Fodor's Expert Review Barrio de Analco

Along the south bank of the Santa Fe River, the barrio—its name means "District on the Other Side of the Water"—is one of America's oldest neighborhoods, settled in the early 1600s by the Tlaxcalan Indians (who were forbidden to live with the Spanish near the Plaza) and in the 1690s by soldiers who had helped recapture New Mexico after the Pueblo Revolt. The historic district was named a National Historic Landmark in 1968 and is a great place to experience Santa Fe's unique history of Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and American cultural influence. Plaques on houses on East De Vargas Street will help you locate some of the important structures. Check the performance schedule at the Santa Fe Playhouse on De Vargas Street, founded by writer Mary Austin and other Santa Feans in 1922.