Durango: a Paradise for Movies and Other Must-See Attractions

With spectacular natural backgrounds and unique beauty, the state of Durango has attracted actors, producers and directors since 1898 when the first take was filmed for Train Hour in Durango. Since then, the Celluloid Capital of Mexico has been home to Academy Award winners Kevin Costner, Jane Fonda, Clark Gable, Charlton Heston and Paul Newman, not to mention John Wayne, who made seven films there.

Today, Durango offers destinations with 500-year old missions, trade routes and natural backdrops, it also offers its guest the opportunity to make their own cinematic creations. Durango City, the capital, is a mellow country town founded in 1563 by conquistador Don Francisco de Ibarra as part of the gold and silver trade route.

However, it was not until the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries that this beautiful capital of the Province of Nueva Vizcaya showed an extraordinary growth. It was at this time that the construction of the Zambrano Palace and the Victoria Theatre was completed.

Durango was declared the ecclesiastic capital of all the Northwest of New Spain, helping to promote the flow of donations from the rich miners and ranch owners of the time to fund the construction of churches and convents. Durango’s beautiful cathedral, is the most important example of this construction boom.

There are almost one thousand buildings in the city’s Historical Downtown district, many of them built four centuries ago.

If you’d like to try something more adventurous, you can visit the Sierra Madre Occidental, about 30 minutes west of the city. This chain of mountains has an average height of 8,700 feet and is home to an important variety of wildlife, waterfalls and impressive rock formations, perfect for extreme sports and ecotourism.

For a more historical route, visit the Súchil region’s Poanas and Nombre de Dios Valleys, which were the route Conquistadores took when they entered what is now Northeast Mexico and Southwest USA. Friar Jeronimo de Mendoza led the first missionaries through these valleys to preach his faith to the indigenous pueblos that made these valleys their home.