Attractions & Activities / Portales, NM

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Attractions & Activities

Welcome Visitors!

Founded in 1898, Portales is a charming university town closely linked with a picturesque late 19th century story of New Mexico. Named for a nearby campsite where spring waters gushed from a series of cave-like porches across a pueblo style house, Portales or "Porches" in Spanish, is a gateway into New Mexico on the eastern border.

Discover the secrets of Roosevelt County history, back to the days when homesteaders settled raw, untamed land where only Indians and a handful of cowboys roamed.

Stay in one of our motels or charming Bed and Breakfast.
Stroll along our sparkling, revamped Town Square and window shop along the many store fronts.
Play golf in view of some of New Mexico's breathtaking sunsets.
Spend the weekend camping and fishing at Oasis State Park.

Portales is ...

Home of the third largest University in New Mexico--Eastern New Mexico University. ENMU offers a multitude of activities to attend ranging from sporting events such as football, basketball, baseball and rodeo to performing arts events such as plays, musicals, symphonies and recitals.
Recreational offerings include public parks including baseball fields, swimming pool, tennis courts, golf, jogging trail, softball complex, a two screen movie theater, and a youth recreation center.
Oasis State Park is a wonderful outdoor refuge located just four miles from Portales offering picnic areas, campsites, hiking trails and fishing.
Historical Downtown offering retail shopping and restaurants.
Five museums including the Black Water Draw Museum and the Roosevelt County Museum which contain a diverse collection of articles from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Roosevelt General Hospital built in 2001 is a modern, attractive facility fully equipped with the most technologically sophisticated equipment available and staffed by well trained personnel.
Special events throughout the year including: The Peanut Valley Festival, Heritage Days Celebration, New Mexico Ag Expo and Eastern New Mexico University Homecoming events to name a few.
Portales is famous for its Valencia Peanuts. Local peanut processing plants are Sunland Peanuts, Hampton Farms and Borden Peanut Company.
Portales offers a very high quality of life with excellent educational facilities, low cost of living, low crime rate, and an authentic small town atmosphere.