From planes to trains, it’s getting easier than ever to reach Santa Fe. This fall, the first commercial jet service in decades commences from the New Mexican capital, with Delta routes to Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, and American Eagle’s to Los Angeles and Dallas. (That’s if FAA approval finally comes through — it’s delayed the carriers for months already.) Meanwhile, Rail Runner Express is set to extend their high-speed train service from Albuquerque to Santa Fe in December. But we don’t recommend you wait — not with a new luxury hotel about to open and the city’s creative arts scene in high-summer frenzy.

Auberge Resorts, known for romantic retreats like Auberge Du Soleil and Calistoga Ranch in California, makes its debut in the desert state, August 1, with Encantado. Set on 57 acres in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the resort’s 65 elegant casitas (pictured) feature private terraces and bee hive-style wood-burning fireplaces.

On the doorstep of Santa Fe National Forest, guests can hike, mountain bike and horseback ride nearby. Or, they can turn their trekking down to a stroll in the labyrinth that’s part of Encantado’s spa. Also equipped with soaking pools and steam rooms, the spa offers everything from ayurveda rituals to eastern medicine (shiatsu, acupuncture, Thai massage). There’s even a menu of “Men’s Reprieve” including a True Grit Facial with scalp massage and no heavily scented products.

Seven miles north of downtown, Encantado is near the Santa Fe Opera, whose acclaimed summertime festival is in full swing now with performances of Falstaff, The Marriage of Figaro and others. And since you can’t talk about America’s UNESCO Creative City without mentioning art: The seventh annual biennale organized by SITE, Santa Fe’s leading contemporary art gallery, recently kicked into gear. Works by 22 international and emerging artists are on display throughout the city until January (Tri-Cristus by Nadine Robinson pictured). But unlike the Santa Fe Indian Market (August 23-24), you can’t buy these masterpieces: At the end, all biennale art will be recycled or destroyed as a “demonstration against the ‘commoditization’ of art.”