El Rito, (Spanish for The Rite) is an unincorporated community in Rio Arriba County. It is located on NMHwy-554, 18 miles northwest of Española and 15 miles northwest of Ojo Caliente. It was one of the first Spanish settlements in northern New Mexico. San Juan Nepomuceno Catholic Church is in the town, built in 1830. A campus of Northern New Mexico College is also located there. The El Rito Studio Tour is held there in early October. Beginning at the public library you can get a map to tour the homes of many artists. The library usually has a donation table set up with many types of chocolate goodies!

The town is close to the community of La Madera. The community's claim to fame was the micaous potter, Felipe Ortega. We were lucky enough to be able to have him and his apprentices build an horno in 2008 in our backyard flower garden at Eldorado Windy Farm in Santa Fe. It may have been the last one that he built for anyone!