Having visited the northern New Mexico hot springs a couple times now, we decided to go south from Albuquerque to a small town in southern New Mexico with a concentrated number of hot springs…. Truth or consequences.
About 2 hours drive south of the Albuquerque airport, is the small town of Truth or Consequences. This town used to be called “hot springs” New Mexico until it changed its name to truth or consequences (often called t or c) in 1950 for a radio contest. The downtown, which is mainly 2 opposite one-way streets, is like an artsy ghost town. Several galleries, a few cafes, second hand shops and a brewery, along with lots of vacant buildings. Its mainly known for its hot springs, which counted as over 40 before WW II, now it’s about 10. Several of the springs are in hotels like the one we stayed in our first night, the Sierra Grande.
Sierra Grande is a small 17 room hotel in a southwestern style décor with 3 indoor private tubs with jets and one outdoor tub. Your stay at the hotel includes 2 30-minute soaks. The water is not Sulphur smelling and clothing is optional since the soaks are private. Get more info at https://tedturnerreserves.com/sierra-grande/
Only a few blocks away is probably the most popular hot spring in town, you usually need a reservation, The Riverbend. This springs setting is right on the banks of the Rio Grande River with beautiful river views. There are private pools 1 or 2 people soak in a private pool, but we chose the 1-hour property pass. This allows you to use all of the 8 riverside pools, the biggest of which has 2 half-submerged hammocks to soak in. The water is said to have 4 times the amount of minerals as hot springs Arkansas springs. There is also a sauna and lounge chairs and papasan’s to relax in. You can spend the night in a variety of rooms or stay in one of their R. V sites. Make your reservations at https://riverbendhotsprings.com/
Also in town Is the Geronimo Museum and gift shop, which has a great exhibit on pottery and history of the area and native Americans. Just outside of town is the Elephant Butte reservoir, New Mexico’s biggest lake due to the dam on the Rio Grande.
We only had time for the 2 mentioned hot springs, but loved the ambiance of the town and will definitely return to try more hot springs.