Gorgeous and 'artistic' US city crowned best travel destination for two key reasons

The historic city has been named best travel destination for the first time ever, and locals and travellers are thrilled, but not surprised.

A city that some might see as underappreciated found in sunny New Mexico has been crowned as the best travel destination in the USA.

The northern New Mexico city is being called the best in the US for a few key reasons, which might make you want to go and have a visit yourself this summer. Among the reasons are natural beauty and food, as well as a fantastic culture overall, and what more could you want for a holiday?

This new ranking comes from a much-respected travel magazine, and for the first time ever, it named Santa Fe as the best US city to travel to.

Among the reasons included are the gorgeous foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, as well as the fact that Santa Fe enjoys over 300 days of sunshine per year. Those who voted for the city also loved the markets and art galleries on offer.

The city also ranked 19th best city to visit internationally by Travel + Leisure, and was the only United States city to make that list.

For those who have already had the chance to visit the exciting city, the recent ranking isn’t a surprise.

“We love the jewelry, we love the Native American culture, we love the beautiful architecture, and we just wanna take in the sights and be part of the reason that people flock to this city,” said visitor Linda Deason to local outlet KRQE.

“The climate's beautiful, the people are super friendly, there’s a lot to do, and you can be out of town in five minutes in any direction,” another visitor told the outlet.

For the first time, Santa Fe beat Charleston in South Carolina, which held the number one spot on the list for 12 years.

The New Mexico capital boasts an interesting history and culture, an incredible art scene and award-winning cuisine. It’s also known for its Pueblo-style architecture, a unique traditional style of building that was developed by the Pueblo peoples of the Southwestern United States.

It is also one of the oldest cities in the United States, having been established way back in 1610, making it the third oldest city founded by European colonists. The only cities that rank as older are St. Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565, and Jamestown, Virginia.

Locals were thrilled with the news of the accolade, with Randy Randall, Executive Director of Tourism Santa Fe, telling KRQE, “From a domestic standpoint, this is definitely one of the top two most important awards.”

If you want to catch the feature in print, it will be featured in the August edition of Travel + Leisure Magazine.