San Luis, CO: 9 Reasons to make a Pilgrimage to this Small Town!
San Luis, Colorado
2020 Population: 598*
February 2025: We finally stopped to visit the small town of San Luis, after driving through many times on our way to Taos, NM. This is one of the most historically and culturally fascinating small towns we have explored! We recommend a spiritual and cultural pilgrimage to this unique place!
San Luis is the county seat of Costilla County and is located along Hwy 159, 19 miles north of the New Mexico / Colorado border. It is at the eastern edge of the southern part of the San Luis Valley near the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range.
San Luis – A Brief History
To understand the history of small-town San Luis, you must first have a basic understanding of the geopolitical history of the Southwest United States!
1600s-1700s: The Old Spanish Trail (Historic Trade Route)
The Old Spanish Trail historical trade route connected the northern New Mexico settlements near Santa Fe with those of southern California. Approximately 700 mi long, the trail ran through areas of high mountains, arid deserts, and deep canyons. It is considered one of the most arduous of all trade routes ever established in the United States. Present day San Luis sat along the eastern edge of the trail system. Note: In 2002 this trail was designated by Congress as part of the National Trails System as Old Spanish National Historic Trail.
1800s: The territorial and cultural evolution of the American Southwest
1803 The Louisiana Purchase: nearly doubled the size of the original territories of the United States of America, including parts of what would eventually become 13 additional states.
1827: The Mexican War of Independence (1810-1827) eventually resulted in a Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire from Spain in 1821. The Mexican territory at the time included present day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and parts of Colorado and New Mexico.
1845 Texas Annexation: Then in 1845, the Republic of Texas underwent a political transition known as the Texas Annexation which admitted Texas as the 28th state of the United States of America. However, at that time Mexico still considered Texas its territory because it refused to recognize the Treaties of Velasco. As a result, the annexation by the US led to the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).
1848 Mexican Cession: The War concluded with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed February 2, 1848. The treaty gave the U.S. undisputed control of Texas, established the U.S.–Mexican border along the Rio Grande, and ceded to the United States the present-day states of California, Nevada, and Utah, most of New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. In return, Mexico received $15 million ($545 million today). The U.S. also agreed to assume $3.25 million ($118 million today) in debts that the Mexican government owed to U.S. citizens.
1854 Gadsden Purchase: The southern border as known today was finally completed in 1854. The Gadsden Purchase was an agreement known as the Treaty of Mesilla, which aimed to resolve several border issues remaining from the Mexican-American War. (Image below is from this website)
San Luis, Colorado: Timeline after the Mexican Cession of 1848
- 1851, San Luis was one of several small villages established along the Culebra River in the San Luis Valley. It was part of the Territory of New Mexico, and with strong ties to Spain’s religious, cultural and artistic traditions.
- 1861 San Luis became the County Seat of the brand new of the Territory of Colorado
- 1863 San Luis became the County seat of Costilla County.
- 1876 Colorado became the 38th state of the United States
- 1881 Sangre De Cristo Parish was established in San Luis – oldest Catholic Congregation in the State of Colorado!
- 1885 San Luis was incorporated into the town of San Luis – oldest continuously inhabited town in the State of Colorado!
- 1894 construction completed on th Sangre de Cristo Church is San Luis – still in operation today!
San Luis Today
Today the town’s adobe architecture and classic Spanish town layout retain the texture of the historical and cultural influences which shaped the early communities of Southern Colorado. The surrounding area is mainly a farming and agriculture area.
In 1990, the community of San Luis installed an exceptional tourist attraction: The Stations of the Cross Shrine. The Hispanic first settlers of this area brought with them Spanish and Mexican traditions of communal ownership of land and water, a strong allegiance to their language and customs, and intense religious faith. The people of San Luis are proud to be their descendants are committed to preserving their sacred heritage.
small town vibe
Our 9 favorite discoveries in San Luis!
Although we have driven through this town many times, we were amazed to discover how many unique experiences it has to offer!
#1. Take a coffee break at the San Luis Coffee Company (and local art shop)!
We started our San Luis visit in the Coffee Company where we enjoyed good coffee and tasty breakfast sandwiches! We also enjoyed looking at the wide variety of local art available for sale. I found a couple of gifts to purchase. There is extensive indoor and outdoor seating. We liked the mural on the side of the building.
The coffee shop is across the street from the entrance to the Stations of the Cross Shrine! It is a good location to fuel up for our next adventure 🙂
#2. San Luis Shrine: Hike the Shrine of the Stations of the Cross trail!
After leaving the coffee shop, we crossed the street to enter the trail system leading up to Mission Church on the hill. The trail has an AMAZING set of Stations of the Cross – a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers.
We learned later that these beautifully crafted sculpture were created by artist Huberto Maestas. He is a San Luis area native who studied art education at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado. The Shrine of the Stations of the Cross was built as an act of faith and love for the parishioners of the Sangre de Cristo Parish. See this interesting 2024 article from the Alamosa Citizen for more information about this amazing artist! Learn more about each station at the Sangre de Cristo Parish website.
As we walked the trail and admired the religious statues, we were also drawn ahead by the ever-present view of the Capilla de Todos Los Santos!
#3. San Luis Shrine: Admire the magnificent chapel “Capilla de Todos Los Santos”!
