Abiquiú means "wild choke cherry place" in the Tewa language. It was once a Tewa Pueblo on a high bluff above the Chama River. In the mid-eighteenth century, the Spanish crown provided land grants to Genízaros there to establish a buffer town on the frontier with raiding tribes such as the Comanche and Utes.
Descendants of the genizaros still live there. One of the descendants, Napoleon Garcia (now deceased) wrote an interesting book, "The Genizaro & the Artist", about himself and Georgia O'Keeffe. His son, Leopoldo still lives there. He is a wood carver and has a studio a block from the plaza.
The early Catholics in the area did not have a full-time priest, so they constructed moradas in the area to serve their spiritual needs. This group of Catholics are the Penitentes. There is currently an active morada in Abiquiu above the town and an older ruin is on USHwy-84 leading into town from Espanola.
Another place of interest is the Poshuouinge Pueblo ruins on USHwy-84 about 2.5 miles south of Abiquiu. It was built on a high mesa, some 150 feet above the Chama River, around 1400 by the Tewa people. It was abandoned around 1500. There is a small parking lot at the base of the mesa and you must walk up a path leading to the pueblo. It is not far, but it is all uphill.
The town became well-known after the artist Georgia O'Keeffe moved there from her home at Ghost Ranch. You can get a tour of her home and gardens through the Georgia O'Keeffe Welcome Center next to the Abiquiu Inn. The area all around Abiquiu has beautiful red rock formations and Abiquiu Lake.
When visiting the area be sure to drive up to the lookout/picnic area above the dam at the lake. Echo Ampitheater is also not far away on the road toward Chama. There is also another snall picnic area beside the Rio Chama just on the other side of Bode's General Store. It is on a little road to the left just before you get to the bridge that goes over the river.
The Abiquiu Inn is on USHwy-84 just before you get to the town. It is a great place to stay, eat and to peruse in the store! The Georgia O'Keeffe Welcome Center is also right next door. After crossing a little bridge just before you get to the Abiquiu Inn is the turnoff to the Purple Adobe Lavender Farm. It is a fun place to see many varieties of lavender being grown and to get a snack in the little cafe. They have an open house festival when the lavender is blooming.
The annual Abiquiu Studio Art Tour is held the second week of October.
Gallery
Around Abiquiu
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| Abiquiu Lake | Abiuiu Morada | Purple Adobe Lavender Farm |