Ribera, New Mexico

Ribera, New Mexico
Village
Horse rider above a pothole in a stream bed southwest of Ribera
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
County	San Miguel
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)

Ribera is a small unincorporated community in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Located in the northern part of the state, it is next to Villanueva State Park at the foot of Rowe Mesa and along the Pecos River, 50 mi. southeast of Santa Fe.

The town is divided by Interstate 25 and Route 3, which was along the original Route 66, and a great deal of evidence from the famous motor-tourist route still remains in the form of old rusted cars, and long abandoned structures. The area is home to many artists and ranchers. The town has a now closed gas station and general store called Sunshine Station. The town had one restaurant that is a well known landmark throughout the surrounding area named La Risa Cafe (formerly known as the Sad Cafe), as well as a nearby general store of the same name; the hours of operation are sporadic.

Ribera is home to two well known contemporary artists: Nicasio Romero (who founded the local El Ancon Sculpture Park) and the one named Cooper (who relocated from the east coast and has started a free artist residency program known as DarkRanch). The area is also the longtime home of renowned Native American artist Carlos Eagle.

East of Ribera is the site of the Imus Ranch, a non-profit organization that helps children of all ages afflicted with cancer. The FOX Business program Imus in the Morning regularly broadcasts from the Imus Ranch. South of Ribera is San Miguel, an even smaller unincorporated community and a former stop on the Santa Fe Trail. West of Ribera is the Glorieta Mesa portion of the Santa Fe National Forest.

Related links

• Villanueva State Park
• Ribera :: New Mexico Tourism Department
• El Ancon Sculpture Park at the International Sculpture Center