🚞 Get to know beautiful Durango, Colorado 🚞

Get to know beautiful

Durango, Colorado

DID YOU KNOW?

Durango is the biggest town in southwest Colorado -

with a population of 16,000!

HISTORY 

The history of Durango is long and rich. It was founded in 1880 - during the Wild Wild West era - by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad as a stop along the picturesque Durango-Silverton railroad, which hauled at first only silver & gold ore, and later passengers who loved the railroad's views.  Many famous movies have been filmed in Durango over the years, such as 

Around the World in Eighty Days, How the West Was Won

, and 

Tracker

. As they say, Durango is truly where the old West survived, and where the new West thrives!

CLIMATE

Durango is a sunny place, with an average of 266 days of sunshine per year, which is more than the US average of 205 sunny days. Its mountain climate is fairly comfortable year round, with an average of ~65 degrees in the fall, 40 degrees in the winter, and peaking as high as 85 degrees in the summer months of July & August.

WHAT TO DO 

People love the Durango area for its wonderful range of outdoor activities, including but not limited to: white water rafting in the Animas River, countless beautiful hikes through lakes, alpine forests, mountain meadows & waterfalls, mountain biking, rock climbing, ziplining over its surrounding forest, Jeep tours through nearby historic mining ghost towns, and scenic drives in the famous San Juan Skyway. For city & relaxation lovers, Durango has luxurious spa experiences such as at the Woodhouse Day Spa which overlooks the Animas River and offers over 70 types of rejuvenating spa treatments. You can also spend a day on the historic Silverton Railroad Train, enjoying its vintage narrow-gauge steam locomotives and magnificent mountain views.

GHOSTS & HAUNTINGS

Many ghost lovers enjoy visiting Durango for its bevy of "haunted experiences". Several hotels and bed & breakfasts report ghost sightings with figures from its Wild Wild West days. Our favorite hotel, the Strater Hotel, is a four-story red brick Victorian era hotel with a lobby full of Victorian antiques. Its bar, the Diamond Belle Saloon (open since 1957) still features ragtime music & costumed bartenders. Many railroad figures are believed to haunt the Strater Hotel and many rooms house a"Ghost Diary". Although most of the time the hotel is bustling with guests, during a quiet moment one just may meet one of its famous historic Wild West figures.

VISIT DURANGO

If you're interested in exploring in & around this beautiful, historic place, we recommend visiting in spring or fall! If you want to combine your visit with yoga & outdoors activities, Nathalie is offering an October retreat from October 2nd - 7th, 2019! If you'd like to learn more about the retreat program, simply shoot us an email at nathalie@lifeonearthpodcast.com!