and the dogs are well-behaved and easy to deal with. This casita is in a compound on 3/4 of an acre, on which there is a second guest casita and the owner's home. Nancy and Peter are always available but respectful of guests' privacy so it's a win/win situation.
The casita itself is larger and more elegant than we expected, with a well-equipped full kitchen and separate dining room and windows all around for air and light. The main room is quite large, with easy room for the queen bed (very comfortable and good for backs), lots of attractive antique furniture, and a comfy leather sofa. We enjoyed the free Wi Fi and flat-screen TV. The bathroom is large and well-appointed, there are huge closets, and the private laundry was great to have. The casita is easily walkable to town (1.8 miles) via historic East Alameda if you are moderately fit and have the time. You can walk to Canyon Road galleries very easily, and to the Plaza for nighttime events, concerts, food etc.
I started every morning with coffee on our private breezy covered portal (porch) and often ended the day there as well. My husband loved to pick delicious fruit from the apricot, apple and pear trees, and we ate grapes from the vines covering the gazebo, where we sometimes had dinner as we watched the blinking city lights. We loved opening all the windows at night to the breeze and night sounds, and felt very safe and comfortable with both doors and windows open.
We couldn't have asked for more. We had an idyllic stay in Santa Fe, and will definitely return to this wonderful casita, hopefully this Christmas.