The chapel at the top of the hill is truly magnificent, as is the view of the San Juan Valley below. The station statues continued around the back of the chapel, where we discovered the Grotto to Mary, Lady of Guadelupe, as well a series of statues of clergy.
#4. San Luis Shrine: Meet the Catholic Church martyrs of the Mexican Cristero War!
The Cristero War (Spanish: La guerra cristera), also known as the Cristero Rebellion, was a widespread struggle in central and western Mexico from 3 August 1926 to 21 June 1929 in response to the implementation of secularist and anticlerical articles of the 1917 Constitution. The rebellion was instigated as a response to an executive decree by Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles to strictly enforce Article 130 of the Constitution, a decision known as the Calles Law. Calles sought to limit the power of the Catholic Church in Mexico, its affiliated organizations and to suppress popular religiosity...
The effects of the war on the Church were profound. Between 1926 and 1934, at least 40 priests were killed. There were 4,500 priests serving the people before the rebellion, but by 1934, there were only 334 licensed by the government to serve 15 million Catholics. The rest had been eliminated by emigration, expulsion, assassination, or not obtaining licenses. In 1935, 17 states had no registered priests. (Sources: Wikipedia - Cristero War)
On May 21, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized a group of 25 saints and martyrs who had died in the Mexican Cristero War. The vast majority are Catholic priests who were executed for carrying out their ministry despite the suppression under the anti-clerical laws of Plutarco Elías Calles after the revolution in the 1920s. (Wikipedia - Saints of the Cristero War)
As we circled the chapel, we could see another path leading higher up a nearby hill. Following the path, we found busts of many Catholic Clergy canonized as saints and martyrs for their non-violent role in the Cristero War. This walk was an interesting and impactful history lesson for us!
#5. Walk around the historic downtown to admire unique historic buildings and Public Art
Back in town, after our hike around the San Luis Shrine, we continued our exploration along Main Street (Hwy 159). We enjoyed the many murals and old buildings – many of which have been or are in the midst of renovation!
#6. Stop by any of the unique businesses on Main Steet
We enjoyed our exploration of Main Street! As the afternoon progressed, clouds collected and the skies grew darker. We decided to have an early dinner, just in time to watch a mini snow storm!
- Mrs Rios – Google Maps – we ate dinner at this restaurant which offers both Thai (yummy! this is what we ate) and Mexican food 🙂
- Glasswerk Orange ltd – Google Maps
- Jacales Gallery and Coffee – Google Maps – closed for renovation during our visit for building renovations
- R&R Market – Google Maps – temporarily closed for renovation during our visit, but worth noting R&R Market is considered the longest running market in the state of Colorado!
- Kuhns Kuts Meat Processing – Google Maps
- Piccadilly Circus Pizza – Google Maps – high google ratings!
#7. Stop by the Visitor Center (and local art shop) for a snack and to learn more!
We really liked the Visitor Center in San Luis! It had coffee and snacks, as well as a nice selection of art and gift items – many by local artists. The barista (and Visitor Center hostess) was also very helpful in providing suggestions of things to do and see in the area. The Visitor Center building has a very cool mural on the side, featuring scenes of history and culture of the area.
#9. Have a picnic or play time at the San Luis Community Park
Always on the lookout for Community spaces, we also want to share the several parks along Main Street in San Luis. They have shaded picnic tables, play equipment and a nice walking path.
#9. Drive 6 miles to the Mother Mary’s Garden – A non-denominational Spiritual Oasis!
During our stop at the San Luis Visitors Center, we saw a display of beautiful religious paintings. We learned that they were painted by local artist Susan Sanderford, co-creator of Mother Mary’s Garden (Casa de Santa Maria). It is a non-denominational healing sanctuary and spiritual retreat center that is open to the public to visit. More of Susan’s lovely paintings featuring Mother Mary are shared below.
Curious to experience the Garden, we drove the short distance and stopped by for a visit in the late afternoon – and were so glad we did! This garden is fantastic, accented beautifully by the surrounding natural beauty of the San Luis Valley and the San de Cristo Mountains. Learn more about this fascinating place and their mission at their website.
- Mother Mary’s Garden – Google Maps – this is a uniquely beautiful place to visit and participate in peaceful contemplation!
More to Explore!
Organizations that Support Community in San Luis
San Luis / Costilla County have a wide variety of support systems, from local entrepreneurs and artists as well as government and non-profit organizations. Below are just a few examples.
- Home Page | Costilla County CO – county services
- Costilla County Economic Development Council, Inc. | Costilla County CO – “The Costilla County Economic Development Council is committed to foster the revitalization of Costilla County’s standard of living through asset-based economic development. “
- MuseumTrail.org – “The Museum of the San Luis Valley and Southern Colorado supports the efforts of each of its 20 museum members in their goal to preserve the history and heritage of the Valley.“
- Sangre De Cristo – National Heritage Area – “A National Heritage Area is designated by Congress for its unique nationally significant qualities and resources. It is a place where a combination of natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources have shaped a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape.” (watch this video to learn more about the mission of the Sangre De Cristo National Heritage Area non-profit)
- The Sacred Circle Tour – information about the nine Sacred Circle Mission Churches lie in Costilla County Colorado; nestled on the border of New Mexico.
