Durango is a lovely town in Southern Colorado tucked away in the San Juan Mountains. It offers outdoor activities year round and some wonderful restaurants. It is quite a quaint town and I personally love it. I offer my opinion of some places and act...
Map
Sections
5
Food
Things to Do
Thrifting, Vintage, & Antiques
Shopping
Where to Stay
Food
Durango is a fantastic destination for foodies.
The food was good. A great place for extroverts as it's pretty noisy.
DERAILED POUR HOUSE
I have not eaten there because I can bring myself to spend over 7 bucks for a crepes, a dish my grandma and mom made for pennies. However, I did meet the owner who is French. It's a cute place if you love crepes.
MICHEL'S CORNER CREPES
As far as quality and freshness of food, Sage is my favorite. It is a sit down restaurant but you do order your food at a counter.
SAGE FRESH EATS
The food is so so, the view of the river is great.
CHINA CAFE
My favorite burger place anywhere. Healthy and delicious
GRASSBURGER
My sons love this place. For me, it's just meh
SERIOUS TEXAS BAR-B-Q
We went there for Vietnamese which is a favorite food of mine.
MAY PALACE
The breakfast was great, the doughnuts are medioce.
DURANGO DOUGHWORKS
To be fair, I have only gone to the bakery. It's okay.
JEAN PIERRE BAKERY AND RESTAURANT
Bread is a bakery but they also have a cafe location. The bread is good. That's a favorite spot.
BREAD
A must IMO. A family friendly show which is also funny and good simple food. It's worth going.
Bar D Chuckwagon Suppers
So the good: the bakery is good. The bad: it is way overpriced (7 dollars for a croissant is highway robbery IMO) and the owner is far from friendly. Been there twice, won't go again.
La Bonne Patisserie |
A family owned natural food store. They have a GF key lime pie which is my favorite.
NATURE'S OASIS
They have the friendliest stuff and amazing goodies.
Mountain Dough Baking Company
A delightful cafe in an old school building turned offices and art center. Worth the trip.
SMILEY CAFE
Things to Do
While Durango does not have the hustling and bustling of big cities, it nonetheless offers plenty to do, especially for outdoorsy people.
The downtown is really adorable and even north of main street, there are some gorgeous homes from the late 19th and early 20th century which are delightful
Historic Downtown Durango
Beautiful forest that is a worth seeing
San Juan National Forest
An absolute favorite of mine and I have done most - if not all - of it.
Animas River Trail
This is a large lake with lots of activities for the entire family. They have an area for the kids.
Lake Nighthorse
No motorized boat is allowed on this lake. It is a great place if you like to paddle board.
Lemon Reservoir
I love Durango Hot Springs and go every time I visit.
DURANGO HOT SPRINGS RESORT & SPA
It is quite large for a small town and is loads of fun.
Durango Farmers Market
The train ride to Silverton is a huge tourist attraction that should be done at least once.
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum
I did not participate as I was on babysitting duty but my family loved rafting the river.
2025 Durango 1/4 Day Rafting Trip
One can traverse all of Durango along the Animas river. It's perfect for families, walkers, and runners.
Animas River Walk
I absolutely love this bridge along the Animas river trail. It's a must see IMO and it is close to a few stores and restaurants on this list. ie: The White Rabbit bookstore, Doughnut Works, etc
Swinging Bridge · 1333 Camino Del Rio, Durango, CO 81301
A fantastic farmers' market. A must if you are there on a Saturday.
Durango Farmers Market
Thrifting, Vintage, & Antiques
For those of us who like vintage and antique items
This used to be the cutest thrift store I had ever seen. More antique-vintage store than good will. It has a new manager now and it's just not the same.
Thrift Store - La Plata County Humane Society
This place is HUGE and the staff is friendly.
Durango Antique Market
A bit of a mess but there is a lot of staff in there and the store is much larger than the outside would indicate. The staff has always been friendly.
Dunn Deal Resale Store
An adorable consignment (second hand) store.
ReLove Consign & Design
Shopping
Durango is full of privately owned businesses
This book store is a must IMO. It is tucked away by the river and it is so quaint. There is a little garden and really it is a must see.
White Rabbit Books and Curiosities
An adorable bookstore with very friendly staff.
Maria's Bookshop
A delightful and quaint bookstore in the heart of Durango
Second Story Used Books
This is, so far, my favorite herb shop
Dancing Willow Herbs Herb Shop
A delightful little store tucked away in a quiet street. It was so fun to discover it!
Handcrafted House
Where to Stay
There are plenty of adorable options for a fun stay
Built in 1887, the historic Strater Hotel is home to the world's largest collection of American Victorian Walnut Antiques, the Louis L'Amour Room (designated Literary Landmark), and three unique dining establishments including Mahogany Grille special...
STRATER HOTEL
1890's Queen Anne Victorian bed and breakfast with 8 rooms and up scale breakfast.
GABLE HOUSE BED AND BREAKFAST INN
Rich with Victorian elegance, the General Palmer Hotel has all the modern comforts .
GENERAL PALMER HOTEL
Built in 1892, The Rochester Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Durango. The hotel was completely renovated in 2022.
THE ROCHESTER HOTEL
Blue Lake Ranch, Southwest Colorado’s first Bed and Breakfast has evolved to become an award winning romantic Boutique Hotel that sits on 200 secluded acres just 15 minutes from downtown Durango.
BLUE LAKE RANCH
Located north of Durango and south of Durango Mountain Resort in the Animas Valley makes this AAA Four-Diamond luxury bed & breakfast a perfect home base for exploring Southwest Colorado.
