This fortress-like hacienda offers an insight into the lifestyle of the Spanish Colonial era. Twenty-one rooms, sparsely furnished as in the 17C, are built around two courtyards. The Martinez family were farmers and merchants who chartered caravans towards Chihuahua along the El Camino Real and the Santa Fe Trail after 1821. Located at a crossroads, Taos was ideally positioned as a hub of trade and commerce.