A Day in Marfa, Texas

Marfa, TX Details

Howdy, y’all! I’m excited to share my Marfa adventure today. I have been wanting to visit this artsy west Texas town for years, and I am happy to say, it did not disappoint. During Luke and my road trip this spring we got the chance to spend a day and night in Marfa. It’s teeny tiny, with a population of about 1,900, so a day or two is all you need. I was surprised at how incredible the art and food scene is for such a small place. It’s truly a gem!

A few things to note about Marfa…

[1] It is difficult to get to as the closest large city of El Paso, is about 3 hours away. Fortunately for me, we were driving across TX on our way to New Mexico. It was finally my opportunity to explore this magical place!

[2] Most things are not open Monday thru Thursday. It’s more of a weekend town. Look ahead and make sure the restaurants and shops you want to go to are open.

Below is my guide to a day in Marfa! And yes, I ate my way through it. I mean, I am pregnant!! 🙂 Feel free to leave a comment with any questions you have.

Marfa, TX Guide

Breakfast/Coffee – Do Your Thing Coffee: I had one of the best avocado toast and matcha latte situations I’ve ever had in my life. I legit could not get enough! The toast wasn’t just any basic toast, it had: avo, tahini (using white Humera sesame), Za’atar oil, gochugaru chili flakes, toasted sesame seeds, Maldon salt on their homemade sourdough. I don’t think I’ve ever had bread as good as this place! I even asked if I could buy some. 🙂 Do Your Thing Coffee’s tag line is: toast, coffee and magic. Well, it’s definitely that!! This gem is a must-stop in Marfa.

Art – Prada Installation: This sculpture was a huge factor in drawing me to Marfa. I have an extreme love for fashion and when I saw this installation pop up in 2005, I knew I needed to see it with my own eyes! Yes, this is essentially a Prada store, with shoes and handbags inside, in the middle of West Texas. And no, it’s not open to the public. Fun fact: the door doesn’t even open! The sculpture is by artists Elmgreen & Dragset. They call this a “pop architectural land art project.” It is mixing the minimalism roots of Prada with land art. The Installation is outside of Marfa, about 36 miles southeast. It sits right off the highway – you can’t miss it! To read more about it, click here.

Art – Galleries in Marfa: There is SO much art to be seen and explored in this small town. See a list of them over on the Visit Marfa website here.

Breakfast/Lunch – Marfa Burrito: Two words, BREAKFAST BURRITO! This place is V authentic. Get ready to speak a little Spanish and pay in cash. I ordered a classic burrito: eggs, potatoes and cheese. It may sound simple, which it was, but it was the best breakfast burrito I’ve ever had!! The tortilla was like nothing I’ve ever had… I can’t even put it into word! 🙂 Just, GO!!

Shopping – There are a bunch of country chic boutiques throughout town. Put your walking shoes on and stroll into these shops: Freda, Camille Styles, Marfa Book Company and Cobra Rock.

Dinner – Cochineal: If you’re planning your trip ahead, make a reservation. This restaurant is set in a small house with an ideal country outdoor space. We sat inside by the rustic-modern red bar. They call it casual fine dinning – v Texas of them! Cochineal’s sources their ingredients from their on site garden as well as from farmers, ranchers and others throughout Texas. Trust me, it’s fresh AF. Not only was each dish more flavorful than the next, but the presentation was beautiful. They are true food artists!

See – Marfa Lights: This unexplained phenomenon of flashing lights in the distance is something that has been attracting people to Marfa for years. The area that the lights are coming from is nearly uninhabited and extremely difficult to traverse. To this day no one can explain them! After dinner we headed to the viewing site to take a look for ourselves as dusk turned to night. We sat and waited, and waited a little more. Luke and I unfortunately didn’t see them. People say they don’t come out every night. We spoke to folks trying to see the mystery lights as well, and they encouraged us to come back and try again. Maybe next time!

Sleep – El Cosmico: I’m sure many of you have seen pictures of this chic campsite on social media. El Cosmico is THE place to stay in Marfa and v Instagramable. Luke and I opted for a medium size trailer, but you also have the option of staying in a yurt, tepee or bringing in your own camping tent. How rustic do you want to be?! 😉 For us, the trailer was perfect, expect the one little issue, the ceiling height. Luke being over 6ft. tall, had to do a lot of ducking! 😉 . The interiors were 70’s boho chic and very clean. Check out my TEXAS story over on my Instagram highlights to see videos of this place and my trip to Marfa!