Arroyo Seco is a historic farming village that predates the Taos art colony by centuries. The acequia system that waters the fields is still functioning. In recent decades the village has added a small gallery and shop district while remaining genuinely residential. It is not a tourist town. It is a place people live that visitors pass through on the way to the ski valley.

The village sits at roughly 7,200 feet in the meadows north of Taos before the road climbs into the Arroyo Hondo canyon. On clear days the view south toward Taos and the mesa is unobstructed. In October the aspens on the hillsides surrounding the village turn before the high country.

Abe's Cantina y Cocina is the anchor of the Arroyo Seco food scene and has been for decades. Small, cash-preferred, no-frills New Mexican food. Green chile cheeseburgers, burritos, and basic plates. The kind of place locals go. Taos Cow Ice Cream, also in the village, makes small-batch ice cream with locally sourced ingredients and has been a ski-day stop for years.

Arroyo Seco has a small concentration of galleries and boutiques along the main village road. The work leans toward contemporary Southwest and handmade goods. Several working artists live in and around the village and sell from studios or through the local galleries. Worth a slow walk through if you are passing through in summer or fall.

• Art Galleries
• Shopping in Taos

From Taos Plaza, north on NM-522 through El Prado, then right on NM-150 toward Taos Ski Valley. Arroyo Seco is about 8 miles from the Plaza, roughly 15 minutes. The village is on NM-150 before the road descends into the Arroyo Hondo canyon. Taos Ski Valley is another 10 miles up the canyon from here.

• Taos Ski Valley
• Arroyo Corridor Guide
• Hot Springs
• Things To Do