Touching down at Guadalupe Victoria Durango International Airport in Durango places you close to cities like Nombre de Dios, El Salto, and Sombrerete, all easily reachable. Durango is a handsome, uncrowded colonial capital on the edge of the Sierra Madre, best known as the birthplace of Pancho Villa and as the backdrop for dozens of Hollywood Westerns shot in the surrounding scrubland. The center has a grand cathedral, a lively pedestrian street, and a laid-back ranching pace that suits a weekend.

Things to do in Durango: - Walk the Paseo Constitucion and the Plaza de Armas beneath the twin-towered cathedral - Ride the teleferico up to the Cerro de los Remedios for a view over the city - Visit the Museo Francisco Villa inside the Palacio de Zambrano - Explore the Tunel de Mineria, a mining-themed tunnel beneath the center - Tour the Western film sets at Chupaderos and Villa del Oeste, where John Wayne shot movies - Eat caldillo duranguense, a beef and green chile stew, with fresh flour tortillas - Sip a locally made mezcal, since Durango has its own protected mezcal region - Browse the Casa del Conde de Suchil, a baroque mansion turned cultural center

Nombre de Dios, one of the oldest Spanish towns in northern Mexico, is about 45 minutes south of Durango and has a riverside swimming spot and a mezcal distillery. The pine forests of El Salto and the rock formations of Mexiquillo are about two hours west on the road toward the Pacific, and the silver town of Sombrerete lies about two hours east. The road to Mazatlan now crosses the Baluarte Bridge, one of the highest in the world, and the drive alone is worth the trip.