Puye Cliff Dwellings

The Puye Cliff Dwellings are the ancient ancestral home of the Santa Clara Pueblo people and are simply breathtaking.  These ancient homes sit atop the Pajarito Plateau overlooking the mountains and the Rio Grande valley.

I was absolutely blown away by not only the beauty and peacefulness of the place but also the manner in which the Santa Clara people have protected and preserved their heritage.

The cliffs are made of soft volcanic rock which the ancestors were able to sculpt for their homes.  Hand holds and stair cases weave up the cliffs to the Mesa on top where further villagers lived.  The view from the top provides a 360 panorama of the sacred mountains and allows an insight into life back then.  People lived here from around 900AD but with increasing population and lessening water sources, the Santa Clara people moved to the Rio Grande valley below and have continued to build their community there ever since.

This place has been an absolute highlight for me so far because of the spirituality, beauty and profound passion of the people.  The Santa Clara hold true to their traditions, language and sense of community but so willingly welcome visitors to their ancient lands.

Our trip so far: Map