▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁and ▁possibilities ▁ab ound ▁as ▁to ▁why . ▁Some ▁claim ▁that ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁squ ash ▁cultiv ated ▁there ▁rem ind ed ▁the ▁Sp ani ards ▁of ▁the ▁mel ons ▁they ▁knew ▁from ▁the ▁Eastern ▁hem is phere . ▁O thers ▁suggest ▁that ▁expl or ers ▁found ▁an ▁her b ▁called ▁sand ía ▁de ▁c ule bra , ▁or ▁possibly ▁another ▁called ▁sand ía ▁de ▁la ▁pas ión ▁there . ▁ ▁But ▁the ▁most ▁convin cing ▁and ▁most - c ited ▁explanation ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁Spanish ▁called ▁the ▁mountain ▁Sand ía ▁after ▁view ing ▁it ▁ill umin ated ▁by ▁the ▁setting ▁sun . ▁The ▁Sand ia ▁Mountains ▁have ▁a ▁red ▁appearance ▁to ▁them , ▁and ▁the ▁layer ▁of ▁veget ation ▁gives ▁it ▁a ▁l umin ous ▁" r ind " ▁of ▁green ▁when ▁back lit , ▁giving ▁it ▁the ▁appearance ▁of ▁a ▁s lic ed ▁wat erm el on . ▁The ▁village ▁closest ▁to ▁the ▁range ▁took ▁on ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁mountain , ▁changing ▁from ▁throughout ▁the ▁years ▁from ▁San ▁Francisco ▁de ▁Sand ía ▁to ▁Nu estra ▁Se ñ ora ▁de ▁los ▁Dol ores ▁de ▁Sand ía ▁to ▁Nu estra ▁Se ñ ora ▁de ▁los ▁Dol ores ▁y ▁San ▁Antonio ▁de ▁Sand ía ▁before ▁ending ▁up ▁as ▁simply ▁Sand ia ▁P ue blo ▁or ▁P ue blo ▁of ▁Sand ia . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁The ▁pueblo ▁is ▁located ▁three ▁miles ▁south ▁of ▁Bern al illo ▁off ▁Highway ▁ 8 5 ▁in ▁southern ▁Sand