Historical Marker
Bernalillo
Soon after the Spanish colonized New Mexico in 1598, a series of estancias, or farming and ranching communities, flanked the Camino Real along this section of the Rio Grande. These settlements formed the basis of present-day Bernalillo, which was well established by the close of the 17th century.
The first European to visit what is now New Mexico was likely Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer who traveled through the region in the early 16th century. However, it was not until the arrival of Juan de Oñate in 1598 that the Spanish established a permanent settlement in the area.