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All 5 Espanola Attractions »

Puye Cliff Dwellings

Hwy 30 & Santa Clara Canyon Rd., Espanola, NM 87532
888-320-5008
Ranked #1 of 4 attractions in Espanola
4.5 of 5 stars 27 Reviews
Type: Ancient Ruins
Description: The ancestral home of the Santa Clara people may be visited by guided tour to the ruin sites.
Useful Information: Bathroom facilities, Activities for older children
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27 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    20
    5
    0
    2
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Date Rating
Huntsville, Alabama
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2012 NEW

You can visit the cliff swellings and/or the buildings on top the mesa. On top the mesa are reconstructed buildings from the original stones, but not the original buildings. Our guide took us to both places for about $35 per person, and that was a two hour experience. There are some pieces of pottery and stone that you are invited... More

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burlington, NJ
Top Contributor
54 reviews 54 reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
49 helpful votes 49 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 6, 2012

I did not actually visit the attraction as it was closed by the time my sister and I arrived to tour their location (the last tour leaves at 3pm). However, I will say that the directions/signs to the location were very well placed. We had no trouble finding the location. About the only thing I found troubling was that there... More

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Sacramento, California
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 26, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Just about a 30 minute drive from downtown Santa Fe, is this wonderful attraction. It is a Native American guided tour of the cliff dwellings that were home to the Santa Clara Pueblo people. It was so interesting & informative. Our guide shared so much about her ancestory & heritage. We did the Dwelling Tour (1 hour) but there is... More

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Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 19, 2012

We had a very good guide, as Michelle is from the Puye tribe and is very knowledgeable about the history of the cliffs dwellings. There may be better dwellings to look at but they are way, way out of the way for tourists who visit Santa Fe. Also - they keep this place very clean. More

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Santa Fe, NM
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 12, 2012

This is a really interesting site with excellent tours. For a feel of old adobe Indian reservation life, this is a must see. More

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Santa Fe, New Mexico
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed April 1, 2012

Save your time and money and just go to Bandelier. Puye charges more, they are still not 100% since the Cerro Gordo fire that destroyed the area around the dwellings more than 5 years ago, and they charge extra for tours. Meanwhile, Bandelier doesn't charge for tours, the dwellings are better, and no fire ever came close to them. More

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Clearwater, FL
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
71 helpful votes 71 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed March 27, 2012
2
people found this review helpful

We have been to both Bandolier and Puye. They are very different places. At Puye, you need to stop before the gated entrance and purchase tickets for a guided tour. The tour will take about an hour and will take you along the cliff face and then back down. It is a fairly easy walk up and then straight across... More

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Wisconsin
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 27, 2012

We took the cliff tour as opposed to the mesa-top tour or the adventure tour which combines both the cliff dwellings and the mesa top. It was pleasant at the starting point of the tour but by the time we got to the cliff face it had become hot and dry. We saw caves that had been dug our for... More

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New Hampshire
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 23, 2012

We had a great time on the tour. Carolyn was a fantastic tour guide, very knowledgable and flexible with our needs. The site is fantastic, as are the views. Well worth the ticket price, a great way to spend a couple of hours. The site is convenient to Santa Fe. More

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Santa Fe, New Mexico
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 15, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This is a wonderful day trip (including hike, drive, lunch) Don't miss it! More

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