Albuquerque is a fast-growing urban city located in New Mexico, United States. It lies along the upper edges of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Rio Grande River also flows through the city along the Rio Grande Rift Valley. The city has a dry and sunny climate so that it is favored by many tourists who wish to escape the cold winters of their own cities or countries.

Natural attractions in Albuquerque include the Sandia Mountains (which are watermelon-colored mountains – bright pink due to the granodiorite cliffs and green due to the conifer forests), the Rio Grande Valley, the West Mesa, and the Rio Grande River.

Other must-see attractions include the historic Old Town Albuquerque, Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, Tingley Beach, Rio Grande Zoo, Petroglyph National Monument, and the Bosque which is a “woodlands” Cottonwood forest. There are many historic communities and neighborhoods in the city – some of these are the Isleta Indian Reservation, the Barelas neighborhood, and the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.

Albuquerque is also known for its annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.