Santa Fe Arts District hidden gems: a walk past painted walls

Santa Fe Arts District hidden gems are easiest to find on foot, moving from one painted wall to the next along Santa Fe Drive. Two painted facades sit at 858 Santa Fe Dr, a feathered serpent runs the length of the street from 1029 Santa Fe Dr, and a reverent Virgen de Guadalupe stands at 1209 W 36th Ave. A Mexican street-food stop on East Colfax Avenue rounds out the route. Each stop below comes with the hours, parking and access details that the venue records give.

The Santa Fe Serpent at 1029 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204, is the piece that gives the route its scale. A 200-foot feathered serpent winds down the length of Santa Fe Drive, referencing Mesoamerican Quetzalcoatl mythology, as the Santa Fe Serpent source describes. Few stops on this list ask a visitor to follow a single piece for so long.

The venue is outdoor and lists live music, beer, wine and cocktails. It is listed as good for groups, so a larger party has a clear fit here. Its price is moderate, and it is rated 4.8 of 5 from 618 Google ratings. Parking is free street parking, and both the entrance and the restroom are wheelchair accessible.

Color Field Abstraction is worth the trip for its colour alone. Sweeping bands of magenta, gold and turquoise cascade across a three-story building facade in the Santa Fe Arts District. The venue is rated 4.6 of 5 from 188 Google ratings. Parking is free street parking, and both the entrance and the parking are wheelchair accessible.

Next to it, Dia de los Muertos is a Día de los Muertos celebration painted across two adjacent buildings, with skull faces, flower crowns and marigolds. Walking from one painted surface to the other keeps the stop short. The record shows the same 4.6 rating from 188 Google ratings, free street parking and a wheelchair accessible entrance.

Santa Fe Art District Patio Bars is a restaurant at 858 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204, open Fri-Sun 12pm-10pm and rated inexpensive. The desk's source describes dog-friendly outdoor areas at several Santa Fe Arts District bars and galleries during First Friday events and weekends, so dog owners have a clear reason to time a visit to those dates. The venue has free street parking and a wheelchair accessible entrance and parking.

La Virgen de Guadalupe is an outdoor piece at 1209 W 36th Ave, Denver, CO 80211. The La Virgen de Guadalupe source describes a reverent and ornate Virgen de Guadalupe surrounded by roses and candles. It is the one stop on the route where the subject is devotional rather than decorative, and that contrast is the reason to include it.

Hours are Tue-Fri 9 AM-4 PM, and the site is closed on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays, so this stop belongs on a weekday plan. The venue is rated 4.8 of 5 from 393 Google ratings, and its entrance is wheelchair accessible.

Tacos Acapulco sits at 8890 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80220. The record describes it as a basic pit stop for massive burritos and other Mexican street-food favorites, served late into the evening. It is the most practical stop on the list, and it is the one that suits a family, since the venue is listed as good for children.

The restaurant is open Mon-Sun 9 AM-10 PM and is rated inexpensive, at 4.3 of 5 from 1812 Google ratings. It offers outdoor seating, dessert and takeout. Free street parking is available, and the parking is wheelchair accessible.