Mysterious city hidden in the desert that’s exploding with artists and A-listers due to bizarre phenomenon

There’s a desert town in the US that maintains a mysterious reputation, even to its residents.

The landscape looks like a painting, the sky is filled with stars, time slows down, and people swear the ground ‘hums’ beneath their feet in Taos, New Mexico.

Tucked at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, this town of fewer than 7,000 residents is a curious mix of spiritual mystique and legendary artistic history with a rugged high-desert feel.

Locals say the earth quite literally vibrates here, a phenomenon known as the ‘Taos Hum,’ a low-frequency sound many claim to feel as an inexplicable energy that flows through the ground.

New Mexico’s high desert also has ‘energy vortexes’ which, to the spiritually inclined, are believed to heal and transform visitors.

For these reasons, Taos has long lured wanderers and creatives.

‘Mystic. Majestic. That’s what I like to call it,’ local realtor Ryan Trujillo, who is also a culture buff on the area, told the Daily Mail.

‘I overuse that word, majestic, but Taos is spiritual. It’s connected to the Earth.’ 

Adobe architecture can be found all over Taos, New Mexico

New Mexico’s high desert also has ‘energy vortexes’ which, to the spiritually inclined, are believed to heal and transform visitors

Pictured: Local realtor Ryan Trujillo, who is also a culture buff on the area

The connection to the land here is deep.

Just a short drive from the coffee shops and galleries downtown sits Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the US.

‘It’s diverse in that we have the original inhabitants still occupying it… the Tiwa people,’ Trujillo explained. Tiwa refers to the native Pueblo people and their language.

‘They are incredible people, and there’s a large majority of sovereign Native American land that is just stunning.’

In Taos, the vibe is laid back. Residents visit cafés for coffee and conversation, not to break out the laptop and work.

‘Most cafés are more conversational,’ says Trujillo. ‘It’s a place that requires interaction.’ 

The area is made up of multigenerational New Mexicans, he says, older and younger artists, activists and millennials who can work remotely. A-list star Julia Roberts also owns a sprawling ranch in Taos and visits often.

Although the population in Taos has leveled off in 2025, there was a pandemic boom to the area. Overall, between 2010 and 2022, the population grew by 5.1 percent, from 32,897 to 34,580, according to US census data. 

Trujillo credits both the landscape and affordability as the reasons people flocked there. The median price for a single family home is currently $450,000 and a one bedroom home can go as low as $249,000.

‘There was a pandemic boom. It has leveled off but we’re seeing an active spring market,’ he said.

A Catholic mission church located in Taos, New Mexico, which has unusual architecture

In the ’60s, the town became a magnet for counterculture rebels who liked its off-grid feel

The landscape looks like a painting and the sky fills with stars at night

Chile ristras, pictured, which is a main ingredient in New Mexican food

Julia Roberts owns a sprawling ranch in Taos, New Mexico, and visits often

Julia Roberts in Taos, where she owns a home and often visits, with her kids

There’s a thriving community of local craftspeople and artists, many boutique stores and a remarkable 70 art galleries.

Trujillo adds that residents and artists in Taos keep ‘odd’ hours, often to drum up inspiration for their work. 

Taos also has a rich and complicated history.

It was first settled by Native Americans over a millennium ago. Then Taos was colonized by the Spanish in the 1500s, and later rediscovered by Anglo artists in the 19th century.

It’s also a mix of cultures and contradictions.

By the early 1900s, wealthy New York socialite Mabel Dodge Luhan turned her adobe estate into a meeting place for area artists and intellectuals, including Georgia O’Keeffe, D.H. Lawrence, and Ansel Adams.

In the ’60s, the town became a magnet for counterculture rebels who liked the off-grid feel of the place.

‘Taos is a melting pot. It draws and continues to draw all walks of life,’ says Trujillo.

‘It’s known for the Native American, Spanish and Anglo communities. Then there’s the original artist society like Georgia O’Keeffe and all her friends.’

Artists in Taos keep ‘odd’ hours, often to drum up inspiration for their work, some seen here

People believe Taos is spiritual and connected to the Earth, which is said to ‘hum’ in the area

A stone building which houses an art gallery in downtown Taos, New Mexico

Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the US

Buildings in downtown Taos include an inn for travelers coming through town

Navajo weaving workshops can be found in Taos, New Mexico

When it comes to food and fun, there’s a mix of cultures. 

‘The food is a mix of Spanish, Mexican and Native American – it’s New Mexican food, really,’ says Trujillo.

‘It all evolves around the chile – red, green or Christmas. The acceptable way is to order your enchiladas with both.’

Taos has no shortage of strange surprises.

‘Believe it or not, we have the best sushi – this place called Sushi a la Hattori. You wouldn’t believe it. They get it fresh twice a week flown in,’ he adds.

For nightlife, forget the velvet rope. The town boasts a music scene as eclectic as its population.

‘We’ve seen a boom in events recently with places like Dale K Haus, which neighbors one of the oldest solar-powered radio stations,’ Trujillo says.

‘They have outdoor volleyball, mountain views, international music – it’s magical.’

Traditional round bread baking ovens outside of an adobe with a bright door

Rancho de Taos in Taos, New Mexico, features multiple crosses outside

The desert meets the mountains in Taos, New Mexico

Art galleries can be found all over Taos, a town known for its artist community

A typical home in Taos will sit out in the high desert and be able to withstand the hot sun

Taos, a town of 6,400 residents, is also renowned locally for its thriving arts scene

The area is made up of multigenerational New Mexicans, and older and younger artists, activists and millennials who can work remotely

Taos Mesa Brewery is a concert venue built into an Earthship, an eco-architectural oddity that works acoustically as well.

‘It’s one of the most unique acoustic experiences you’ll ever hear.’

Dennis Hopper and Agnes Martin have also called Taos home. Easy Rider was shot there, and the dramatic landscapes continue to lure location scouts, Trujillo says.

Beyond the Hollywood dazzle lies world-class recreation, if you know where to look for it.

‘It’s high desert meets alpine forest,’ Trujillo says.

Surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Taos also offers skiing in the winter and a host of other outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, horseback riding and rafting on the Rio Grande. There’s even llama trekking in the wilderness.

‘[From] world-class skiing at Taos Ski Valley to soaking in the hot springs at Ojo Caliente, it’s all within 30 to 45 minutes,’ Trujillo says, adding that there’s something for ‘all types of lifestyles.’

He says the unusual blend of ‘a little Wild West, a little Burning Man’ is what gives Taos its appeal.

And once people feel the hum, they never want to leave.