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Founded by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1880, Durango was once a young city surrounded by silver mining towns and the wild, Wild West. Today it is a carefully preserved National Historic Landmark and has been the backdrop for films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, City Slickers and Cliffhanger.

Although the railway still passes through town, the mining towns it was built to serve have long since been abandoned. You can, however, take a vintage steam train along the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a spectacular old mining route through the Animas Valley to Silverton, which offers passengers wonderful views of lush aspen forests and rocky outcrops at any time of the year.

Main Street is littered with independent boutique shops which are well worth a look, as well as great restaurants such as Seasons, serving locally produced food and the best in local brews. For a taste of the Wild West step into the Office bar at the Strater Hotel where even the waitresses pay homage to the somewhat idealized Wild West past, serving local beers in full old west costumes. Hiking, biking, rafting and even zip-lining are all popular sports in this area.