Durango (Durango)

Durango is the capital of the state of Durango in Northern Mexico. It is a very friendly city. The Historic Center of the city contains the largest number of historic buildings catalogued in the north of the country, and is part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a.

Understand
It was named Victoria de Durango in 1828 in honor of Mexico's first president Guadalupe Victoria who hailed from here.

Durango was founded by Captain Francisco de Ibarra in 1563. Prior to the city's establishment, it had been the refuge of tribes like the Nahoas, Zacatecans, and Tepehuanos. Ibarra picked the site for Durango due to its proximity to silver mining prospects and a mission called Analco that furnished essential supplies. Over the years, Durango saw the deaths of revolutionaries like Miguel Hidalgo during the War of Independence and direct action a century later during the Mexican Revolution. Then, more fun times came about with the introduction of filmmaking industry to the area, mostly related to westerns, which still colors the city's personality today.

The city was built on a rectangular street grid during the colonial era; it was not until the 1990s and much of the first decade of the 21st century that the city's government decided to clear some of the narrow colonial-era streets to build parks, plazas, and wider avenues that today continue to act as roads between the city's sprawling neighborhoods.

Durango sits in a bit of a bland high (~6200 ft) plain called the Valley of Guadiana, but sits close enough to the Sierra Madre Occiendental to the west to make excursions to sites like Parque Nacional Mexiquillo possible.

Climate
The city of Durango has a temperate semi-dry climate, with rains during the summer and slightly cold in winter with some frosts and drizzles. Summers are warm, reaching temperatures of up to 37 °C and regular rains in the months of June, July and August, reaching 400 mm of precipitation on average.

Get in




Get around
You can easily cover the main attraction of the center by foot. The bus station is around 4-5 km northeast from the city center; you can get a local bus from the center (M$10).

Transportation in the city is cheap compared to other cities in the country. A network of buses cross the city establishing as a transfer point and starting point the historic city center and moving towards the periphery. It is easy to get to any point of the city on buses. The color of the bus indicates its direction of travel: The paint designs on the bodies of public transport are sometimes very different than those of the minibuses on the same route, however the color code is respected and in general the corresponding color is mixed with white while it is add details to the shape of the stripes.
 * The blue with yellow color is heading south of the city.
 * The green color moves through the south west.
 * The yellow color runs through the city from east to west through the center.
 * The orange color is directed either to the east or to the northeast of the city.
 * The red color runs through the northeast.
 * The golden color transits the south east.
 * The color white travels throughout the city from south west to north east.
 * The brown color is heading north of the city.

Taxis
The charge for the service is based on the meter and is relatively low compared to other cities in Mexico. There are numerous bases, taxis are often hired by telephone and mostly have a radio to communicate with other units. A color code similar to that of minibuses also applies to taxis. The reds operate from the bus station, the greens are found throughout the city, and the yellows are commonly based in the center. A last variation, the pinks, serve women and children only.

Ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Didi, are also readily available.

See

 * The Historic Center of the city of Durango (El Centro Histórico) has about a thousand buildings built in past centuries, with very diverse styles ranging from neoclassical and baroque to neo-Gothic. Walking through the beautiful streets of downtown is like touring a huge open-air architectural museum, with beautiful works of art on each side of the road. The Historic Center of the City of Durango is considered the one with the greatest architectural wealth in northern Mexico. At dusk, many buildings have spectacular lighting.
 * In front of the Cathedral, in the heart of the Historic Center is the Plaza de Armas. In the center of it there is a traditional kiosk. This square is also the access to one of the new attractions which is the Mining Museum-Tunnel, whose underground route culminates in the archbishopric square. Examples of buildings that stand out for their beauty and history are El Palacio del Conde de Súchil, El Teatro Ricardo Castro, Victoria Theater, the Cathedral, the Government Palace, Bancomer Building and Escárzaga Palace.
 * Constitution walk (Paseo Constitución) is a pedestrian corridor along which you can find all kinds of food, cafes, ice cream parlors, handicrafts, souvenirs, and temples. It is framed by majestic renovated and illuminated colonial-style buildings. Especially on weekends, a great diversity of high-level cultural shows are offered for all tastes. There is also a viewpoint from which, at night, you can appreciate the "Legend of the Cathedral Nun", one of those mysteries that this land.
 * Las Alamedas/Cuchillas is a walk of more than 2 km full of leafy trees through the 2 oldest neighborhoods of the city, Analco and the center.

Do

 * The city is famous for hosting the Durango National Fair (Feria Nacional de Durango), the most important in northern Mexico, and the second most important in Mexico, only after the San Marcos National Fair, in Aguascalientes.
 * See the western filmsets:

Eat
Some of the more authentic dishes from Durango are caldillo Duranguense (a type of stew with meat and poblano peppers), asado rojo (meaty chunks in sauce), and gorditas (literally: little fatties). Also associated with Durango is the practice of eating a scorpion (el alacrán) on your food, though whether this is actually practiced by the inhabitants or just folklore may require some investigation.

Connect
Durango has 4G from all Mexican carriers. Telcel provides 5G coverage.

Go next
Try some Sierra Occidental sightseeing like the Parque Ecologico El Tecuan or Parque Nacional Mexiquillo, particularly noted for its waterfalls and mountain scenery, for some outdoor recreation.
 * Mazatlán – The toll highway 40D to Mazatlán is an engineering marvel with 68 tunnels and 115 bridges (including the famous Baluarte Bridge) that traverses some of the most beautiful scenery in Mexico
 * Zacatecas – A historic mountain mining city with gorgeous architecture