Attractions - El Camino Real

New Mexico’s history and destiny were greatly shaped by El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro — The Royal Road of the Interior Lands — which connected the Spanish Colonial capital, Mexico City, with San Juan Pueblo (Ohkay Owingeh) north of Santa Fe, and stretched through much of the state.

The 1,500-mile road was established in 1598 when conquistador Juan de Oñate led his expedition, including a two-to-three mile long train of pioneers, missionaries, soldiers, cattle and horses, north from Mexico to settle and explore new territories for Spain. Oñate used some trails that had been established centuries before for trade among the Pueblo peoples of the Rio Grande area and Meso Americans (exchanging turquoise from the Cerrillos mines for colorful macaw feathers and copper bells) and also blazed new sections.

During the Spanish Colonial era, a round trip between capitals could take a year and a half. Wooden ox carts, carretas, transported goods and people and the ruts they dug into the earth as they passed are still visible in some areas. The trip was full of adventures and challenges ranging from lack of water to raids by nomadic tribes, so travelers banded together into large groups for safety.

The northern section of El Camino Real began at the current border with Mexico, near Las Cruces, and closely followed the Rio Grande up to La Jornada del Muerto (Dead Man’s Journey) south of Socorro, which was a treacherous portion of the trail due to the harsh landscape. The road then continued past Albuquerque, and north of Santa Fe to San Juan Pueblo. In Spanish Colonial times, travelers would gain about 20 miles a day, resting at parajes (camps). El Rancho de las Golondrinas, 15 miles south of Santa Fe, was the first stop heading south or last stop traveling north in the 1700s and serves today as a living history museum, revealing the lifestyle of the 18th century.

Today’s travelers can cover the northern section of El Camino Real in a day by car, zipping along on I-25, which parallels the original ancient path. El Camino is a National Scenic Byway and a National Historic Trail, honors that acknowledge its important contribution through time.

In addition, El Camino Real International Heritage Center, New Mexico’s newest State Monument, celebrates the trail’s 400-year history. The new center is purposely situated near the Jornada del Muerto to help visitors understand the terrain through which early travelers had to pass. The movement of the native grasses in the area reminded many travelers of the movement of the sea so the center is designed like a ship. The award-winning design includes an interpretive exhibit to illustrate the architecture and artifacts of the colonial era. The center also includes herbal and native plant gardens and nature trails.

The Heritage Center is 25 miles south of Bosque del Apache, a remarkable wildlife sanctuary that hosts huge flocks of snow geese, sandhill cranes and other birds each winter. The natural spectacle of thousands of birds gathering and calling to each other in the predawn light before heading out in mass flights to nearby cornfields is a primal scene. The sight and sound of this yearly ritual must have been as impressive to travelers 250 years ago as it is to modern day visitors.

El Camino Real and the ideas, people and products that moved up and down the trail helped shape the American Southwest and nation. Its history is ultimately the story of connections and adventures, of explorers searching the unknown, of pioneers seeking a new life and of merchants trading goods. El Camino Real was a connector between capital cities, peoples, cultures, ideas and goods — it facilitated the expansion and development of New Mexico.

For more information, visit the following Web sites: www.caminorealheritage.org; www.nmstatemonuments.org.