Inside Taos Pueblo, the tiny American town that’s hardly changed in 1,000 years

Certain areas of the pueblo are cordoned off, where the ceremonial chambers, known as kivas, lie hidden under the ground. Much about the pueblos remains enigmatic, protected from the commodification that’s befallen many similar sites. “Everything here is done by ceremony,” said Jaylen. “Some are open to outsiders, but the sacred ones are not.”

We came into a small plaza, from which various narrow alleyways radiated, dotted with small souvenir shops selling silver jewellery set with turquoise, elk and buffalo hide drums, and colourful moccasins – evidence of the modern world slowly seeping in. I looked out at the glistening adobe houses and the mountains beyond, and hoped very much that Taos Pueblo would be here, just as it is now, for another thousand years.

Essentials 

The Phoenix has rooms from £345 per night, sleeping four. 

British Airways flies from London to Denver from £600 return, from which it is a five-hour drive to Taos. Guided tours of Taos pueblo can be arranged with Heritage Inspirations from £250 for the horno baking day. For more information visit taospueblo.com.

This article has been edited to correct an error in a previous image caption.

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