Aztec is a small city situated in New Mexico. Aztec is renowned for its rich history, stunning environment, and fantastic outdoor leisure opportunities.
TravelAwaits
Jul.18.2021
Lying in the beautiful San Juan Basin, on the shores of the Animas River, Aztec, New Mexico, is one of the most scenic small towns in the Four Corners area of the U.S. Southwest. Built in one of the greenest and most fertile areas in the middle of the high desert, the town’s history reaches back thousands of years.
The name “Aztec” was borrowed from the ruins found in the area, though a misnomer. It originated in 1776 when two Franciscan friars stumbled upon them and thought they were the work of the Aztecs. As misguided as the name was (Ancestral Puebloans, not Aztecs, built the ancient city), we still use it for both the ruins and the town to this day.