The American southwest is a vast place full of beautiful natural wonders and some great towns in between them. One of the hidden gems among them is Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico.Albuquerque sits in the Rio Grande Valley beside the Sandia Mountains, up in the high desert plains of New Mexico. It’s about an hour’s drive from the state capital of Santa Fe and just under four hours to El Paso and the border with Mexico.