Durango is a vast, mountainous state in north-central Mexico, spanning the pine forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental down to the arid plains of the Bolsón de Mapimí. Its colonial capital, Victoria de Durango, is renowned for baroque architecture and a Hollywood-era legacy as the backdrop for dozens of classic Westerns, while the surrounding countryside offers dramatic mountain highways, desert curiosities, and small mining towns.
Best photo spots
Iconic and lesser-known locations worth shooting.
Mexiquillo Rock Formations and Waterfall
Sculpted volcanic rock formations, small lakes and a forest waterfall set among pine and fir woodland in the Sierra Madre Occidental, with century-old unfinished railway tunnels along the access path.
Best time: Mid-morning to early afternoon for light filtering through the pine canopy onto the rock formations; golden hour for the waterfall
Espinazo del Diablo Sierra Madre Panorama
A chain of roadside miradores along one of Mexico's most dramatic mountain highways, perched around 2,400m between two deep barrancas with panoramic views over the pine-forested Sierra Madre Occidental.
Best time: Sunrise or late afternoon, when low light rakes across the barrancas; midday sun flattens the canyon depth
Cerro del Mercado City Overlook
An iron-ore hill rising directly over downtown Durango city, with a summit viewpoint over the open-pit mine workings and the rooftops and church towers of the historic center below.
Best time: Sunset, when the city of Durango and the Sierra Madre foothills catch golden light
Puente de Ojuela Suspension Bridge
A 318-metre pedestrian suspension bridge strung across a deep former silver-mining canyon near Mapimi, one of the longest of its kind in Latin America, with the abandoned Ojuela mining ghost town on the far side.
Best time: Mid-morning to early afternoon for full sun on the bridge cables against the canyon walls
Zona del Silencio Desert and Night Sky
An isolated Chihuahuan Desert basin in the Bolson de Mapimi known for its open plains, sparse vegetation and minimal light pollution, making it one of Durango's best locations for wide desert landscapes and star photography.
Best time: Astronomical twilight and full darkness for star photography; sunrise or sunset for silhouettes across the desert plain
Canon de Fernandez River Canyon
A Chihuahuan Desert canyon carved by the Nazas River, with rolling scrubland, rock formations and stretches of clear river water in the middle of the Comarca Lagunera.
Best time: Golden hour, when low sun rakes the canyon walls above the Nazas River
Paseo del Viejo Oeste Western Film Set
Weathered wooden storefronts and false-front buildings from a former Hollywood western movie ranch outside Durango city, used in dozens of film productions from the 1950s through the 1990s, with horses and costumed re-enactors on site.
Best time: Golden hour for warm light on the wooden facades; midday for horseback riding action shots
La Michilia Biosphere Reserve Forest
A UNESCO biosphere reserve of pine-oak forest and desert scrub between the Sierra Michis and Sierra Urica, home to deer, coyote and black bear, reached via the Piedra Herrada research station.
Best time: Early morning for wildlife activity and soft light through the pine-oak canopy
By subject
Match your shooting interest to Durango's strengths.
Overview photography
Durango's photography subjects range from the pine-forested Sierra Madre Occidental highlands and dramatic mountain highway barrancas around Mexiquillo and Espinazo del Diablo, to Chihuahuan Desert canyons and the star-filled skies of the Bolson de Mapimi, historic mining suspension bridges, and the state's Hollywood western film-set heritage.
Items photography
Best times to shoot
Light, weather, and seasonal considerations.
- Overview
- Durango's photography conditions vary sharply with elevation: the Sierra Madre highlands around Mexiquillo and El Salto sit above 2,500m with cool, clear mountain light, the central valley around Durango city rewards sunset cityscapes, and the low desert basins of the Comarca Lagunera and the Bolson de Mapimi are best photographed at sunrise or after dark.
Photography tips
Make your shots stand out.
Carry warm layers when shooting sunrise or blue hour in the Sierra Madre highlands around Mexiquillo and El Salto, which sit above 2,500m and get cold before dawn even in summer
Drone flight in Mexico requires registration with the DGAC (Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil); check current rules before flying near the Espinazo del Diablo highway, protected reserves such as La Michilia, or the Zona del Silencio
In the Chihuahuan Desert basins around Canon de Fernandez and Zona del Silencio, shoot at sunrise or after dark to avoid the harsh, flat light of midday
Bring extra batteries and keep gear shaded in the desert heat around Zona del Silencio and Canon de Fernandez, since high temperatures drain batteries faster
A red-light headlamp preserves night vision for star photography at Zona del Silencio without disturbing other visitors
Ask permission before photographing costumed re-enactors or private property at the Paseo del Viejo Oeste film set