Mesilla is a small historic town of about 1,800 people on the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, just south of Las Cruces. Founded in 1848, it became part of the United States with the Gadsden Purchase of 1854, and its tree-shaded plaza, adobe storefronts and the twin-towered Basilica of San Albino keep that frontier history close. The first day stays on and around the plaza on foot.
The Mesilla plaza
Where to eat: Coffee and a breakfast burrito at Mesilla Valley Kitchen.
Start on the Mesilla plaza, a square of old cottonwoods, benches and a white gazebo, ringed by low adobe buildings with deep portals and blue and turquoise doors. Shops sell pottery, chile ristras, jewelry and Day of the Dead art, and the plaza is calm in the morning. Walk the edges slowly, look at the historic plaques on the buildings and sit in the gazebo while the town wakes up around you.
The Basilica of San Albino
On the north side of the plaza, the Basilica of San Albino rises in tan brick with twin bell towers. The parish dates to the 1850s and the present church to 1906, and its bells ring across the town on Sunday mornings. Step inside quietly when it is open to see the stained glass and the carved wooden ceiling, then stand on the steps for the view back across the plaza.
Lunch at La Posta de Mesilla
Where to eat: Christmas-style enchiladas and sopaipillas at La Posta de Mesilla.
Walk a block to La Posta de Mesilla, a restaurant in a nineteenth-century adobe that once served as a stagecoach stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route. Rooms wind through courtyards with tropical birds, piranhas in a tank and strings of chile. Share a combination plate with red and green chile, called Christmas here, and a basket of sopaipillas with honey. It is a lively, unhurried lunch before the afternoon.
Luminarias on the plaza
Where to eat: Biscochitos and hot chocolate from a plaza shop.
In December, and especially on Christmas Eve, the plaza and the surrounding streets glow with thousands of luminarias, small paper bags weighted with sand and lit with candles. Carolers gather by the basilica and the gazebo, and families walk the lines of light after dark. Even on other December evenings, strings of lights and farolitos make the plaza warm and quiet. Bring a warm layer, because desert nights get cold quickly.
Where to eat and stop
- Breakfast · Mesilla Valley Kitchen — Avenida de Mesilla Why here: A hearty start with roasted Hatch-style chile.
- Lunch · La Posta de Mesilla — Calle de San Albino Why here: A historic stagecoach stop with red and green chile together.
- Dinner · The Double Eagle — On the plaza Why here: A grand old dining room with gold ceilings and a fireplace bar.
- Quick stop (treat): Chocolate Covered Mesilla — Off the plaza Why here: A sweet bite with a little heat between walks.
Mesilla is about five minutes south of downtown Las Cruces and about forty-five minutes north of El Paso. Park near the plaza or at your inn and walk the whole first day.
Where to stay
- A historic inn on or near the Mesilla plaza — A few small inns and bed and breakfasts sit in old adobe buildings within a short walk of the plaza, so the luminarias, the cantinas and the basilica are right outside your door.
- A hotel in Las Cruces — Las Cruces, five minutes north, has a wide range of hotels near the university and downtown, a practical base with easy parking and quick access to the interstate.
Dinner: Pepper steak under gold ceilings at The Double Eagle on the plaza.
Tomorrow: Drive into the Organ Mountains for a desert hike to Dripping Springs, then visit the farm and ranch museum and eat at Chope's.
Bad-weather plan
On a cold or windy day, spend longer inside the basilica, the shops and the small museum on the plaza, and save the luminaria walk for a calm evening.
The plaza · San Albino · La Posta · Luminarias
Good to know: Desert nights in December can drop below freezing; bring gloves and a hat for the luminaria walk, even after a warm afternoon.
